Episode 597: The Elite 5 Star Patient Experience

Kiera and Tiff are continuing to share 12 themes that every single dental practice should implement. These Wednesday episodes are the teasers; the Dental A-Team will dive in fully come 2023, month by month.

This episode looks at your practice’s patient experience in detail. We’re talking new patients, recurring patients, doctor patients, hygiene patients, consultant patients … and every part of their interaction with dentistry. Together, Kiera and Tiff touch on the different aspects you need to consider, and how each of those aspects ranks on a scale of 1 to 5 stars.

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Transcript:

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0:00:05.6 Kiera Dent: Hey everyone. Welcome to The Dental A Team podcast. I'm your host, Kiera Dent. And I have this crazy idea that maybe I could combine a doctor and a team member's perspective, because let's face it, dentistry can be a challenging profession with those two perspectives. I've been a dental assistant, treatment coordinator, scheduler, filler, office manager, regional manager, practice owner, and I have a team of traveling consultants, where we have traveled over 165 different offices coaching teams. Yep, we don't just understand you, we are you.

0:00:34.9 KD: Our mission is to positively impact the world of dental, and I believe that this podcast is the greatest way I can help elevate teams, grow VIP experiences, reduce stress, and create A teams. Welcome to The Dental A Team podcast.

0:00:51.6 KD: Hello, Dental A Team listeners, this is Kiera and Tiff. I feel like we're a patchwork quilt with his labour of love. That's literally what I think of every time I say labour of love for you guys doing these 12 systems over the 12 weeks. Tiff, how do you feel about this patchwork quilt [laughter] labour of love image? [laughter]

0:01:08.3 Tiff: Well, now that's what I'm gonna think of [laughter] every single time. Every time I work on it at all, that's what I'm gonna think of, is this giant, beautiful quilts of dental systems. [laughter]

0:01:17.6 KD: I see. Our next project together, Tiff, already in full bloom. [laughter] We're gonna be making ourselves a 12-systems quilt, guys. We'll be selling it on Amazon if you and your practice wanna purchase one. [laughter]

0:01:28.7 Tiff: We might go Etsy first. [laughter] We'll go to Etsy shop and attach it to the Amazon. [laughter]

0:01:32.6 KD: Exactly. So that's gonna be it. But if you guys have been following along, if you haven't, go back and be sure to catch these episodes. Tiff and I are walking you guys through what we're calling our 12 themes that every single dental practice should be implementing, and so we're giving you guys a quick hit list of each different theme over these next 12 weeks, really to prepare you for end of year. It's kind of like a SWOT analysis for you, also a great way for you to check all your different systems, see if you are on top of it or where you're lacking. And so we told you guys this week is the five-star patient experience, which honestly, Tiff named most of these, and I think Tiff you did a really freaking great job on this. It might be one of my favourites by far.

0:02:10.0 Tiff: Oh, thank you. Thanks, I like to think of... I like to think of different things that spark something else. So I think you came up with a five-star patient handoff and a five-star... What was it?

0:02:26.1 KD: Case acceptance.

0:02:26.6 Tiff: New patient phone call. Oh, and the case acceptance, right? So then I was like, "Okay, well, that makes me think of a Google review." [laughter] So I was like, "Fantastic. If we're gonna need everything, that's because I want the team members thinking five-star." I wanna be the five-star practice that gets a five-star Google review, and also I want my practices asking for Google reviews. So I was like, that's brilliant, Kiera, because it sparked me to think of that, so I'm like, "Okay, well, subconsciously, what can we put into people's brains that gets another result as well?" So you know, efficiency queen, I am all about double dipping, [laughter] so that could be one thing that accomplishes two or three things. I'm freaking ecstatic, so...

0:03:02.2 KD: Done and done. Exactly.

0:03:03.8 Tiff: Yeah.

0:03:04.7 KD: So this is the five-star patient experience, and I think one of the things that I really love about this is I feel like it can paint a really good picture, like Tiff was saying, for you and your practice to think about, "How is our patient experience? Is it... " Like truly think about it. And it's not just one portion, we've gotta think of all the different parts of patient experiences, so we have our new patient experience, we have our reoccurring patients, we have our doctor patients, we have our hygiene patients, we have our consult patients. Those are all different experiences, but are all of them five-star? So it might be worthwhile for you to think of like, "How is our new patient experience?" If you were a new patient coming into your practice and not being nice and giving you five stars, which are not true, but then really giving you, how many stars your new patient experiences in your practice right now, how would it be?

0:03:51.0 KD: I think about us with new clients, and I'm like, "Honest to goodness, if I'm being vulnerable on the podcast, I'd give us like a 3.5." I feel like we are above average, but I feel like there are things as new clients come on that we could make their life easier. And Tiff, I know you and I drill this home, and every quarter we talk about it, we think about it, we do a change to get it up. It used to be like a one or a two, 'cause we were just busy, [chuckle] and it was like, "Well, I'll get you in the schedule." Maybe you would disagree, maybe you would give us a four, but I feel like if I'm really looking at it, where could we make this better? How could we make this easier for our clients so they really, truly could say that they had a five-star onboarding experience with our company on their first call?

0:04:31.3 Tiff: Yeah, I agree. And I think this ties back into everything, like we keep rating ourselves on these calls, like we want our [0:04:39.8] ____ to rate themselves, [laughter] and then that ties back into that, like what is our patient, our client experience? Because we do look at that. We look at it quarterly, we look at it constantly, because we wanna make sure that our clients are getting the best experience possible, because we truly believe if they are, everything falls in place after that, and that goes the same for the patient experience. So are you guys evaluating that patient experience? Like if you were a patient that came to your practice and we asked you to give a Google review afterwards, what would the star rating be on that Google view? Would you give yourselves a five-star rating, or would you give yourself something else? Like for us, the 3.5 I think is valid, right?

0:05:17.0 Tiff: Like there's so many moving parts and so many moving pieces we've definitely done a lot better. When it was just Kiera and I, [laughter] it was a hard charge. It was like, "We're gonna figure this out. Don't worry, we'll get to you." Now, we have team members who are helping, and it's getting better and better, I think with each quarter and each year. But we've got to evaluate that, and I think practice is going in, and really thinking in that manner of five stars, what does that even mean? So break that down, like what does it mean to give a five-star review? If you wanted a five-star review for your practice, what would the pieces that need to fall into place look like? And that's what this month is all about, is really making sure that each piece that delivers that five-star review is five-star, because if we do a one-star new patient exam and a one-star or a two-star handoff and we're just adding up to five stars, and like, in the end, sure, you got a little bit of good from everywhere you went, you're probably not gonna get a five-star review, right?

0:06:16.1 Tiff: You're probably gonna get like a two or a three, 'cause they're like, "Oh, it was fine." But if you've five star on each piece we give you the tools for success for a five-star new patient exam, a five-star handoff, five-star insurance verbiage, five-star new patient gifts, like five-star route slips, all of those pieces. If you've got five stars across the board on everything that you do, you're guaranteed a five-star review. And I think that's what we take home, and that's what feels good.

0:06:43.1 KD: Hello, Dental A Team listeners. This is Kiera, and you guys, how was your 2022? I want you to look back and tell me, was it the year of years or was it a really hard year? Did you crush it? Or did it crush you? This is the time, guys, for end of year Dental A-Team Platinum is welcoming you where we will physically fly to your practice. We will come and we will elevate your dreams and make them into a reality, and guys, space is limited and prices are going up. This is not a sales pitch. This is not something where I'm trying to scare you into it. I'm just facing the reality of inflation is here, flights are expensive, and I want to see as many people as we possibly can and serve as many as we can. So if you wanna be part of our elite group of people, there are limited spaces 'cause our consultants can only see as many. We are taking on 10 new platinum offices by the end of the year, and that's it.

0:07:40.0 KD: That's all we have space for, so if you wanna be one of the elite 10, come join us, be a part of our top notch elite doctor community, be a part of our office manager and hygiene and front office communities. Get your operations manual done and live the life that you've only been dreaming of today. Email me [email protected], and make 2023 truly a year that's unforgettable. We are a complete tax write-off, and like I said, we are only taking 10 offices. So don't get left behind, be one of those 10, and I cannot wait to give you the biggest warmest welcome to completely and utterly changing your life for good. Welcome to the Dental A Team. I can't wait for you to join us, [email protected]. Cheers to 2023 and making you your best self yet.

0:08:31.3 KD: And Tiff, I actually... There were two things that I was thinking of as you were talking about that, of like number one, I think, do we actually rate every piece of that experience? So I thought that was absolutely brilliant Tiff because it's not just about the overarching experience. It's are we knocking it out of the park on every single part from them calling in on the phone to us taking their insurance to us scheduling with the appropriate provider, the appropriate amount of time so we're not scrambling? Are we taking them back on time? What things really give you those top notch areas and then everything behind the scenes. Like going to a restaurant, I promise you that they're making sure that their food is amazing, 'cause that's probably the thing that's going to get them the worst star.

0:09:15.9 KD: They go for that first, then they're watching your water cups or your drink cups to make sure those stay full, 'cause that's the second thing that they're gonna tag you on, a bad service. Then they're gonna tag you on wait times. If they're having to wait forever, you're not communicating with them, that's your next zone that they're going to hit. And I would guess, I have never worked in a restaurant, I would guess that they would be focusing on the things that are going to make the most impact first, but looking at every piece of that experience for their clients and their customers, I guess, to see how does that experience work for them. So do you actually do that in your practice? And to Tiff's point, are we like one star on our handoffs, five star on our doctor exams, one maybe half a star on our billing, because all of that adds up for a patient experience.

0:10:02.3 KD: And so really looking at that, and then I thought, how could we actually make this tangible and make it easy for you guys to do a quick assessment? 'Cause it's pretty easy, and I'm thinking, Okay. Number one, Tiff, if we went through every part of our new client experience, I would actually say our clients get a 4.5 to a five-star experience every coaching call. I don't know how the other consultants feel. I feel I give my clients five freaking star experience every single coaching call, every single Zoom call, 'cause that's my standard. You're paying for me, you get a five-star experience every time. I'm going to send you a five star follow-up, I'm going to follow up with you, five stars. I don't know if the other consultants would say that. I don't know. I hope that they would, but I know for me, that's the standard that I live at, that's what my client should be able to expect from me.

0:10:46.8 KD: But our onboarding section might not quite be right there. I know I'll win you over, but getting you from the sign-up side to the consultant might be a little rocky from A to B. I think it's gotten a lot better, but that's kind of how I was thinking of how to look at us, but a great way for you to really assess your practice is pick a patient for the last couple of days, just randomly choose somebody. Okay, I'll make it so it's random. You guys will just look at your schedules and cheat, so let's do Monday. You know they will, Tiff. They're like, "Oh, well, Betty is so cranky. She's never gonna be five star." Guys, that's not true. She could be five stars. So Monday is your 9 o'clock patient on Doctor side, Tuesday is your 2 o'clock hygiene patient. I don't care which hygienist.

0:11:33.5 KD: Don't choose the sweet one, choose the mean one. So Wednesday, let's do... Tiff, let's do 3:00 PM doctor side. End of the day, where you guys rockin' and rollin' or where you junkie. Thursday let's choose middle column. I don't care, it could be hygiene or doctor. Middle column, let's do right around... Where does it get slammed? Let's do your 11 o'clock patient. How did you do there? Friday, if you're open Fridays, I don't want you at 8 o'clock. Of course, you're gonna be top notch for that person. Let's go where you guys get slammed. Probably at that one right around lunch time, 'cause you're probably not taking lunch on Friday.

0:12:10.6 KD: Okay, so we've given you a patient time. Check all these. What would those patients... Think back to those experiences and that procedure. It could have been a new patient, it could have been a cleaning, it could have been anything. What do you think? Go through all the pieces of that person's appointment. Did you take them back, like, how was our handoff? Did the front office have to go to the back office to get information? Were they billed out correctly? Did we have to follow up on the claim 'cause we didn't set the claim correctly? How were each of those experience and rate that 'cause that's gonna give you a quick unbiased assessment of your practice to see how is our patient experience? Are we one star, two star, three star, four star, five star on average? And that would be a great spot to look to see where was our biggest drop and what could we change like the restaurants, where could we improve our cooking for the analogy of the restaurants? Aka maybe it's your exam, maybe it's your handoffs, maybe... I don't know what it is, but what thing is going to give you the most bang for your buck when you're looking at your five-star patient experience?

