What do they say about first impressions?

You only get one chance to make a first impression.

It is the simplest and easiest and least expensive introduction your patients get to your business yet many Dental Offices blow it!

I am not saying you need to do a small practice renovation, just get the place clean, tidy and presentable.

Patients notice when you have made an effort ready for their arrival.

I have noticed when I walk into some Dental Offices, there is an abundance of signs, notifications and brochures on every space of the front office desk counter.

Somewhere among the clutter there is usually a person ready to greet you.

Do I read all of these signs?

No I don’t read them but I do notice how many there are.

Am I alone when I don’t read all these signs?

Probably not.

Instead of being informed I feel bombarded by messages that are not relevant to me and so I am not interested in them. Some signage I even feel offended by.

Always be careful placing signs with a message just for a few patients that run the risk of offending lots of patients.

How impersonal is sticking a sign up on the desk or many signs and messages?

The front office team don’t even need to speak to the patients arriving with the right strategically placed signs.

I once made it a challenge to remove all signs with messages to patients. If I needed patients to know something I would personally let them know.

Most Medical Practices probably don’t even know this is what their patients notice and think.

This too is happening in Dental Offices.

What else are your patients noticing that you may not even be aware of?

Something I notice as a patient is the positioning of chairs in the patient lounge and how it affects patient interaction and affects their comfort.

A chair in the wrong spot can be uninviting to the patient.

Also an uncomfortable chair is never a good idea. Sit in the reception chairs yourself for 10 minutes and see how you feel sitting in them.

Cleanliness is also a must. You may not notice the marks on the wall or the stain on the chair but your patients sitting and waiting will definitely notice them while they sit there.

Again sit in the patient lounge and look around.  You may be quite shocked at what you see.

While I am on the topic of cleanliness remember the pressure is on because you are a Dental Practice. Sit in the Dental Chair and stare upwards for a few minutes. Again you may be shocked what you see and get a ladder quickly to remove the marks on the ceiling.

Sometimes when I am in a medical or dental reception lounge I look at the coffee table and see a mass of messy old magazines that look like they have not been tidied up since they were put there.

Keeping on top of what your patients notice is so important. Don’t let it all get out of control.

Make it a point to know what your patients notice. Put yourself in their shoes for the day, look around and start to notice what you may not have noticed before.

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If your new patient numbers are down, or if you’ve “sensed” for a while that something’s just not working as well as it should be, as it relates to the phones… then Click here for a  copy of my Free Report, right now:
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At present I have availability for four new private clients. For more information on how I can improve your Dental Office’s Phone Numbers contact me, Jayne Bandy at  jayne@theDPE.com