The first dental practice I have ever stepped foot inside was the closest one to where I lived. For the dentist there, it could have been an easy sale. But . . . first impressions are everything, and he did not make a good one. Why? Simple. Attitude.
The entranceway was dark with no one sitting behind the tall, overcompensating desk in the corner. The sound of a drill growling in one of the rooms down the hall and a ripe smell in the air were disconcerting. The chairs in the waiting room were hard plastic and absolutely no sign of life adorned the walls. With no windows and incredibly low lighting, it felt like walking into a mausoleum. Already my first impression was shadowed by the unwelcoming atmosphere. I had to wonder how many potential patients stepped through those doors only to turn and walk right back out. I could’ve done that. The office was practically screaming at me too. But I went to the desk and I stood there, waiting. I looked around the desk and down the hall. The drill had stopped but the smell was still permeating the air. The clock on the wall above the desk indicated I had already been here for a half hour. It felt longer. Finally, an older woman approached the desk. As though on autopilot, she sat, grabbed her clipboard and started in on me. I didn’t feel like a patient more than a disruption to whatever job she had been previously in the middle of. She looked disheveled, hair in her eyes and a frown on her face.
But I went to the desk and I stood there, waiting. I looked around the desk and down the hall. The drill had stopped but the smell was still permeating the air. The clock on the wall above the desk indicated I had already been here for a half hour. It felt longer. Finally, an older woman approached the desk. As though on autopilot, she sat, grabbed her clipboard and started in on me. I didn’t feel like a patient more than a disruption to whatever job she had been previously in the middle of. She looked disheveled, hair in her eyes and a frown on her face.
“Have a seat until we call your name,” she said in a cold, matter-of-fact tone. Then she was gone again, and I was alone. The magazines scattered on the small table were old, some ripped. I glanced down the hall and made a decision: I wasn’t staying. I think the only reason I stuck it out so long was because I was somehow hoping there would be a redeeming factor, a reason to stay. No such luck.
The very first deterring factor in that office was the atmosphere in the waiting room. Were you in my position, would you have stayed so long? Unfortunately, these experiences are not one in a million and it’s important to narrow down the areas of your practice where this negative attitude exists. It might just be a state of mind, but a negative attitude in your office can affect how your patient sees you and your team, it can affect your marketing, your authority, your online reviews, and most importantly, the success of your practice.
So, Come and join me on a path of self-discovery by taking off that cap of yours and entering the realm of us patients to find out exactly what you can do to keep a negative attitude out of your practice. We will look at four different facets of your office, how attitude affects each of them, and how best to nip that attitude in the bud.
- The waiting room
As an interesting exercise and to see things from the patient’s side, take a moment to leave your office then enter as a potential patient. What do you see first? Does anything attract you immediately or do you notice something that deters you? Is it bright or dark? Do you feel welcome and relaxed or put off and anxious? I know it’s hard to answer these questions as this is your office, but in order to make necessary improvements, you have to be willing to play devil’s advocate. A negative attitude can come from all areas of the office, and we will focus specifically on your waiting room. What is your waiting room saying to your patients? Take a seat and look around. Look at the walls, the table, the books, and magazines. It is important for a waiting room to be clean and organized, such as– magazines sitting in a basket so they don’t spill over onto the floor or clutter the table. Those magazines should be updated as well, nothing old and definitely nothing ripped. What about comfort? If your waiting room has chairs, do those chairs have cushions?
If you feel uncomfortable or anxious, then that is exactly how your patients feel too. Design your waiting room like a living room, hang a painting on the wall or photos of satisfied patients and their testimonials so your prospective patients know what they’re in for. Is there enough natural light? If not, add a lamp or two to brighten things more. The whole point of a waiting room is to allow the patient to feel comfortable and relaxed before their appointment. Take a look around and see for yourself if you are achieving this or if things need to change.
- The team
No one wants to speak badly about their team, but it is important to make sure they are on board with your vision of things in the office. A negative attitude exhibited by anyone on your team can pose negative results, like the loss of new patients through negative reviews and word-of-mouth. Effective customer service starts with attitude– a smile, a friendly tone of voice, a simple explanation about treatment, billing, and anything else the patient might be concerned about.
In the experience I shared above, the receptionist I dealt with was rude, her manner was cold, and she didn’t look at me once, not even when telling me to take a seat. Remember that good customer service starts with your team understanding and being on board with your vision of what customer service means and how they should properly execute that.
- The phone
Your phone is one of the most important pieces of technology in your office. With it, you are able to convert phone calls into scheduled appointments and prospective patients into existing and even loyal ones. Unfortunately, a negative attitude can affect those successful conversions. Whether it is you or someone else on your team answering the phone, it’s important to be sincere and put a smile in your voice. I’m sure you’ve been on the phone with someone who made you feel with just their tone that you were wasting their time. A negative attitude can easily demonstrate a lack of caring and compassion, deterring patients from getting to the step of scheduling an appointment.
Keep it positive and upbeat. Show those prospective patients that they matter and you do care about their oral health. An article about effective ways to answer the phone available on dentaltown.com suggests building a rapport by asking questions and gathering information, being enthusiastic, and being direct. Take notes and offer short understandable answers to the patient’s questions. And be sure to take control of the conversation by limiting the options and getting them to the scheduling portion of the call.
- The dental professional
I’m sure it isn’t a stretch to imagine that a negative attitude can affect you as the dental professional and the way you approach people and situations in the office. So it’s time to shine a light on yourself and your attitude. You might not see it, but your team and your patients can and the results can hurt your practice. The atmosphere changes immediately with the emergent of a negative attitude. Office morale goes down, production slows down, and worse, success begins to flounder.
The one incredibly noticeable cause of this negative attitude should not surprise you: it’s stress. Stress not only affects you physically but mentally as well. Your attitude changes, your frustration level rises and you can become difficult to work with. It is time to take a step back and examine how you’re conducting your workdays. Do you need a two-week vacation because it’s been too long, or a long weekend to recup, or is it that you just need to take a mandatory break from your day to eat lunch and drink fluids? Whichever it is, oblige the call of your body and your mental state. By taking care of yourself, you will eliminate that negative attitude caused by stress and that means that you are putting your patients and your practice first.
What are other deterring factors in a dental office that you think could be affected by a negative attitude? Do you have a particular experience as a patient? Share your stories with us. We always love to hear from you.
Resources
- http://oasisdiscussions.ca/2015/10/19/recep/
- http://www.dentaltown.com/Dentaltown/Blogs.aspx?action=VIEWPOST&b=423&bp=2409&st=the%20phone
- http://www.dentaltown.com/Dentaltown/Blogs.aspx?action=VIEWPOST&b=131&bp=559&st=the%20phone
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