Episode 639: Unruly Customer Service How To

Kiera recently got back from a trip to Bali, where she had one of the best customer service experiences of her life, and she’s sharing how it can apply to dental practices in today’s episode.

It’s all about solving your patients’ needs before they even ask; it’s about proactively protecting teeth AND calming fears. It’s all about thinking of the small things.

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Transcript:

0:00:05.6 Kiera Dent: Hey everyone, welcome to the Dental A 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 to over 165 different offices coaching teams. Yep. We don't just understand you, we are you. 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.

0:00:51.3 KD: Hello Dental A-Team listeners. This is Kiera and you guys, I am so freaking pumped to be able to be podcasting today. I feel like it's been a little while since I podcasted and so today I'm just super excited to be able to be back on the podcast with you guys being able to share some awesome things. So if you guys don't know, the Dental A-Team was founded to give you guys tips and tricks to make your life easier, better, and more sustainable. It's supposed to be a doctor and a team member's perspective and being a team member, I have not been a doctor guys nor do I want to be a doctor. Hats off to all the dentists out there, but my goal was to positively impact the world of dentistry in the greatest way possible. So with that said, my goal, you guys, is to make your lives amazing.

0:01:35.3 KD: So what I wanted to do today is if you don't know, I love to travel. Like I have literally made Dental A-Team, a place where we are there to travel, to serve and bless all these dental offices' lives. So my goal back in 2020 was to hit all seven continents. Yep. You guys heard, right? And I actually got back from Antarctica right before Covid shut down. Like I'm not kidding. I was on the boat and they were asking us if we wanted to extend our stay and my husband said absolutely not. No way Jose Kiera, we are not doing this because I have to get back to work. And I thought he was dramatic Mr. Dent. And so we decided to get off the boat and he made it up to me and we went to Disneyland 'cause I love Disney and we were able to then come home.

0:02:22.5 KD: And I started coaching calls on Monday morning and that Monday morning COVID shutdown was happening. So my 6:00 AM coaching call to my 10:00 AM coaching call were radically different. Nothing was the same. Things were happening so fast and that boat that I was almost on, thank goodness to Jason, actually got stuck in the ocean. No joke, Antarctica or Argentina wouldn't let them back in. Chile wouldn't let them back in. And they sat in the ocean for over two months. Guys, that would've been my life. So to say that I am lucky is an understatement, but COVID definitely threw off my plans a little bit of hitting all seven continents. I think it threw off a lot of other plans. But in December of 2022 I actually accomplished my goal and I got my seventh continent. So Asia was my last continent.

0:03:04.0 KD: My husband and I went over to Bali and it was amazing until my flight home. I'll explain that maybe we'll see if I need to share if it was a little embarrassing, maybe my own embarrassing moment. But I'm gonna teach you guys that might be another podcast but we actually ended up staying at a hotel over there. And the topic that I wanted to get into is, is your practice top-notch customer service worthy? So let me just like take you through what was experiencing in Bali and hopefully this will resonate because I was beyond impressed. Like I want my entire team to listen to this podcast because this is who I hope Dental A-Team as a company is and what I think it can inspire your dental practice to be. So you guys all know we all go to hotels, we all travel and typically when you go to a hotel, I know... You guys, I travel a lot.

0:03:51.9 KD: I usually hit almost all 50 states in one year. And when I go into a hotel, typically speaking, sometimes a person checking me in is nice. Sometimes they are. You can tell busy. They don't... Some of them look up, some of them don't look up. Some of them are eating, some of them are not. Think about your own dental practice. Do we look up when patients walk in? Do we smile? Do we greet them? Are we super busy with phone calls that we don't even acknowledge our patients who are literally paying our paychecks? But that's fine. Like let's not even worry about that. And with Bali, when I showed up at this hotel, so number one I was beyond impressed 'cause I decided to do an airport transfer. I don't know anything. You guys, I booked my trip to Bali two weeks before we went. And my hotel I booked like the week we were leaving. I was psychotic, I was crazy. I actually think we booked it maybe three weeks ahead of time 'cause it was during Christmas and the holidays and we flew out and anyway we had been traveling all day, it was 24 hours to get over there and when we arrived they had our name on a sheet of paper. They came and picked us up and it's hot. Bali is very tropical. It's very humid. We get into the car and they hand me this like very cold, luxurious washcloth. I've been traveling for 24 hours, guys, I feel disgusting and they hand me this washcloth, welcome me to Bali. Say We're so grateful you're here. We're so excited you're staying with us.

