As a dentist, it’s definitely in your best interest to improve patient satisfaction to the highest level possible. There are many reasons for this.
First of all, as a dentist, you’re also like a stakeholder in the business. This is true if you’re working at a clinic, a community health center, a hospital, etc.
The more business you get, the more money the company makes—and the more money you make as a result.
And the better the quality of care becomes, the better off everyone is in terms of overall success.
But even beyond that, if you own your own practice, it’s in your best interest to place a high premium on customer satisfaction.
And guess what?
The only way to make sure that your customers (or in this case, your patients) are satisfied is to take proactive measures to intentionally create that scenario for your own business.
So in this blog post, you’re going to learn 6 strategies for doing exactly that.
Let’s talk about it.
1. Talk To Your Patients
As a dentist, your skills are in high demand.
You’re probably a very busy person with a lot of people relying on you.
With that being said, the temptation can be great to move quickly from patient to patient while letting your assistants do most of the talking.
Well, sometimes, this works out pretty well.
But sometimes, it leaves you vulnerable to patient dissatisfaction.
So make sure to take some time out of your schedule to talk to each one of your patients—even if it’s just for a few minutes—just to touch base and figure out what’s going on.
2. Listen With Compassion And Empathy
If a patient brings an issue to your attention, it’s always in your best interest to listen compassionately and to really take note of what they’re saying.
Remember, usually when a customer or a patient makes a complaint, you’re only seeing the tip of the iceberg.
There may be more issues under the surface that need your attention that you don’t even know about yet.
But you’ll never know unless you listen first, and then really pay attention to what your patients are actually saying (or trying to say).
3. Take Action When Patients Voice Concerns
Just listening to patients, and then dismissing them, isn’t enough.
Whenever a patient raises an issue, it’s in your best interest to take intentional action to address the problem.
This results in patients who come to know, like, and trust you as their favorite dentist.
This is good for them, and it’s also good for you!
4. Streamline Your Customer Service System
If there’s one thing that patients don’t like, it’s when they’re made to wait for longer than necessary to see the dentist.
You can help to streamline this process by running a tight ship from a scheduling perspective.
Obviously, this isn’t always possible.
Sometimes, things fall behind—and that’s just the way it is.
But the better you can get at streamlining your customer service and getting patients in and out as efficiently as possible, the happier they’ll be.
5. Maintain A Fully Staffed Facility
If your facility is understaffed, then wait times are naturally going to be longer.
Don’t forget, even if your facility is usually adequately staffed, there are still going to be occasions when employees may need sick days, vacation days, etc.
So it’s always good to plan for these situations as well.
6. Get Some Dentist Disability Insurance
You won’t be able to do your best work if you’re constantly worried about your future.
For this reason, finding high-quality dental disability insurance is a must.
This insurance basically protects you in the event that you suffer an injury or illness that prevents you from being able to work.
And let’s be honest—this is a very real danger for anyone. But as a dentist, you stand to lose out on a substantial income if this were to happen to you.
For that reason, finding the best policy and getting it in place is the best course of action for protecting yourself in the future.
Need help finding the best policy? Check out this in-depth guide.
Conclusion
There you have it.
Our 5 favorite strategies for how dentists can improve patient satisfaction.
Equipped with this information, you’re now ready to get out there and make a huge difference for your patients.
You can do it!
All that’s left is to put these steps into motion and make it happen.
