One of the things that Zappos.com became famous for was their above and beyond customer service that did not involve the selling of shoes.
But, Zappos.com is an online shoe retailer, isn’t it?
But, I hear you say:
“Isn’t it the job of Zappos.com employees to help their customers purchase shoes?”
Well here’s a surprise..
The role of every telephonist receiving inbound phone calls at Zappos.com is to first and foremost be able to provide information.
To be of assistance.
And to solve problems and answer questions.
Even if those questions have nothing at all to do with shoes and buying shoes.
Nothing at all.
Callers can phone Zappos.com from anywhere and at any time, and ask what the weather forecast will be for downtown Clarkesville tonight, and would they [the Zappos.com employee] recommend taking a jacket or an umbrella…
Or ask who won the game between the Panthers and the Roosters on last Monday night.
And their questions will be answered, even if they are not and never ever have been a Zappos.com customer.
Would you do that or similar at your dental practice?
Even if it had nothing to do with dentistry, would your team members be as helpful if a total stranger phoned and asked which is the best Café in Newtown?
Or would you do this?
A caller phones your dental practice just as you are walking out the door for the evening. Your dentist has gone, and the caller is a New Patient in severe pain, who has not been to your office before.
And you can hear the desperation in the caller’s voice… they need to see a dentist right NOW!!
Would you say:
“I’m sorry, but we are closed for the day now.” CLICK.
Or would you say this:
Hi Betty, we’re closed for the night now, but let me do this. It sounds like you really need to see someone this evening. Let me phone around a few dentists that I know who work late and get you in to see one of them. Would that be OK? I’ll get you an appointment this evening and get straight back to you with the details and the address and the time…”
A lot of dental offices wouldn’t bother to offer this level of service or favour to a caller in distress.
Even if the caller was an existing patient of record, let alone a total stranger.
The response that a lot of offices would use would be along the lines of:
“Sorry buddy, but you’re on your own. Best of luck.”
And that would be the end of that.
But what if your dental office did help the caller find a dentist, and then did this….
What if someone from your dental office phoned the caller [who was in pain] the next day and just struck up a conversation with them to find out how they got on with the dentist that we helped find for them?
Without looking to poach the caller.
Chances are that the caller in pain will tell a story to her family and friends, and her nearest and dearest, that might go something like this:
“You’ll never believe what happened to me this week? I had a really bad toothache towards the end of the day last Monday, and I phone a couple of dentists trying to get an appointment.
Well the first two that I phoned, they didn’t have anything.
But then I phoned Active Dental. Now they were closing, but what Benita there did, was she rang a dentist that she knew, and she got me an appointment there.
And he was great. He got me out of pain. Very gentle.
But I tell you what? I was really impressed with the Above and Beyond service I got from Benita at Active Dental. Not only did she find me an appointment with Dr Smith, but she phoned me the next day, just to double check and make sure that I got my problem fixed.
I’m actually considering going there, to Active Dental, because Benita was so nice in doing all that…”
The story told by the caller, about the Above and Beyond actions of Benita, are a PRICELESS advertisement for your business because that CULTURE of service that your practice exudes, is such a rare commodity.
Are you looking for ways that your dental office can go that extra mile?
For any caller?
Because it certainly is an easy way to stand out from the crowd…
*****
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*****
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*****
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*****
The Ultimate Patient Experience is a simple to build complete Customer Service system in itself that I developed that allowed me to create an extraordinary dental office in an ordinary Sydney suburb. If you’d like to know more, ask me about my free special report.
Email me at david@theupe.com