Neglecting Your Follow-Up Calls?

Are your patients thinking that your office really doesn’t care about them, and their dental health?

If your practice isn’t consistently and conscientiously making follow up calls after treatment, the answer could most definitely be “yes.”

Example: Recently I needed some body work done on my car after an accident. The car was there for two weeks, during which time I drove a rental car. Enterprise delivered such excellent customer service and follow up that it surprised me.

The day after I returned the rental car they called me and left a message. The representative expressed gratitude for my business and said they hoped that I was completely satisfied with the experience of driving one of their rentals. They hoped my own car was fixed to my approval and that I was back on the road again. The call came across as caring, genuine and considerate.

In contrast, I had several filling done at my dental office around the same time. My dental office is kind and considerate… when I’m in the office. One of my fillings was very deep: It took my dentist a long time to remove the decay. Afterwards she told me how close I was to a root canal, and explained I would likely have a toothache and lingering sensitivity. Well, the practice missed the boat by not having a staff member follow up with me the next day to see how I was doing.

The follow up call is a powerful customer service tool that is often forgotten or overlooked by dental offices. Show your patients you genuinely care about them and their health by placing follow-up calls to them the day after delivering any significant treatment – anything from difficult restorations to root canals, crown preps, implants and more. Say that you are checking in to see how they are feeling after their recent treatment, and ask if you can answer any questions for them.

This gesture requires very little from your staff, but goes a long way towards building solid patient relationships.