3 Tips for Patient Retention

3 Tips for Patient Retention

on May 2, 2018 in Customer Service

If you have a desire to set-up a dental practice or want to make your current practice even more successful, you’ll want to check out these top tips, as running a dental practice isn’t as simple as providing your patients with superior care.  Indeed, it’s so easy to get caught up in the day-to-day running of your practice that a vital element of your success is overlooked; that of creating an exceptional patient experience.

 

The way you manage your dental practice leaves a lasting impression on your patients and directly affects retention rates.  


It can be a good idea to update your decor with a professional Fitout Practice as the first impression really does count – if you have old-fashioned wallpaper and uncomfortable plastic seats, it doesn’t really give the impression that you particularly care about your patients, and even more importantly, it suggests that you might not be on top of best practice with the latest knowledge and innovations in healthcare, even though you might be the best in your field.  Appearance is important.

 

Here are some important aspects of the customer experience to consider:

 

  1. Aesthetic Design

We have already touched on this point, but the importance of how your practice looks is absolutely critical to the comfort of your patients and will have a direct impact on how likely they are to refer you.  A well-presented environment creates a feeling of trust that the patient is in good hands.

 

 

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In reality, very few people like going to the dentist as they associate pain and discomfort with the experience – so creating a calm and soothing yet clean and professional environment is important.  You might want to look into colour psychology to work out the best colour combinations, as a lot of research goes into what colours to paint things within the medical sphere; particularly in terms of hospital wards.  You want calm, cool, soothing colours that elicit a state of reassurance and relaxation.

 

  1.  Customer Service

The way your patient is greeted upon arrival is vital to creating a good first impression; you want to employ kind, compassionate, gentle yet confident people that put patients at ease.  

 

  1.  Waiting Room

The waiting room is often where anxiety starts to build, and on that basis, you need to create as many comforting distractions as possible.  The main difference between upper-end dental practices and lower-end practices, aside from the range of treatments and advanced technology, are the little touches.  For instance, there’s a huge difference between having a TV blasting out cartoons at anyone in earshot, to being offered a glass of fresh water with a slice of lemon and guided to a variety of inspirational magazines.  Indeed, getting people in a better emotional state by reading an inspirational travel magazine such as Wanderlust or Lonely Planet tends to have better results than trashy magazines that dwell on pain, loss, suffering and drama.

 

The other consideration is that you might want to consider investing in extra soundproofing, as there’s nothing worse for anxious patients than having people sit in the waiting room listening to drills.

 

Image source: Pexels.com

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