Do we love our clients?
In order for your new client to become a regular, you should think about it way before they even cross the doorstep of your clinic.
The first thing that helps you win over your future regular client is the level of service and attention. According to a survey, conducted in 2019, 82% of companies believe that the high level of service is the key indicator, which gives them a clear advantage over their competitors.
And so, today we will talk about retaining a client, winning their respect and love, once and for all.
Rule No. 1. The patient must fully understand exactly what services they are paying for.
I teach my employees to work, based on the principle that people themselves should want to pay and should never be forced to pay for something unknown.
Let me explain in more detail... It may so happen that doctors perform a truly genius treatment, but they fail to explain what they are doing, how difficult or fine their work is. Unfortunately, this happens often to doctors, for they are creative people. This does not mean that they have swindled the patient. This merely means that they have failed to tell it all, to explain everything. I became aware of that back in 2009, as soon as we opened our first clinic. Ever since we’ve been instructing our dentists to explain in detail the course of their work to the patient, before even starting treatment. And after treatment, to explain clearly what they have actually done. Before the payment, the receptionist must also briefly summarize the procedures, performed by the doctor, and only then issue the invoice.
Why? Because patients often do not fully understand what they are paying for. This is wrong. This makes an unpleasant impression on patients. The dentist, the assistant and administrator must all repeat to the patient the amount and type of work, performed during treatment.
Rule No. 2 Never make your patient wait.
Do whatever it takes and go beyond yourself to never let the patient wait!
Design and implement all the processes so that patients never wait – neither for an appointment, nor for a consultation. I often consult patients myself and must admit that, despite my busy schedule, I make all necessary efforts not to be late and not to let clients wait for me. Tell your entire team and make them understand that this is truly important. Then, even if there are minor delays, the administrator would get in touch with the patient on time and warn of the delay.
When you reply on the social media and to the inquiries on your website, make sure that the replies are prompt and accurate. No one likes waiting for answers or for an appointment.
Rule No. 3. The absence of shoe covers is also a service!
When seeing well-dressed clients – men in suits, women in stylish dresses – and imagine that they must pit on shoe covers – I don’t like that. Never insist on your patients’ wearing shoe covers. Ultimately, using shoe covers is a way to save on cleaning, rather than care or protection against bacteria and viruses. The Covid-19 pandemic also proved that. The infection is to be found on the hands, and not on the heels.
Rule No. 4. Personal example!
I do the best I can to infuse a sense of responsibility, care for the clients and humanity in my team. Help your employees. If you adhere to these values yourselves, it would be more than easy – show the proper way to communicate, through your personal example. A leader must first show respect for the others. He cannot want his employees to care for “strangers“, while he doesn’t care for his own. The training in proper customer service is a difficult and long task. I meet the entire personal every week at the clinic and we review all the clinical cases and business situations from the week.
Rule No. 5. Listen to the client, looking them in the eyes.
It is our administrator’s responsibility to look patients in the eyes. And quietly write down in the CRM the color of their eyes. Why? If the person, behind the reception desk has written down the color of patients’ eyes, it means that that person had actually looked at them. This standard explains that the administrator has not only sat behind their desk, where they cannot be seen, but have also shown their smiling eyes. And then it seems that they need nothing more than their client.
If you have chosen for yourselves a client-oriented way of operation, you must put client satisfaction first. This must be the law at your business – with no exceptions. Clients are always right, and what is more– patient’s concerns always come first.
Let me give you another example for we have been offering our patients coffee since 2009. Now you can find coffee served everywhere, but back then this was unusual.
So, one day I saw a man sitting at the reception desk, without having anything to drink. I approached him and asked if he would like a coffee. And he snapped at me that he didn’t drink coffee and I was the third person to ask him that. On one hand, the administrator did everything properly and went to prepare a cup of tea for the client, but during that time, another administrator did not know that and asked the client the same question for a second time! And I was the third person to ask! That was not a “Petar Duchev Style” service, but exactly the opposite.
In order to prevent that thing from happening again, I keep telling this story to my team. Now they place a napkin on patient’s table, to warn the other employees that they have already offered that patient tea or coffee.
Dr. Petar Duchev
