Tuesday Tip from Pride Institute: It’s all about attitude in your dental practice

There have been people in my life who, because of their amazing enthusiasm toward their jobs, provided me with incredible and memorable customer service experiences.

For example, there was the toll booth attendant at the Golden Gate Bridge who always had a smile, a joke, and a biscuit for my dog whenever I went through his lane. His line was always longer because people actually tried to get into the queue for his toll booth just to see him. Why? Because he started their day by putting a smile on their faces.

Another memorable customer service experience I had was with a restroom attendant at the Charlotte-Douglas International Airport. She always had a smile, she would sing, and she was always chatting with the ladies in her care. She did take care of people and she was very proud of her facility.

The last experience I'll share involved an Advanced Team Training course taught at Pride Institute. We taught the FISH! Philosophy based on a book by Stephen Lundin, Harry Paul, and John Christensen. The FISH! Philosophy centers on the fish-tossing, joke-cracking camaraderie of the fishmongers at Pike Place Fish Market in Seattle. They show that even the smelliest and hardest of jobs can be approached with vigor, excitement, and positive energy that can infuse the atmosphere of the entire company.

Whether you’re the doctor, hygienist, assistant, or front office manager, how do you approach your job in the practice? Is your job so routine to you that you’re merely doing your job, albeit well, without the enthusiasm that is truly needed to make a memorable difference to your patients?

Do your patients leave your practice with a positive experience and want to share this experience with others? I call this “dinner table talk,” where patients are asked at the family dinner table about their day. When they say they were at the dentist’s office, will they tell a negative story or will they share a great customer service story about your practice or one of your team members? The second answer, my friends, is marketing!

If you’re wondering how to get more internal referrals, get more patients to “Like” you on Facebook or write testimonials, look no further than your own enthusiasm toward your job and the way you and your team approach each day.

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Tuesday Tips from Pride Institute are provided weekly on their Facebook page as well as in this column in DentistryIQ. To ensure you don’t miss any of Pride Institute’s proven methods to take your practice to the next level, visit prideinstitute.com, and like them on Facebook.