Most practices overestimate the level of customer service they provide. Is your practice one of them?
By Roger P. Levin, DDS
Customer service is one of those aspects of business that is constantly talked about, but not so regularly implemented, including in orthodontic practices. This is not to say that most doctors and teams aren’t relatively nice and that the vast majority of parents and patients have relatively good experiences. However, there is a difference between a “relatively nice” orthodontic practice and a 5-star customer service orthodontic practice. Exquisite systems and great attitudes make the difference.
Understanding customer service
Over the years Levin Group has routinely found that most practices overestimate the level of customer service they provide. When asked if they provide 5-star customer service (a term that most people generally understand), the answer is yes, for the vast majority of orthodontic practices. However, this is not the case. Most practices provide a 3- or 4-star level of customer service, which is not bad, but it is not 5-star.
What is that difference? 5-star customer service differentiates practices in ways that 3 or 4-star customer service does not. Here’s how:
1. Orthodontic practices with 5-star customer service have higher production.
Parents and patients in a high-level customer service practice trust the practice more and are much more open to accepting recommended treatment. When parents and patients experience incredible customer service, it translates into trust—the major factor in case acceptance.
2. Orthodontic practices with 5-star customer service have more referrals.
Many parents and patients become ambassadors without ever being asked, and without even realizing they are doing it. People just tell others and others come. In my observation, practices can increase referrals by as much as 20% by having a 5-star customer service practice.
3. Orthodontic practices with 5-star customer service see an increase in the number of positive reviews.
Some patients will feel so good in that environment that they will go write a review. They feel bonded to the practice and are happy to do anything they can that is positive for the practice. In our observation, about two-thirds of new patients read reviews before they come to an orthodontic practice. And positive reviews predispose the parent or patient as to how they view the practice and their willingness to start.
4. A 5-star customer service practice also makes the observation program bigger each year.
Levin Group continually emphasizes the value of the observation program. The more patients that are in that program the more revenue that will be coming in the future almost automatically if the observation program is effectively managed (that’s a concept for another article).
Most orthodontists don’t spend their days thinking about how to outcompete other orthodontists the way businesses do in other industries. However, there is competition for the number of patients and discretionary spending in areas such as orthodontics. A high level of customer service has incredible benefits. A 5-star customer service orthodontic practice differentiates itself from others and is able to enjoy those benefits. OP
Roger P. Levin, DDS, is the CEO and founder of Levin Group, a leading practice management consulting firm that has worked with over 30,000 practices to increase production. A recognized expert on orthodontic practice management and marketing, he has written 67 books and over 4,000 articles and regularly presents seminars in the U.S. and around the world. To contact Levin or to join the 40,000 dental professionals who receive his Practice Production Tip of the Day, visit levingroup.com or email [email protected].
