Skytale DSO Growth Series: Value your Existing Patients
Kleer is the most powerful dental membership platform, trusted by 7,000 dentists across the US. Kleer and Skytale have partnered to help offer practices the tools and strategy to be more efficient, innovative and profitable. Over the next several weeks we will be sharing a 3 part blog series that highlights tips and strategies to implement at your practice.
Building a successful dental practice requires more than just acquiring new patients. Retaining existing patients is equally important, as it fosters loyalty, establishes long-term relationships, and ultimately drives practice growth. In this article, we will delve into the key strategies that dental practices can implement to improve patient retention rates and create a customer experience that keeps patients engaged from beginning to end.
Engage with Existing Patients
Engaging with existing patients is crucial for building lasting relationships and enhancing their overall experience. By designing a customer-centric experience from beginning to end, dental practices can create an environment that makes patients feel valued and connected.
Customer Service
From the moment patients first interact with your practice, prioritize exceptional customer service. Train your staff to be warm, friendly, and knowledgeable, and ensure they handle phone calls and inquiries with professionalism and efficiency. Every touchpoint, from how patients see your advertisements to their in-office experience, should leave a positive impression.
Patient Scheduling
Simplify and optimize the scheduling process to make it convenient for patients. Implement online scheduling systems, offer flexible appointment options, and ensure your staff is trained to effectively manage patient appointments.
Appointment Confirmation
Establish a reliable and effective appointment confirmation process. Send personalized reminders via email, text messages, or phone calls to minimize no-shows and keep your schedule running smoothly.
Dental Hygiene Schedule
Proactively schedule re-care and follow-up appointments from the dental chair. Measure the percentage of re-appointments from hygiene and maintain a goal of 87%. This will reduce the number of outgoing calls needed in the future and keep the schedule full.
Post-Appointment Follow-Up
Following up with patients can help your practice address any questions or concerns after a procedure. Sending branded SMS text messages is a best practice when following up with patients because it has a significantly higher open-rate, sometimes averaging over 90%. With email communication averaging an open-rate around 28%, it should be treated as the fall-back option.
Offer Transparent Fees and Enhance Case Acceptance
Transparent fees and a high-end customer experience go hand in hand when it comes to increasing case acceptance rates. Patients appreciate transparency in dental fees, and it fosters trust and confidence in the services you provide. Consider the following strategies:
Transparent Fees
Clearly communicate your fees and treatment costs to patients to help increase case acceptance. Make sure to provide your patients with detailed treatment plans, explain the value and benefits of each procedure, and answer any questions they may have to help patients understand the value a procedure will bring to their oral health.
Review Practice Management System
Take a critical look at your dental service organization's (DSO) practice management system. Ensure your practice is taking advantage of all the modules and capabilities the software offers, from treatment planning, reporting tools, and even the clinical charting/note capabilities. An efficient practice maximizes the tools at their disposal, leading to improved patient experiences, reduction of administrative errors, and more clarity into the productivity of the business.
Dental Membership Plan
Implement a dental membership program for uninsured patients. This program offers affordable, preventive care packages and discounts on additional treatments, fostering loyalty and increasing patient retention.
Marketing a Dental Membership Program
Once you have established a dental membership program, effectively marketing it is crucial for attracting and retaining patients. Consider the following marketing strategies:
Create Awareness
Utilize various marketing channels, including your practice website, social media platforms, email newsletters, and digital advertising, to create awareness about your dental membership program. Make sure to clearly outline the benefits, cost savings, and convenience it offers.
Personalized Communication
Craft personalized messages that resonate with your target audience and address the specific needs and concerns of uninsured patients. In these communications, you can emphasize how the membership program caters to their oral health needs.
Referral Incentives
Encourage your existing patients to refer their friends and family to the dental membership program. Offer incentives such as discounts, free services, or loyalty rewards to both the referrer and the new member.
Building a successful dental practice goes beyond providing excellent dental care. Engaging with existing patients and creating a customer-centric experience are key elements in driving patient retention. By focusing on customer service, transparent fees, and implementing a dental membership program, dental practices can foster loyalty, increase case acceptance, and ultimately thrive in the competitive dental industry. Stay tuned for the next two parts of this series, where we delve deeper into these strategies and provide actionable steps for implementation.
If you would like to get more dental strategies and learn how the Kleer platform can help your practice growth, you can book a call to demo the platform here.
Get started, today.
Our experts will show you how our advanced, cloud-based membership plan platform—coupled with resources, tools and support from the experts at Kleer, can bring your practice phenomenal results.
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