This is my third post of a series on strategies to promote patient attraction/patient retention. The first was on the importance of post treatment telephone calls, and the second was on the marketing impact of technology. Today I would like to discuss the importance of staying on time.

I firmly believe that the doctor is ultimately responsible for staying on time. No matter how perfectly crafted a schedule might be at the start of a day, it can all go to hell in a handbag if the doctor does not stick with the program. At the core, it becomes simply an issue of respect. An agreement and an understanding that the patient’s time and the patient’s life is just as important as yours. And I do find that people/patients will respect your time in direct proportion to the way you respect theirs. It has to become a major part of the DNA of the practice–we will stay on time!

So what can a doctor do to consistently maintain an on –time schedule?

1. Do not perform definitive therapy for emergency patients. While I strongly advocate that emergencies should be seen on the day of the call, the main goal should be to relieve pain or anxiety. Diagnose the problem. Get them comfortable, of course. And then reschedule for definitive therapy.
2. Resist the temptation to present elaborate treatment plans in the hygiene room. This creates delays in both the hygiene schedule and the doctor schedule. More on this next time.
3. Stop taking personal calls during business hours – like from a stockbroker or a golf buddy. Totally unacceptable. And please don’t think that patients in treatment rooms are not aware of what is going on. When some-one is reclined in the dental chair and hears the doctor gabbing instead of paying attention to them, it is very aggravating.
4. Do not agree to or allow a treatment schedule that you know is unsustainable or unrealistic. I could spend six hours discussing proper scheduling, so this is obviously not the place to do that. But the two most common scheduling errors that I observe are related to unbridled optimism: an inadequate time allowance for a known procedure, and an inadequate time allowance for a patient put in the schedule for an unknown procedure like a toothache or broken filling. Both of these situations almost guarantee that the doctor will fall behind.
5. Be aware of the implications of bad judgment calls. This typically happens when a scheduled procedure is not progressing well. Maybe the patient was late, maybe an impression has to be repeated because the tissue was bleeding. There are a million examples. It’s important to know when to punt. Don’t mess up an entire morning or afternoon by insisting on finishing the procedure.

There will be, of course, situations where despite your best efforts, you get behind schedule. If you can anticipate this, it is always a good idea to call a patient to let them know you are running late. This beats their sitting in your reception room waiting – and waiting – staring at the front desk person and looking at their watch. When you keep someone waiting more than fifteen minutes, they start mentally counting up all your faults! I also recommend sending a small gift – movie tickets or coffee cards – with a note apologizing for the inconvenience.

Above all else, take the stress out of your life. Stay on time. Everyone is much happier.

Last winter, I had the opportunity to spend some extended vacation time in Naples, Florida. I was playing golf with someone I had recently met – a really nice guy from the Boston area – who, when he found out that I was a dentist, shared with me that he had found a great young dentist in Naples and that he was leaving his dentist of long standing up North. “This dentist,” he told me, “could show me my x-rays instantly on his computer and he made a crown for me in one appointment. Although I liked my dentist on a personal level, I realized he was nowhere near as current”. Interesting comments.

A few weeks later, at a large dinner party back home, I overheard another “dentist” story of a similar nature. A woman was raving about her dentist (who actually was a client of mine) and how the office was so up to date with lots of “cool stuff.” Two people listening to the conversation asked if the dentist was taking new patients!

The message is that technology definitely creates a buzz and makes a major impression on your patient base. People today are very savvy and impressionable. You just can’t afford to be complacent and simply maintain the status quo if you intend to keep the loyalty of your patients. And the dental profession of the 21st century has no shortage of fabulous technology to create a WOW experience.

Digital x-rays offer less radiation and can be viewed almost immediately. The ability to manipulate and enlarge images enhances your ability to diagnose – and ultimately sell dentistry.

Florida Probe offers a computer generated voice that “speaks” the results of very accurate periodontal probings. And for some reason, patients believe a machine more than a human being! As the numbers are being announced, a very nice color chart is created on the computer showing quite clearly where the problems are.

Same day crowns with Cerec and E4D use CAD/CAM digital impressions to eliminate the need for gloppy impression material and temporary crowns that can break or dislodge in between appointments. Patients love the idea that they can get their crown in less than two hours and don’t have to come back.

Diagnodent for caries detection is pretty nifty laser technology, and again, patients seem to readily believe a machine more than the dentist. Without question, the word laser equates to high tech – and patients continue to be impressed.

A website is a must, and you certainly will not be considered relevant if you don’t have one. And be sure it is designed so that it can be viewed easily from a smart phone or a tablet.

Appointment reminders by email or text are the natural evolution from a staff member making phone calls. In this day and age, just about everyone texts. Telephone calls are almost obsolete. For many reasons, I am a big fan of Demand Force.

We as dentists certainly understand the clinical value of technolog and make judgments on purchases based on economics and return on investment. My main point is that when making your decisions, please do not overlook or discount the marketing value of technology.

In hundreds of practices over the years, I have seen a direct correlation between the introduction of technology and practice growth. Your patients are constantly evaluating you and your practice– even at a subconscious level. The image you want to promote is relevance – not obsolescence.