Your Secret Weapon for Positive Perception

Stop and consider, for a moment, what might come to mind when an individual thinks about your dental practice. Some possibilities: Quality of care. Availability of appointments. Affordable. Friendly and attentive staff. Trust, confidence, and respect. Of these factors, which have the greatest impact on the way your practice is seen in the eyes of the public

A well-run business of any sort identifies problem areas or challenges, focuses on what it can control, and maximizes the positive impact of these factors. The fact that it costs five times more to keep an existing customer than get a new one is an almost old news in business, yet easily-available statistics show that most companies still focus more effort on acquisition than retention. In an era where information—positive and negative, true and false—is readily available and people will seek it out, these issues become even more important. Apart from online reputation management, which is a topic unto itself, where and how do you prioritize public perception of your practice?

Arguably, quality of care is likely much lower on the list of key factors than you might think. Studies suggest that it’s quite high on the list, but remember that how someone answers a survey, and what they really think, maybe different because ‘quality care and skill’ seems like the best answer. Unless care is truly substandard, what’s the difference between the care offered at one practice or another? It may be more appropriate to consider the quality of care not as a comparison between practices, but as meeting or exceeding a perceived standard—so in all but extreme cases it’s quite subjective, more of a checkbox than a ranking.

Affordability matters because most people don’t think they can afford dental care, but again we run into a snag. Is affordability about managing reality or perception? If a dentist charges that much less than another, it may raise questions about the quality of care. Is a dentist considered to be more affordable because of the way they successfully navigate the uncomfortable financial side of patient relations? Availability is another double-edged sword because, again, perception is in the hands of the patient. A well-booked practice cranks out production but has room for emergencies without much of a hit to the bottom line. The ins-and-outs of this balancing act are not something the average patient cares the slightest about.

Any dentist worth their salt shoots for a high standard of care. A well-run practice sees patients every six months, completes treatment plans in a timely manner, and has room for emergencies. Perceived affordability is a more difficult proposition. But what about trust? Confidence? Friendly? Respect?

Your staff should be your secret weapon. A quality staff that fosters trust, confidence, and positivity in patients at all levels and in all areas of interaction is what separates one practice from another, assuming an acceptable level of caregiver competence and office management.

Consistently throughout the business realm, standout customer service is what makes a good company great. Think about it: if a practice has average care, affordability, and availability but builds great patient relationships founded on trust, integrity, respect, and a positive atmosphere, its public reputation will easily transcend this ‘average’ status. This is because how a patient feels when they interact with your practice—on the phone, at the front desk, or in the chair—is what they remember most. And even if something goes dramatically south, having those perceived good qualities helps you overcome the occasional, sometimes unavoidable, bad experience. As such, there is no substitute for prioritizing patient relationships and no excuse for not doing so.

And the problem of perceived ‘affordability?’ A solid staff that expertly and compassionately handles delicate financial terrain will not only minimize this stumbling block, it will also maximize collections.

Before considering individual staff roles, look at the overall atmosphere of the practice. Trust, integrity, confidence, professionalism, and respect start at the top. You don’t need a Carnegie course to build and encourage positive relationships between you and the staff, but if would help, go for it! If the dentist and office management are fair, honest, compassionate, respectful, and sensitive to staff needs, this will be passed on to the patient because it is a lot easier to model behavior in a positive environment than manufacture behavior in an unnecessarily stressful or negative one.

The meeting of basic employee needs can be broken down into two categories: those that have an obvious dollar value attached to them, and those that don’t. Consider the importance of competitive compensation and benefits as cornerstones in the foundation of trust you’re building your practice on. This is not to suggest that this aspect of your business must dramatically exceed the market; instead, consider this an investment with dividends that will pay off big over time. It’s not just about pay rate, holiday and personal/sick/vacation time, retirement, and health insurance. What about paying for educational opportunities? If you want a hygienist to administer anesthesia, pay for the course. Taking your entire staff to a convention, together, has manifold benefits. Staff education and growth are encouraged, and you’re providing significant bonding opportunities that your people will look forward to once or twice a year. Convention attendance is not something the average staff member can easily afford, especially if you factor in travel and lodging. Whatever level you can deliver, when provided sincerely and in a professional manner, inspires staff loyalty and camaraderie.