0:13:10.8 Tiff: I love that. I love thinking about it in a restaurant industry, sometimes it's hard for us to see something in the industry that we're in. It's hard for us to take ourselves outside of it. So putting it in our perspective of the restaurant, you're thinking like, "Oh hey, if I go to dinner tonight and I leave a review after the fact, my review is not solely based on the food that I ate, it doesn't make a huge impact." Absolutely, I went there to eat good food. I didn't pay for that. But I honestly paid for the entire experience.

0:13:41.8 Tiff: Because to me I think I can get food anywhere. I can make my own food, but if I'm going to a restaurant to eat, it's not just food, it's an experience and were... Was the hostess polite? Did she seat me quickly? Was there a long wait? Was I informed, kept in the loop? Did my waitress tell me her name when she came over? Did she check on us enough? All of those pieces are giving you what... Giving you the tools of what you're going to leave the review as after the fact. And we tend to think of ourselves as different, which the industry obviously is different, but we're customer service-based in a lot of ways. And so what is your hostess doing? What is your waitress doing? Check-in, is your hostess, right? Our dental assistants are our waitresses. Are we checking on our patients while they're sitting in the operatory, waiting, that's a five-star experience. Kind of look in those perspectives. So I loved that you pointed that out and you can put it into a totally new perspective to really see all those pieces.

0:14:37.5 KD: And to just finish your analogy on that. Guys, they can brush their teeth at home, they really can. They don't have to come see you twice a year to get their teeth cleaned and they probably would appreciate it, so it really is an experience, and even though dentistry is not ideal, is that experience five-star worthy? So I think Tiff and I walked you guys really well through this one, it might be one of mine and Tiff's best ones yet. It's our patchwork quilt here for you guys. Where are you lacking? What is the true star rating of it, and then how can you improve? So give your guys a rating on this one. Remember we're going through all the systems so you can see which area by end of year you should be working on and improving, but this at least will give you a quick overview of the patient, the five-star patient experience, and a good way for you to check it.

0:15:22.7 KD: So Tiff that's kind of my wrap, unless you've got anything that we missed that you wanna be sure to tag on, 'cause I feel like it's a really good way for them to make it tangible and make it implementable. But again, just give your guys a rating on it 'cause we're trying to do a SWOT analysis. Look at all of your systems to see where is the system that would give you the most bang for your buck moving forward.

0:15:41.8 Tiff: Yeah, yeah, I think the only thing I'd add to it is to push everyone. The weekend is right around the corner always, so no matter what day you're listening to this, if like the weekend sneak up on us, think of somewhere you're gonna go this weekend or make a point to go somewhere and then leave a review after the fact. And I think that will put it in your brain of really what that-five star experience should be.

0:16:04.6 KD: I love it. And be honest with those ratings. Was it really a five star? Was it not? Guys, I get it, this podcast every single episode, I hope, I put my heart and soul into this. I hope they're all five stars for you guys. Maybe there's one that you're like, "No, that's a four." But I would hope that overall this podcast is five stars for you guys. That it really is bringing in the value, making it tangible, making it something that brings you positivity while also bringing you tangible pieces and if so, leave us a five-star review guys, we'll take it. Our clients, be sure to rate your consultants, are they a one, two, three, or four, or a five star on your consulting? Give us the feedback, that way we can make it better and don't be afraid of it, make it better. And as always, guys, thanks for listening and we'll catch you next week when we talk about smooth sailing scheduling. Alright guys, thanks for listening and I'll catch you next time on the Dental A Team podcast.

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0:16:56.8 KD: And that wraps it up for another episode of The Dental A Team podcast. Thank you so much for listening and we'll talk to you next time.