Top 5 ways to lose patients

1. Ignore them

Common ways dental practices ignore their patients include;
• Answer phones at lunch time
• Not greeting patients by name with a smile
• Running late and not letting them know or apologising
• Taking phone calls when they are in the chair (yes, I have witnessed taking mobile calls when treating patients)
• Failing to remember things of interest or importance about them

What are you doing in your practice to ignore your patients?

2. Making it difficult for them to buy from you

Common ways dental practices make it difficult for their patients to buy include;
• Not telling them what is available, i.e. the full range of services
• Not giving them a choice e.g. NHS vs. Private
• Not having a payment plan to spread the cost of treatment
• Not opening early mornings, late evenings, weekend or lunch times.
• Not explaining treatment in the way they can understand it.
• Staff only in on certain days

How are you making it difficult for your patients to buy your services?

3. Not listening to your patients

Common ways dental practices don’t listen to their patients;
• Not using patient questionnaires
• Not using a suggestion box
• Not using an end of treatment follow up / feedback questionnaire or interview.
• Not taking on board issues raised in complaint letters
• Not asking why patients have left the practice
• Not acting upon feedback.
• Not using interactive blogging sites.

How are you not listening to your patients?

4. Being average and predictable

Common ways dental practices become average and predictable.
• Not having an easily identifiable brand
• Not having identified a niche market
• Being like all the rest
• Not embracing new treatments options
• Not updating the premises
• Not being innovative with your patient journey and customer care.

How have you become average and predictable?

5. Lacking credibility and integrity

Common ways dental practices lack credibility and integrity
• Not sharing with patients details of courses they have been on.
• Not displaying certificates and awards
• Not using testimonials
• Not displaying photographs of their own work
• Promoting treatments that they have not had done themselves e.g. whitening or ortho
• Not treating family, friend or staff.

How could you be perceived as lacking in credibility and integrity?