0:05:10.8 KD: Then I get to the hotel, people are like... It was beyond anything I've ever experienced in my entire life. They came, they said, welcome Ms. Dent, we're so happy you're here. We're so honored you chose to stay with us. They check us in, they say, Hey, can we get you a buggy? That was probably my cutest thing of all of Bali. Is they kept offering to take me in a buggy, which was this golf cart and like drive me to our little villa that we were staying at. But everything, you guys, every single thing that they did was top-notch customer service. And I feel this hotel really did think of every single small detail. So when we check in, there is Bali food sitting there for us and they were just like little snacks and they thought about that there was a turn-down service and every night they would leave me something of Bali culture on the bed. But I will say the part that actually impressed me the most that I'm hoping will really resonate with you in your practice is they had a chat and we could actually chat with the front desk.

0:06:07.1 KD: And similar to Chick-fil-A, they were always saying, My pleasure Ms. Dent, of course we can do this. They were just on top of it. But the thing that I think you guys are gonna find out about my fly way home because of what I'm gonna tell you. But the thing that I think impressed me the most was on our last day we had gone to this Balinese cooking class and it was super fun. There's a phrase called Bali Belly and my husband surely got it. That means explosive diarrhea, you are dying, your stomach feels like there's a demon inside of you trying to get out. And my husband got that at midnight and we're supposed to fly out at 4:30 PM, don't worry, he was sweating bullets over there. But I messaged the front desk on our last day and I said, Hey, do you guys happen to have any ibuprofen, any Pepto-Bismol and you guys again this is a hotel front desk and they said Ms. Dent, we're really sorry we don't have any of that on our property.

0:07:01.6 KD: Most dental practices would probably feel fine. We answered the customer's or the patient's concern and we moved on. Their next message to me I still remember the bubbles popping. They said, Ms. Dent we're gonna call a pharmacy for you and see which pharmacy actually has this medication for you. A few minutes later I get a message saying we're so sorry this one wasn't open but we did find somebody who does open and they have it there available. We would like to go and pick it up for you. Would you like us to go pick it up for you? You guys, my jaw dropped. This is a hotel calling a pharmacy for us because we're sick, offering to go pick up this medication for us. Now if you wanna talk about top-notch customer service, I felt this hotel like screamed that we love our customers so much.

0:07:47.0 KD: People at the pool, people at our rooms, every single person was so grateful that we were there. And I think that Bali just has an amazing culture, one of the coolest places I've ever been. But as I experienced that my husband's deathly ill super sick, we're trying to get on a flight, this hotel saw my need and solved it in ways that I didn't even know I needed. And so I was thinking about this and I'm like, I've gotta write that down. I need my team to look at this. But when I'm thinking about your practice, does your practice look to see what that patient actually needs and then deliver more than they were even expecting? Of course we do dentistry guys, that's what we're doing all day long. That's of course. But what does that patient really need? Maybe they're afraid. Do you think of ways to help calm their fears but without them even asking for it?

0:08:34.8 KD: Do you think of ways to make them comfortable? Do you think of ways to proactively and preventively help them protect their teeth, AKA my favorite thing of fluoride, do we actually realize that there are people in front of us as patients and take the time to just bond with them and not in a long thing? Everything that I listed off did not take more than a couple seconds. It's not like they were sitting there with me having these long lavish conversations to get to know my family life. They saw me as a customer and I think the things that I noticed from it that I wanna break down is number one, they knew who their client was and they loved that person. Like not fake, artificial, but true genuine love. And I would ask, do you genuinely love all of your patients? Like is there that love in your practice and in your team where you've loved them so much that you want to serve them and make them happy?

0:09:23.0 KD: Because if so, patients are going to feel that and if not, they're also going to feel that. So that was number one I noticed as the culture as a whole they loved. And secondly they were grateful. They were so thankful that I was staying at their hotel that I was a tourist there.

0:09:41.0 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 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.

0:10:13.8 KD: 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. 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 have 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.

0:11:29.0 KD: Are you so thankful that your patients are patients? Do they feel that you are so grateful? Like thank you Mrs. Jones for coming in. We love having you as a patient. We're so grateful you choose our practice. Patients don't have to come to you. I don't know if you know this, but they don't have to come to your practice, they're choosing you. So one, do you have love for those patients? And two, are you genuinely grateful for them? Then three, does your team have a culture where you are actively and I mean actively trying to find their needs and serve them. Do we offer them? And this doesn't mean you have to go concierge style, guys, you don't have to bring in warm towels, you don't have to have a masseuse, you don't... Like It's not that. It is looking to make their life easier scheduling in the back for them so they don't have to go up front.

0:12:14.4 KD: Being able to take payments in the hygiene room so they don't have to go up front and wait in that crazy busyness. Find when you go out there saying hi. My hygienist, it sounds so silly but kudos to her. I don't actually remember her name. Shh. Don't tell her. I hope she's not listening. I think her name's Candace. I think that that's her name. But every time she comes to get me from the waiting room, she's like, Kiera, how are you? It's so good to see you. I'm so glad you came in today. I don't like going to the dentist. I know I coached dentist and I know that that probably feels like very taboo. I hate that sound of scaling teeth, guys. It's why I'm not a hygienist. It's like worse than eating Lucky Charms Marshmallows. It's like I hate it. But yet that hygienist makes me feel like she wants me there.

