Inspired by Dr Barry Oulton’s presentation to Practice Plan customers ‘How to build a team of high flyers’, Donna Hall outlines the key points to consider for exceptional patient service.
Although Barry Oulton used the analogy of an airline, it struck me that any service industry would have done the trick, as dentistry is as much about the experience patients have at the practice as the treatment. As long as the dentistry is of good quality, what matters most to the patient is how they are made to feel when they visit the practice. It’s the patient journey that can set a practice apart from the competition.
Share the vision
Like every plane journey, there has to be a destination in mind. Just taking off without knowing where you want to land could end in disaster. It’s important for the practice owner and leaders to have a clear vision of where they want their practice to be in the future. As with a flight plan which has to be submitted before a plane takes off, everyone needs to understand the route as well as the destination, so your vision for your practice should be as detailed as possible.
Most importantly, as with a flight where cabin crew and air traffic control must know the details of where they’re going and how they will get there, you need to share your vision with your team so they can all work towards it together. Sharing the information amongst the whole team and speaking about it frequently is the only way to ensure everyone understands what’s expected of them and how they can contribute to the success of the vision. Poor (or no) communication can kill off the best of plans.
Set stretch goals
Setting goals is essential to ensure you stay on track. Without them, you’re just plodding on without reference points. The best type of goal to set is a stretch goal. Stretch goals breed innovation.
If you set a goal that can be achieved by continuing to do what you already do but just a bit better, your progress will be slow. By setting a goal that is unlikely to be achieved by incremental improvements, you’re forced to look for new, more efficient and creative ways of doing things. By definition, a stretch goal is uncomfortable. To turbocharge progress we need to step out of our comfort zone, as being comfortable stifles creativity.
There is a saying: ‘If you do what you always did, you’ll get what you always got.’ To achieve a high-flying practice, you must accept things will need to change. Have a look around your practice to see where you would like to make real progress and set some goals that will make a tangible difference to you, and most importantly, your patients.
Concentrate on your customer journey
As has already been said, while the quality of the dentistry is important, it’s the patients’ experience that sticks in their minds and keeps them coming back. To a certain extent, how you design and shape that journey will be dictated by your vision for the practice.
To achieve a smooth customer journey, you first need to look critically at all the touch points on it and decide how you want things to flow. You may have spent time and money creating a fabulous practice environment, but that could all be sabotaged by an awkward or uncomfortable journey. Put yourself in the shoes of your patients and walk yourself through the patient journey so you understand how they are made to feel at each point.
Once you have ironed out any kinks you may find, make sure every team member understands how things should run and has received the training they need to make it work. Your aim is to make patients feel they have had a first-class experience, even though they may not have paid a first-class fee.
Benchmark against other practices
Dentistry can be an insular profession. Quite often dentists and their teams can get so wrapped up in just ‘doing the doing’ that they don’t take the time to look around at what’s happening outside the practice. However, if you’re serious about moving your practice to a higher level, then you first need to establish your current standard.
Benchmarking your practice against others in the local area will help give you a clearer understanding of what you’re currently doing well and where you could make improvements. This exercise can be hugely beneficial if you aim to raise standards in your practice. Unless you’re aware of your current rank, you won’t know whether you’re keeping up with the competition or lagging behind.
By comparing your practice with your local competitors, you can establish where your stretch goals should be focused. This is especially useful if you discover you’re currently Ryanair when your aim is to become British Airways First Class!
Practice Plan has been welcoming practices into the family since 1995, helping them to grow profitable businesses through the introduction of practice-branded membership plans.
With over 300 years’ dental experience in our field team, if you’re looking for a provider that has that family feel but knows a thing or two about dentistry… Be Practice Plan and get in touch. Call 01691 684165 or visit www.practiceplan.co.uk/be-practice-plan/.
