Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Spring 2022 - 49

Practice Management
Staff Report
The DNA of an Outstanding Customer
Experience
Mr. Danny Snow
Snow & Associates, Inc.
Orlando, FL
In today's hypercompetitive business environment,
it's simply a fact that most businesses offer similar
products and services. As tangible offerings become
increasingly commoditized, the only real differentiator
is how a particular institution makes their customers
feel. As you think about this in terms of your orthodontic
practice, the customer can be either the patient
themselves or the family member of the patient.
If customers feel valued, most will remain loyal. If
customers feel undervalued, they will be far less likely
to be an advocate for your practice. It's all about the
customer experience.
This article provides three tips for delivering an experience
that leads to intense customer loyalty.
1. See the Experience Through the Lens of the
Customer
Customers are passionate about their appearance (as
well as their children's), and they want to know that
their orthodontist is just as passionate about caring
for them. An enthusiastic, caring staff member raises
the customer's confidence that the orthodontist is
looking out for the customer's interests. For example,
the customer trusts that when a staff member discusses
a new product or type of treatment, it's done
with the customer's interests at heart. On the other
hand, if the customer senses a lack of caring or senses
insincerity, the customer questions the real motive
behind any product discussion.
Orthodontic products can be confusing. It's easy for
orthodontists to fall into a habit of using language
that customers don't fully understand. While terms
such as bracket, banding, E-chain, and so forth may
be familiar terms to an orthodontist, such language
can easily become overwhelming to a customer,
especially somebody who is going through this experience
for the first time. If you've ever had a computer
helpline employee talk to you in " computer speak, "
you know how frustrating and intimidating it can be.
It's important for staff to talk in the language of the
customer, not the language of the orthodontist. It's
not the customer's job to see through the orthodontist's
lens; it's the orthodontist's job to see through the
customer's lens.
Encourage your staff when dealing with customers
(especially those challenging ones) to take a moment
to ask themselves, " Am I seeing this experience
through the lens of the customer? "
2. Pay Attention to the Details: " Everything
Speaks "
Imagine a potential customer entering the practice
to inquire about treatment options for herself or her
children. She notices trash in the planter as she pulls
into the parking lot. When she enters the lobby, she
sees stacks of papers on the receptionist's desk. There
are coffee cups and food wrappers behind the desk.
All of this detracts from the image of the practice, and
either consciously or unconsciously raises the antennae
of the customer: " Do I really want to use them for
my treatment or my child's treatment? "
The " everything speaks " philosophy means that all staff
members understand that taped-up signs, empty displays,
and unsightly stacks of paper are all intrusions
on the customer experience. These intrusions add up
and result in customer concern. On the other hand,
when customers sense an atmosphere of professionalism,
care, and order, they feel a sense of trust
and confidence. And trust and confidence are vital in
orthodontics.
Take a moment to think about the environment of
your practice. Because " everything speaks, " what are
the details saying about your office?
3. Create Moments of Wow
While legends can be made of big, grandiose,
wow experiences, even small gestures can create
customer wows. Walt Disney World housekeepers,
for example, have a tough job. Cleaning up after
people on vacation is a challenge. Even in such a
challenging job, housekeepers will do little things
that make Disney guests say, " Wow! " While spending
a day in the Magic Kingdom, children will often leave
their stuffed Disney characters in the family's hotel
room. Housekeepers have been known to position
the characters with playing cards in their hands or
tuck the characters into the children's beds to create
a moment of wow.
Spring 2022 PCSO Bulletin
49
Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Spring 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Spring 2022
