There Truly Is No Other Place…. Is This What Your Patients Are Saying?

I’m thinking back to a night seven years ago... it's a Sunday night in Cleveland Ohio, where I’m staying with friends. At their home. You see, I’m attending a two and a half day Summit meeting there on the following days.

So, as I opened up my MacBook to write a blog post, I was saddened to receive an email from my Dental Office back in Sydney letting me know that one of my long-term patients, Patricia, had passed away.

It’s always sad to be informed of the passing of anyone. But a long-term older patient, well that’s something different again.

I’ve always said, when interviewing for staff for my Dental Office, that I consider the patients here at my practice to be really good friends, and that I’d be happy to have ninety five percent of them as guests in my home.

And Patricia was one of those great patients. That’s for sure.

So what’s my point? Well, the tie in is this.

Like I said, interestingly, I was staying at the home of some dear friends in Cleveland.

And I’ve stayed there with them on several occasions, at their invitation.

But that’s not usually me. That’s not my style.

You see, I don’t like to impose. I’m not the imposing type.

You know the type? People who say they’re coming to town and expect to stay at your home? You see, that’s truly not me.

Not at all.

In fact, to the contrary, I’d rather stay at a hotel than someone’s home.

Because at a hotel, you can be yourself. You can spread your stuff around. You don’t have to tidy the bathroom. You don’t have to make your bed. Someone comes and does all this for you.

In a hotel, you can go out when you want. You can eat when you want. It’s an open book.

Stay at someone’s place? Now for me, that’s a challenge.

A big, big, challenge…

Hang your towel up. Don’t wear shoes in the house. Make your bed. Tidy your room. It goes on and on and on….

You know what it’s like? Sometimes it’s like you became a kid again in your mother’s house….

And it’s because of this, I’m not a great house host either.

Guests in my house? Very difficult for me….

You get up in the middle of the night…. bathroom is occupied!

Come down for breakfast…the Griswalds have appeared there already…..sitting in your seat, eating out of your bowl, drinking out of your mug….

You know what I mean? Sometimes it can be tough….

Now don’t get me wrong…Come to my town, and I’ll show you around…I’ll take you to the sights, and we’ll wine you and dine you and do all the cool stuff, you betcha!

But I value that disconnect time too…as host and as visitor…

Which brings me back to the now.

You see, my hosts in Cleveland, Ron and Trish, are just the best.

Because at their home, I almost feel like I’m at my home.

It’s that comfortable. I can move around as I want, they feed and look after me as I need, and life there is really pretty good!!

And I love their invitations and their hospitalities!! It’s just the best.

But it’s rare.

But because it’s so good, it’s worth bottling!!

And that’s the feeling that I want you to give to your patients.

That feeling, like I get, that when I go to Cleveland, I want to stay with Ron and Trish.

Nowhere else. There’s no other choice.

No other thought crosses my mind. If they will have me I won’t stay anywhere else.

And that’s the feeling you must build into your dental patients.

When it comes to dentistry, you’re the dentist of choice. No other. It’s your Office and only your Office.

It’s got to be that comfortable.

That’s the feeling you’re trying to convey.

That there is only one place for them to visit. For their teeth….

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Dr. David Moffet BDS FPFA CSP is a certified coach who helps businesses improve their Customer Service Systems to create memorable World Class experiences for their valued clients. Click here to find out how David can help your business