Customer Experience Unplugged: Turn that Frown Upside Down!

The Company

The Dentist’s Office - All humans have teeth. All humans of a certain age are encouraged to see a dentist twice a year for regular checkups and cleanings. One in five people are really afraid of going to the dentist. The rest of us are probably lukewarm to the idea. I mean, “I’d rather have my teeth scraped” is a fairly common sarcastic response when asked to do something not-so-pleasurable. Do you know anyone who really enjoys going to the dentist? Ah – found one! Why? Let’s break it down!

The Breakdown – What Went Right!

The submission that inspired this blog captivated like an Oscar-worthy piece of cinematography. “You had me at hello.” – Yes, they sure did! As a new patient, have you ever in your life walked into any type of medical facility and had the front desk person greet you with, “Nice to finally meet you”? Another pinch yourself moment was that all things insurance related were taken care of prior to the patient’s arrival making her further at ease. There was a very short stint in the waiting room before being called to back to the exam area. On schedule – she thought, they have it together and respect my time.

Once behind the waiting room door, all staff members made it a point to introduce themselves and shake the patient’s hand – a very simple gesture that says, I care; you are not invisible; and, I know what I’m doing so go ahead and remember my name. Comforting attention followed, including the offering of magazines, a photo shoot to put a face to the patients’ name, and simple instructions to communicate discomfort or need of a short break. Nice! Conversation with both the hygienist and doctor was personal and focused.

The procedure was as pleasant as possible based on the following attributes of the experience.

• Thorough communication and effective management of expectations.
• The warm and kind personality of the hygienist was particularly soothing.
• The overview of the patient’s oral health was complete and refreshing.
• Suggestions to improve hygiene technique (flossing) due to specific indicators observed during the checkup were informative.
• They displayed attention to detail and knew what to provide to increase benefit.

The patient headed back to reception where she was greeted with smiles, a complimentary goodie-bag and an appointment already booked six months out as a courtesy due to limited availability. A soft hug and a kiss on the forehead would not have made it more warm and fuzzy. Some of us get less love coming home for the Holidays!

Apply this to Any CE Strategy

Do not break the thread. Be consistently fantastic soup-to-nuts.

1. Hire The Right People!

• Hire for personality traits first and skills second. Skills can be taught, but a personality that fits the duties of the job is invaluable – especially with frontline staff that leaves impressions on your customers or patients, in this case. Make sure that the people you choose to build and represent your brand/business will exhibit the behaviors that will drive an exemplary customer experience at each touch point.

2. Anticipate Needs!

• Know what your customers need/want before they do. Make them feel cared-for and nurtured. The emotional response this evokes cements the most fervent customer loyalty.

3. Be timely!

• Deliver the goods or services on time, every time. Communicate that you understand that their time is extremely valuable – that you appreciate that they graciously allocated these moments to interact with your goods and/or services. Don’t make them wait. Not many positive things go through a mind while made to wait, and this translates into bad juju for your brand.

Stay tuned for the next installment in our Customer Experience series where we break it down and dish out our thoughts on how to improve your own Customer Experience.