Every patient wants to receive exceptional customer service when visiting a dental practice. If they don’t feel comfortable in either a waiting room or a dental chair, it is unlikely they will make an appointment in the future or refer a practice to their family and friends. All dental professionals must, therefore, endeavour to make patients feel welcome, comfortable and safe once they step inside a practice.
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To find out more, read the following different ways dentists can improve customer service. The information can help a patient to make an informed decision when choosing a practice and could help dentists improve both their service and reputation.
A Comfortable Setting
According to the British Dental Association, 25% of the population experience some form of anxiety prior to visiting the dentist, while 12% suffer from extreme dental anxiety that can make them feel frightened of check-ups or simple procedures.
For this reason, a dental office must aim to make their patients feel as comfortable as possible. Thankfully, there are a number of ways to maximise comfort at a practice, such as:
- Playing relaxing music
- Comfortable chairs and a TV in a waiting room
- Relaxing dental chairs
All the above can help to make a patient feel both relaxed and at ease once they arrive, so they will feel less anxious when they embark on a dental check-up or procedure.
A dentist should also aim to make a patient feel more at ease. For example, they should offer a warm, friendly demeanour and ask open-ended questions to build a rapport and make a patient feel comfortable and calm.
A Greater Variety of Services
Most modern dental practices are expected to do more than fill cavities and clean teeth. Nowadays, many patients want to take their pick from a variety of services to help them perfect their smile, such as offering veneer applications, root canals and cosmetic dentistry.
A greater choice of dental services will ultimately help a practice to attract new, loyal patients.
A Better Reputation
A poor quality website, cheap dental products, or ineffective administrative processes can lead to a practice developing a bad reputation over time.
Fortunately, a dental practice can improve its reputation by:
- Maintaining a high-quality website
- Quickly resolving customer complaints
- Answering questions as soon as possible
- Sourcing the best dental supplies (click here to find the best supplies from the UK’s leading mail order dental supplier)
A Virtual Receptionist
An unanswered call can quickly frustrate current and prospective patients. Sadly, not every dental practice has the budget or resources to hire a 24-hour receptionist.
However, a virtual receptionist can help to resolve this problem and will cost a fraction of the price of a member of staff. A virtual assistant will ultimately allow a patient to:
- Book and confirm dental appointments
- Receive directions to a practice
- Learn more information about the dental services available
A virtual assistant can, therefore, help to resolve many patients’ problems, which could potentially improve a practice’s reputation and increase word of mouth.