Chris Mullins

Let me share some real-life customer service experiences with you. Wow! Have these experiences ever happened to you?

Experience 1

I went shopping to buy an IPod. The salesperson, unsolicited, insisted he doesn't work on commission and was very aggressive. We asked about the Shuffle, a smaller-less expensive version of the iPod, he insisted on all sorts of accessories. His logic for the extended warranty made no sense, had us open a credit account with promises of grandeur, and in the end pulled a bait and switch and rang up an iPod instead. The clincher was after ringing up the CORRECT sale, he told us to go online and fill out the customer service survey-and repeatedly told us to give him all 10s! 140

Experience 2

I went to another store to shop. I went to the register to pay. The cashier didn't acknowledge me until I said hello, which didn't surprise me. My purchases came to $46.97 I gave the cashier $50 and she gave me only $3.00 in change. I told her, nicely, she had forgotten to give me the rest of my change. In a very irritated voice, she yelled for the supervisor, and was told she was on break. She actually said, "Do you really need your change back?" I calmly said yes. She rolled her eyes at me, proceeded to take 3 cents out of her own wallet and slammed it on the counter. I thanked her and walked out.

Hugh Doherty, DDS

Most practices are totally unaware of the consequences of lowering your fees in this desperate economy. Some dentists are literally killing themselves to compete on price when it's really not necessary or the wise thing to do.

A headline in the New York Times read "High End Retailers Saks Fifth Avenue Report Strong Profits, but Walmart Still Struggles". If you are currently interested about why and how to keep your own profit margins intact. read below about how Saks Fifth Avenue and Wal-Mart handled structuring prices on their goods.

Saks Fifth Avenue said it was selling items like fine jewelry, fragrances and men's accessories fast and furiously, reporting a "historically high gross margin rate performance." Meanwhile Walmart referred to lowering their price strategy as necessary because of customers living paycheck to paycheck and having to "hold down" prices to get customers to spend. If Walmart, who actually gave a low price guarantee, is struggling to sustain their business isn't that a clue to stop striving for and competing on lower prices? They even introduced a special " Price Guarantee" which said that if the price went down at any time after consumers bought merchandise during the holiday season, a refund would be given for the difference (via a gift card).

Together with your team discuss your fees. If your practice is not the absolute lowest, then the best you can say is you are the second or third or fourth lowest price. Having the almost lowest fees gives you absolutely no competitive or marketing advantage. Lowering your fees is a totally unsustainable advantage. Only indigent people have their choices controlled by price. Walmart's strategy won't work for most businesses, nor should you want it to work.

Here are 6 of The Best Reasons To Not Lower Your Fees:

1. You will be able to afford to create and deliver much better experiences and care for your patients.
2. You can hire additional team members, rather than suffer the consequences of being under staffed.
3. You can afford to pay better wages and incentives to attract better personnel instead of paying below-par wages, forcing employment of mediocre or less-motivated and unskilled people from whom you can demand little.
4. You can make your patients environment and customer service more enjoyable which is similar to a Saks Fifth Avenue experience with personal assistance and personal attention versus a crowded, impersonal Walmart experience.
5. You can improve your after sales service. You can do much, much more to "WOW" your patients before, during and after the "sale," and still produce a proper Net Profit.
6. An even better reason to not reduce your fees: You will be able to afford and spend more on marketing, to get potential new patients attention than anyone else competing with you. I'm going to say that again because this is an incredible source of power. Never cease your "Marketing, Marketing , Marketing" efforts ever. Why?

Misty Clark

When dental practices take on the investment of savvy, effective marketing, rarely does the vision go beyond the goal of getting more new patients. The problem with this is if you are not prepared for the influx of new patients your marketing will bring, you risk those patients walking from the front door straight through the back door because your internal systems failed to reflect the external marketing you were sending out to the community.

So, how do you successfully bring these new patients into your practice and retain them in your patient family? Here are a few steps to start working on NOW to prepare for the wave of business your marketing efforts will bring.

1. Have an effective New Patient Experience in place. The New Patient Experience is multifold. It involves several systems in your practice: excellent telephone technique, gathering of necessary data, scheduling the new patient appointment, sending out a beautiful and accurate new patient packet, executing a good new patient appointment, and a successful case presentation. This may take hours of time, practice and preparation on the part of you and your team members. But, remember, all of this work will protect the investment you have made in your marketing. Otherwise, you risk losing your investment the moment you answer the telephone.
2. Get your schedule in order. Make sure you have a schedule that is organized and ready to take on new patients in an expedient manner. If you are offering a special on whitening, for example, make sure you have places blocked off in your schedule to hold those appointments. If a prospective patient calls in and you can't see them for three months, chances are it doesn't matter what you're offering, they will look elsewhere for someone that can see them in a more convenient fashion.
3. Put an efficient follow-up system in place. In the introductory calls, make sure you gather the prospective new patient's contact information. This way you can follow- up on a regular basis through marketing and you can also place these people on a call list when you have cancellations.