In this episode of Practice Growth HQ, I shared some surprising truths about what the dental industry can pinch from the hospitality world.
Now I know what you’re thinking what do restaurants have to do with running a dental practice?
Quite a bit, as it turns out.
As competition in dentistry keeps rising with more dentists entering the profession every year it’s not enough to just provide good clinical care. You’ve got to stand out and that’s where the hospitality industry can teach us a few tricks.
Here’s what we covered:
1. Hire Staff with Hospitality Experience
Restaurants operate in a highly competitive space with low barriers to entry. If you don’t deliver a great customer experience people won’t come back it’s that simple.
In dentistry hiring front desk or practice managers with a hospitality background can be a game changer. These are people trained to welcome to be attentive and to make guests feel special. If they’re coachable and can get their head around a few clinical terms they’re gold.
2. Make First Impressions Count
Hospitality is all about getting new customers through the door. They’re experts in making the first experience easy inviting and memorable.
Dentists can take a leaf out of this book. Think about how your practice shows up online how simple it is to book how new patients are welcomed. The easier you make that first visit the more likely they’ll come back.
3. Choreograph the Experience
A good hospitality venue doesn’t leave anything to chance. The whole experience from the first greeting to how the bill is presented is choreographed.
Your practice should be the same. Patients should feel cared for at every step booking the appointment arriving at the practice being greeted their time in the chair and follow up communication.
It’s not just about the dentistry anymore. It’s the full experience.
As I said in the episode:
“You’ve got to give your patients a reason to choose you and stick with you when there are 10 other dentists between their house and your practice.”
🎧 Catch the full episode here: