Most people know by now that I live and breathe Customer Service in and out of the Dental Office.

Like most people I love to receive Excellent Customer Service, but I also equally enjoy giving it.

You might say this gives me an edge.

When you receive Excellent Customer Service you are then able to deliver customer service more easily and more consistently.

The delivery of Excellent Customer Service should be:

  • automatic but not robotic.
  • genuine and not contrived.
  • thoughtful yet systematic.

You really start to notice customer service or the lack of customer service where ever you go.

Pay attention and watch!

So, what is Excellent Customer Service?

Excellent Customer Service is the ability to deliver to your customers an experience they will never forget and will talk about it to others, over and over again.

Excellent Customer Service is about building a lasting relationship and connecting with customers in a way that ensures your customer is happy and satisfied.

True customer service is above and beyond. An experience your customer does not expect.

We can fall into the trap of believing we deliver excellent customer service but even though many businesses are not delivering any customer service, some businesses deliver customer service that is quite ordinary and generic.

If you want to be memorable in the delivery of your customer service, you need to really wow your customers.

So how do you wow your customers every single time?

How do you wow your patients?

The best way to start delivering Excellent Customer Service is to first find out what your patients want.

It’s OK to ask your patients questions. Find out what they like and don’t like.

Once you find this out you are off to a good start.

Tailoring your customer service to what your patients want, and need will grab their attention straight away.

One of the biggest complaints from customers is that businesses are not listening to them.

Listen to your patients, make notes and create a customer service experience for them with this information.

There are many ways to find out what sort of customer service our patients want.

Yes, there are feedback forms and surveys you can give you patients, which are great but can be quite impersonal and generic.

Don’t overlook a simple discussion with patients where you listen to what is important to them.

When your patients bring things up in conversation make a note of how you can use this information to introduce a great customer service idea into your practice.

I remember a time when we were running an amazing dental office and a few of our patients mentioned their hair stylist was serving their clients coffee and tea and other beverages. (This was back in the day when no one was doing this!)

Of course, we wanted our patients to have this experience as well.

We started with a huge coffee maker with all the bells and whistles, which was so impressive. But alas we soon worked out the coffee maker needed the attention of a full time Barista to operate it.

Plan B……… the Nespresso Coffee Maker was invented.

Another addition which people giggle about from time to time was the introduction of a small microwave in each surgery, to warm up individually wrapped scented disposable hand towels. I cannot explain the positive impact this had on our patients.

They had seen this in a restaurant but had never been given one after a dental appointment.

So many dental offices still do not do this and it is such a great experience for the patient to freshen up with a warm towel at the end of their appointment. An experience our patients would then expect at every single appointment!

Simple and easy to deliver.

The Customer Service Patient Experience does not have to be big.

The smaller things are just as impactful for your patients.

We added a small chair in the treatment room for our patient’s bag/s and a coat hook for their coat or jacket.

An umbrella stand near the front door is a great addition and again so simple.

We got up from our desks and greeted our patients by name, face to face as they arrived at the practice, not hidden behind our desks as if our patient’s arrival was an interruption!

None of these customer service ideas are over the top but your patients will think they are.

My all-time favourite, Customer Service tip, is to always remember something about your patients.

Remembering and acknowledging, your patient, makes such an impact.

Everyone wants to be noticed and your patients are no exception.

So now you can start to create your list of Excellent Customer Service Ideas.

This is a fabulous way to get your team all working together and they will surprise you with their great ideas.

Off you go! Let me know what you come up with. I would love to hear from you.

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Jayne Bandy is a certified CX Experience coach.
Jayne works with her husband Dr. David Moffet to help SME businesses improve their Customer Service Systems to create memorable World Class experiences for their valued clients and customers. Click here to find out how Jayne and David can help your business