The definition of “expectation”: A strong belief that something will happen or be the case.

Your patients arrive at your practice with an idea of what they think they will expect.

When a person has an expectation, it has been created by what they have seen, heard and read which in turn creates what they think will happen.

There are many things that influence your patient before they even step into your practice. But one thing is for sure, they have some level of expectation.

Some patients have had a negative experience when going to the dentist or maybe their friend has shared one of those scary dental stories and they have a negative expectation of something terrible going wrong. These expectations make you work hard to reassure the patient but also give you the opportunity to deliver a positive experience.

Then there is the patient who comes to you with high expectation of what they want to happen at their appointment and during their treatment.

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Many patients have clinical expectations of what they believe will happen during and after their treatment, but they also have non clinical expectations about how they will feel.

Your patients’ expectations can also be sorted into two categories, realistic expectations and unrealistic expectations.

So, what are some of those expectations your patients have and how can you easily meet these expectations?

• Easily schedule an appointment– When a patient rings your practice or goes online to book and confirm and appointment, they expect the freedom of choice that is quick and easy. You can meet this expectation but still have full control over your appointment book. Give patients a morning or afternoon choice of appointment then guide them to a choice of two appointment times. Most of the time this works well, and the patient is scheduled, confirmed and off the phone in a few minutes. Offering too many choices or asking patients when they would like to come in, is asking for trouble. Your phone call will be way too long, going back and forward trying to find an appointment.

 

• Actively listened to- Your patients expect you to listen to them. The best way to listen is to start asking questions so you can be quiet, listen, take notes, find out more and respond better. One of the worst situations is when you have not listened and start asking your patient what they have just told you. I’ve even heard team members ask for a caller’s name when the person told them a few seconds earlier in the conversation. Open you ears wide. Taking notes forces you to actively listen. You never want to appear distracted and make the patient feel unimportant.

 

• Show understanding and empathy- Every patient expects you to understand them and share in their feelings. Empathy helps to validate your patients and help them feel safe and comfortable talking about what is uncomfortable.

 

• Don’t be judgemental- You want your patients to be transparent and open about how they are feeling and what they want. Your patients expect to feel safe and not feel judged about what they did and didn’t do in the past to keep their teeth and gums healthy.

 

• Provide professionalism- All patients expect this. Providing your patients with a high level of professionalism will not only wow them but help them to trust you and follow your recommendations for treatment and care.

 

• Give clear explanations and instructions- Your patients expect to leave your practice knowing what has just happened and what is going to happen next. Your goal is to ensure none of your patients are confused and you have been clear, by asking your patients lots of questions, constantly checking for understanding during your conversations and you have given your patients an opportunity to ask if they are unclear about anything. Always own it, if a patient becomes confused and change the way you are explaining something.

 

• Create realistic expectations for patients- As I mentioned earlier, some patients have unrealistic expectations of what is possible, which can lead to disappointment. Why not ask your patient what they are expecting the result to be. This way you can gauge whether their expectation can be met. Your patient will be disappointment if their expectation is not achievable but then take them step by step through everything until they have a better understanding of what is possible.

 

Meeting the realistic expectations your patients have is providing your patients with the Ultimate Patient Experience. After all your patient is the centre of everything you do at your dental practice so why not work on meeting the needs of your patients and not disappointing them. Some of the best reviews and testimonials are from meeting the expectations of your patients.

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THE DENTAL PHONE EXCELLENCE ONLINE MASTER CLASS 2024

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2024 is here! Let’s hit those goals, empower your team and do what you have never been able to do before!

Your team do not need a day off work to attend this Master Class. YOUR TEAM can complete the Dental Phone Excellence Master Class right there in your practice at their own pace. The BEST part of my Master Class is that you have it FOREVER once you purchase the Master Class.

It’s time to say GOODBYE to New Patients calling your office and NO APPOINTMENT ever being made, people calling your office about the price and never making an appointment and your patients continually calling to cancel their appointment!

There are 7 Learning Modules in this Master Class

•         Module 1: How to Effectively Communicate with Your Patients

•         Module 2: The 8 Steps to the New Patient Call

•         Module 3: How to Answer the Questions Callers Ask

•         Module 4: Correct and Easy Appointment Scheduling

•         Module 5: How to Prevent and Handle Cancellations

•         Module 6: How to Follow Up Your Patients

•         Module 7: Giving the Very Best Patient Experience

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There are a total of 42 Learning Videos and over 60 Worksheets, Checklists, Templates, Scripts and Flowcharts to help support your team’s learning.

This program has been designed to teach dental teams how to communicate more effectively with their patients and get better results.

This Master Class is easy to understand, easy to work through and you can go through the program at your own pace.

This is the Master Class that guarantees your success when you start using the strategies and skills we go through together.

To secure you LIFETIME access to my Master Class click the link below. It is that fast and easy to get!

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I look forward to seeing you all get the RESULTS you deserve and MORE!

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Call Tracking Excellence

Click this link to find out how to get started. It’s that easy! http://www.calltrackingexcellence.com/

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