In an industry, such as dentistry, where word-of-mouth is king, reviews can be the make-or-break factor for your practice. Everyone can get a bad review – it is not always possible to make everyone happy after each visit. However, there does tend to be quite a few points that are well within every dentist’s control. So the question is – why ruin your reputation when you can prevent these easy complaints?
The results of a survey, conducted by the dental market research platform DentaVox show there are quite a bit of common complaints that are cast against dental practices. Things, such as unexpected high cost of treatment, quality, long waiting times, post-treatment complications, poor hygiene, and delays in diagnosis seem to take the top spots.
Treatment Factors
While the quality of treatment is oftentimes an objective or skill-based issue that is difficult to influence, a factor, such as unexpected high costs is not. When it comes to their health, people tend to dislike surprises, especially if it is a hefty sum they are forced to pay all of a sudden. Fortunately for you, this is easily preventable, with just a few clicks of a button, or swipes with a pen. Most dentists focus on what they do best – treatment, however informing one’s patients throughout their dental health journey can be equally important.
Having a predefined price list for each treatment is not something that is outside the reach of any dentist and when it comes to a more personalised approach, it doesn’t take more than a quick check-up to evaluate the patient status and use that information to prepare a treatment plan for them in advance. By doing so they are aware of how it’s going to pan out, but should there be additional things that pop-up long the way, you can always present the plan as estimate and inform them of the extra service required as soon as it surfaces, just avoid postponing it to the very end. And the best thing about all of this? They don’t even have to come for a second visit – just take advantage of telecommunications and patch it through remotely and allow them the time to assess it from the comforts of their homes, without the need for a rushed decision. This way you hit two birds with one stone – on-time diagnosis and expected costs.
Waiting Times
This one is quite often overlooked, but when you put yourself in the patient’s shoes, it’s really a no-brainer. Nobody enjoys waiting for a dentist appointment – listening to the sounds of drilling and uncomfortable moans from patients undergoing treatment is a surefire way to trigger dental anxiety in pretty much anyone. So why force your patients through this nightmare? Create some buffer time in your schedule, not every treatment can be done in a nick-of-time, and not every patient will always be on-time to the minute. And if the issue is just a formality or consultation – just do it online! People will appreciate not having to dedicate their time being present physically.
Hygiene
Hygiene is a crucial factor for every healthcare establishment. Arriving for an appointment to witness a dental practice that resembles a crimescene is sure to turn many people away from future visits. The easiest solution? Delegate! You don’t need to be a superhero dentist that does treatments, diagnosis, checkups, cleaning, and everything else. Let every one do the job they are best at and take the time to talk to your patients, while the treatment room is being prepared. They will certainly appreciate you walking the extra mile and it will ease their anxiety. You don’t have to work as a factory to be successful – it is often the small gestures that make the biggest impact. In the end not only will the room be spick and span for your patients, but you will have made steps towards improving your relations with them – a win-win for everyone.
So now that you know how to avoid these easily preventable causes of bad reviews are you ready to make the necessary changes and boost your ratings? Make the most out of these new reviews – hop on to Trusted Reviews – the online platform for verified dental reviews:
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