0:12:54.2 KD: She truly makes me feel like she loves me for Kiera. Not because I'm a patient, not because I fill her schedule, not because I help her production, but because she loves serving patients. And so I would just ask, how can your practice be like this Bali hotel where when we were sick they went above and beyond so far to even go get us medication. What does your practice do that's the standout, top notch deliverable. What do you guys do? If you don't know, I would recommend that you guys have a meeting about it and find out what's our differentiator. You better believe if I ever go back to Bali or if I'm ever talking to anybody thinking about going to Bali, I'm gonna recommend this hotel with raving reviews. They were unreal with their customer service, their food not that great, their hotel it was pretty rad guys. I did have my own private pool looking out over the ocean. That was unbelievable. Incredible. But it was their customer service. Every time I saw someone, they said hello to me. They smiled to us, they loved us so much and every single person on that team was happy we were there. I did not meet one angry person.

0:14:00.6 KD: And I would ask, is your team stage worthy? Are they customer serving? Do they love their customers? There is a book that one of our practices shared with me. It is called Unreasonable Hospitality. I think that that's what it's called. And I feel like that's what this was. It was unreasonable hospitality. They loved me so much, they cared about me, they knew who their avatar was and they were willing to serve at all levels. And I would ask, is that your practice? And if not, how can you change it?

0:14:31.1 KD: One, you could always hire us, Dental A-Team. We are all about that guys. That is our core focus. Everybody on our team knows that one of our number one things is do the right thing and make their life easy for them. No dentist wants to come in to a consulting and have to do a ton of work. I promise you, doctors don't wanna do that. So in Dental A-Team, I know our avatar, our avatar is a dentist with their team. They don't want to be busy with mindless tasks. So what do I do? I make sure that we follow up, that we help their teams out, that we inspire and empower their team members rather than putting it on the doctor. Why do you think doctors love working with us? 'Cause I know what they need.

0:15:09.0 KD: Also, we go above and beyond. If I see something, if I hear a book, I'll send it to my clients. I had a client just the other day on our coaching call and she mentioned a book that she wanted to read, guys, it was 20 bucks on Amazon and I shipped it to her house. And this isn't me saying Kiera is amazing, it was literally I knew what she wanted and she was like in tears. Another client is playing games with her family and that was her goal. So I shipped her one of my favorite games to play with her family. Those things cost me 20 bucks. But what do you think the impact was? What's the impact for your patients? What's the impact for your culture? So what can you do? You can hire a coach if you can't get there yourself or if you want someone outside the box to help you 'cause that's my route. I like people that come in that are not me that are gonna help me create the company I want.

0:15:52.0 KD: Second, have a meeting about it. Who is our avatar? What are we trying to accomplish? What are we trying to do? Because if we can figure that out, guess what? Life is gonna be so much better. And then number three, I would ask your team members, are they there because they love those patients? And do they have a genuine care in them as people? And if you guys can't answer yes, you might be in the wrong profession. And if you can make sure that those patients feel that way. Check your front office, guys, first impressions matter. First impressions for me I got that nice cool towel. That was the first impression of this hotel. And guess what stuck with me. That and them getting me medicine.

0:16:28.4 KD: The bookends of my visit with them are what I remember. Sure, there were other things, but it was the bookends, the beginning and the end is what I remember. So what are your patients remembering? What are they seeing at your practice? How are they greeted when they walk in? How are they dismissed when they leave? What's the experience overall? I want you guys to test it out, try it out. And if we can help you, email us. [email protected]. I would love to serve you guys. I'd love to help your practice be this top notch practice that is blowing people's minds where they rave about you on social media, where they rave about you on Google because you gave them an experience they haven't had anywhere else. I'm literally making a podcast dedicated to this hotel in Bali because their experience for me was that impressive.

0:17:12.7 KD: I want you guys to think about yours. Do you have raving fans? And if not, how can you create more? How can you create it and then go do that and do that consistently and do it better than anybody else because you love those patients so much and you are so grateful that they are there helping your practice grow and you are serving the community and making it better. Reach out guys, if we could help you take action because, guys, you are only one decision away from a totally different life. Small baby steps will make you that practice that is unforgettable and I would encourage you guys to do so. And guys with that, if this podcast has blessed your life in any way, please be sure like, subscribe, review, send it on over to your friends. That's how we're able to hit our mission. This year, guys We're going after ha ha, the 2 million mark of downloads. And I can't do that without you. The reason I chase that number is because I know that that's the only number that I can measure of how many people we're impacting and serving. Just like your production number is showing you how many patients you're able to serve. So guys, help us out. Share, like, subscribe. And as always, thanks for listening and I'll catch you next time on the Dental A Podcast.

0:18:18.4 KD: And that wraps it up for another episode of the Dental A Podcast. Thank you so much for listening and will talk to you next time.

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