What doesn’t have an obvious cost still has a dollar value, it’s just harder to calculate. Consider an office environment where staff—if they even get paid vacation time—have to take vacations only when the dentist takes his or her yearly vacation and the office is closed; where if their child is sick, the office manager gives them dirty looks or a chiding tone during the uncomfortable phone call; where hygienists have to beg, borrow, and steal to maintain a stock of viable instruments and disposables. Now consider the opposite. Which office would you want to work in, and how would you feel in those two diametrically opposed situations? Which environment would foster dissatisfaction, gossip, and resentment versus security, loyalty, and team spirit? Again, this represents a less predictable short-term cost, but with a long-term benefit to all involved.

Outside of a well-established and -maintained healthy environment for relationships, trust, and growth, it is at the hiring table where the next big moves are made. After competence and/or trainability has been established, character and basic mindset are important to discern. You’re looking for honest, reliable, ‘real’ human beings with compassion and integrity. Moreover, look for those who seem to share your core personal and business values, who are willing to buy into your vision and want to be a part of what’s going on. Don’t be afraid of personalities because a good environment has room for lots of different types, and diversity broadens the potential patient experience; a patient may not prefer one assistant but gets along smashingly with another, which is a fact you can use to everyone’s advantage.

Each staff position plays a powerful, yet distinct role in the overall patient interaction continuum. The front desk staff are the (hopefully) pleasant and approachable public face of your practice. By telephone or in-person, they must be able to effectively engage patients regarding any aspect of operations without judgment, while handing them off to other personnel when necessary. Office managers have the unenviable task of enacting, enforcing, and expanding policies in every aspect of the business to enrich the staff, patients, and practice in every way—and more. They set the standard, as well as the example, for professionalism in their daily conduct, and must willingly serve as the liaison between staff members, the dentist(s), and the owner in some cases. A financial manager is the helpful, and hopeful, the link between the provider, the patient, and their pocketbook. Charged with presentation and acceptance of treatment plans, as well as scheduling and follow-up, this individual rides the thin line between compassionate understanding and reality-based salesmanship in an effort to both promote patient care and maintain the revenue stream.

The gentle, friendly dental hygienist is the frontline caregiver and foundation of the dental practice; as such, patients will probably form strong attachments to these more than any other staff member. The dentist’s patient load springs forth directly from that of the hygiene corps, and their successful integration to the team can make or break a practice. In many ways, a good dental assistant does what the dentist, and possibly the dental hygienist, cannot: subtly set the stage for professional interaction between caregiver and patient while presenting a personal—and personable—face that bolsters patient confidence with their own. Beyond their skill providing procedural support, they are a go-to whose timely, willing, and helpful intervention maintains momentum during all aspects of patient care.

This article is the first in a series covering aspects to harnessing the unique and powerful potential in developing a relationship-oriented dental practice. The next few articles will delve more deeply into each of the different staff positions within the practice, followed by articles oriented toward surmounting the challenges that practices face building and maintaining relationships that help your practice thrive.

The next article will focus on the front desk staff—their importance, the ideal skillset, and how to develop them. Looking forward to sharing the article with you next week.

Your Colleague

Dr. Dorothy Kassab, CEO Dental Claims Cleanup

1810 Erie Blvd East

Syracuse, NY 13210

800-652-3431

www.dentalclaimscleanup.com

#windowtothepublic

#dentalofficepracticemanagement 

#dentalinsurance

#dentalbilling

#dentalmanagers

#dentalbillingservice

#practicemanagement

#dentalconsulting

#dentalclaimscleanup

#dentalpracticetips

#dentists

#dentaloffice

#billingdentalpatients