One of the best ways to retain dental patients and ensure that you’re meeting the specific needs of each of your patients is to get to know them personally. Yes, it’s important to focus on the dental needs at hand, but if you truly know your patients, you’ll be more equipped to create a successful treatment plan and keep them coming back.
What Are Their Priorities?
What is it that makes your patient tick? Are they a parent, caring for a child with special needs? A recent retiree? Someone headed back to school for a career change? All of these people have different goals in mind. When one just needs to maintain their smile, the other may need appointment flexibility.
Consider Jotting Down Notes
If you’re like most people, you’re not going to remember every detail about every conversation you have in your dental operatory. But, jotting down a few notes about the conversations that you had can help. Refresh your memory before stepping in to see the patient, and ask them for an update. It will help you remember them better, and the patient to feel that you truly value them as an individual.
Make a Quick Phone Call
Did your patient have a particularly lengthy or difficult procedure? Call them in person to check on them to make sure they’re recovering ok. They won’t expect it, and it shows that you actually care.
Don’t Forget Bonding With Your Staff
If your patients spot tension or bickering among your office staff, it’s not a good thing. In fact, they might start to think that everybody is out for themselves, instead of focusing on patient care.
To value your patients and nurture those relationships, you must first kindle relationships among your dental team. This includes respecting one another and floating among the office to make sure work is done efficiently, without complaining. Patients will find it more enjoyable to be seen in a practice that also looks like a fun place to work.
Remember Important Events
Finally, it never hurts to send a hand written card to patients that have lost a loved one, gotten married, had a baby, or celebrated something huge like a retirement. Get the entire office to sign it, and use it as a chance to create value in your relationship with them.
Retaining dental patients is the best part of job. Treat them like friends, because most of them actually are.