Outrageous Customer Service Increases Starts

Orthodontists report fewer new starts: Adopting an exceptional customer service approach may help practices regain momentum and thrive.

By Roger P. Levin, DDS

As I draft this article, I have recently spoken to many orthodontists in several lectures in different parts of the United States. For the first time, I’m hearing more complaining about not having enough starts, and many practices are slowing down. In fact, our national annual orthodontic practice survey showed that orthodontic practice production had dropped slightly by over 6%. This causes us to wonder: Is this the beginning of a slowdown in orthodontic practices or is it simply tied to the overall economy? We cannot answer this question, however, I believe that increased areas of competition in orthodontics will cause a fragmentation of practices where some are operating well and others not so well. The question is, what can you do to be in the top tier?

What is outrageous customer service?

Customer service is one of those topics that is continually discussed and should be part of every orthodontic practice. However, it is rarely fully implemented. As we walk through our days, we experience contact with many different people in many different settings such as fast-food restaurants, retail and grocery stores, and cable companies. Unfortunately, we are often disappointed with the overall customer service experience, even if we get the product or service that we paid for. Just try calling your credit card company to discuss a mistake in your bill and see what you have to go through—probably the opposite of outrageous customer service.

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Outrageous customer service starts with the attitude that the customer is always right. Now, of course we all know that there are certainly times when customers are wrong but if you start with an attitude of the customer is right, you remain focused on what you can do to correct a situation, delight a customer in each experience, and build powerful relationships.

We live in a time where through the simple click of a few buttons, someone can leave a scathing online review that can be seen by the entire world. This can make us quite fearful in our patient interactions; however, you don’t build outrageous customer service out of fear. You build it out of a desire to truly serve the customer and create a phenomenally successful orthodontic practice. It is not just an attitude, but a system that needs to be established step by step each day. 

Consider the following steps in building your customer service system:

1. The Greeting. Greet every parent or patient by standing up, reaching over the desk, and shaking hands. Smile at every parent and patient that enters the practice and be prepared to tell them how glad you are to see them and that you have been looking forward to their appointment.
2. The Waiting Room. Don’t make parents or patients wait more than 3 to 5 minutes after their designated appointment time. In the cases when they must wait longer, have a $5 coffee store gift card ready with this script: “Mrs Jones, I am so sorry that we are running slightly late. Dr Smith is helping a patient who needs extra attention and will be with you shortly. Please have a cup of coffee on us for the inconvenience.” Parents and patients will be shocked. If you routinely run late, then you need to correct your entire scheduling system and time management philosophy.
3. The handoff. Have an assistant escort the parent and/or patient back to the clinical area. The assistant should have scripting that asks how the patient is doing and tells them how great it is to see them. Furthermore, the assistant should always be upbeat and bubbly, creating energy for the parent or patient. People like positive people and that is part of customer service. Remember, all staff members must be careful not to engage in negative conversation or comments. Anything that can be shared negatively can also be conveyed in a positive way.
4. Parent/Patient Engagement. The orthodontist should be upbeat and excited when seeing any parent or patient. Letting kids know how great they are, asking about school or camp, engaging in conversation that is on their level, and having fun are all part of the customer service experience. For the adults, it is still about engaging in conversation and learning new things about them each time they come in. This contributes to building and maintaining powerful relationships.
5. Treatment update. Tell the parent or patient how well the orthodontic case is going. Most orthodontic patients have visits with positive updates, and these should be reinforced in regard to clinical quality, and when the case will be completed. Everyone wants to know when they will be done. If it looks like they will be done on time, then make a big deal out of that. Everyone is happy. If there is some negative news to be delivered, you can still have a positive approach to share in how it will be handled.
6. The check-in. Ask every parent or patient how their visit was. Most of the time you’ll hear positive responses, and this is the perfect time to also ask them to be nice enough to write a review. We have seen one practice that recently went from 20 reviews to over 400 in 2 years just by asking. And almost all of them were five-star reviews.
7. The Send-off. End each patient visit by telling the parent or patient how wonderful it was to see them and that you are glad things are going well and look forward to their next visit. You should always end on a high and enthusiastic note.

Outrageous customer service increases starts

There are many other aspects to customer service that can be included in a successful customer service system, and the examples above are wonderful starting points. Remember, orthodontics is expensive for the patient or their family, and it operates within a boutique environment. And when people are spending money in such an environment, they want to be treated well. They will also overlook just about any shortfall IF you have outrageous customer service. The other huge benefit is that happy people tell other people, whether they tell them in person, on the Internet, or through reviews. And, when word spreads about an outstanding practice, other people will come in as patients.

Photo: ID 157267669 © Monkey Business Images | Dreamstime.com

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