Provide excellent customer service with the help of these 10 words

June 28, 2019

Dr. Roger P. Levin

Dr. Roger P. Levin is the CEO of Levin Group, a leading dental management consulting firm. Founded in 1985, Levin Group has worked with over 30,000 dental practices. Dr. Levin is one of the most sought-after speakers in dentistry and is a leading authority on dental practice success and sustainable growth. Through extensive research and cutting-edge innovation, Dr. Levin is a recognized expert on propelling practices into the top 10 percent. He has authored 65 books and over 4,000 articles on dental practice management and marketing. He has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and Time magazine and is the creator of the Levin Group Tip of the Day, which has over 30,000 subscribers. To contact Dr. Levin, visit www.levingroup.com or email rlevin@levingroup.com.

How to create a caring atmosphere and achieve a five-star rating.

One of the most important aspects of five-star customer service is being able to handle any issues with patients immediately no matter what. For example, it’s not unusual for patients to ask the wrong person in a dental practice for information. When a dental assistant gets a question that doesn’t concern them, it may feel natural for them to point the patient to the front desk. This isn’t a terrible response but it’s not five-star customer service. Instead the answer should be: "I don’t know, but I will find out for you.”

These words are a powerful part of excellent customer service. They say much more than you will get the information. This sentence tells patients …

You will take care of them. Everyone likes to be taken care of. In fact, research by the Ritz Carlton reveals people want to be treated as if they were being cared for by their mother. When you were sick your mother took care of you. When you had a question, your mother would find the answer. When a patient asks a question in a dental practice and you tell them “I don’t know, but I will find out for you.”, you‘re saying: “I will take care of you.”

You will make things easy for them. How often have you asked people for information or guidance on something and been told you’ll have to check with another person? There is almost always that moment when you think to yourself: Really? Now I have to talk to yet another person who probably won’t know the answer either. Five-star customer service proactively removes this burden from the patient.

You are committed to them. When you say, “I don’t know, but I will find out for you." , you are demonstrating a level of commitment to the patient and that helps build dental practices. In the changing world of dentistry this can really differentiate your practice.

They can count on your practice. When patients meet staff members who will take care of it for them, find out for them and solve it for them, they have found five-star customer service. This creates an atmosphere where patients want to come back to. Why would they even consider going anywhere else when your office goes out of its way to create an efficient, enjoyable and easy experience?

Summary

Dentistry can be complex for patients. They don’t really understand clinical terms, insurance or treatment financing, so it’s inevitable they’ll have questions. Practices who want to provide a five-star customer service level must always be ready to respond.