Key Takeaways:
New guests need to have an outstanding experience during their first visit
It’s important to greet new guests by their first name and make them feel welcome
Making sure the new guests feel comfortable is essential
Your chance to shine
While every guest that walks through your doors should have the best possible experience every time, the first experience of a new guest is probably the most important. This person did their research and decided to choose your office over the competition. Their first visit to your office is your chance to make a glowing impression and ensure they made the right choice.
Schedule their first appointment ASAP
Let’s say you have a potential new guest call your office and decide they want to schedule an appointment, but you don’t have an available appointment for months. There’s a great chance that person isn’t going to wait that long to be seen, and they’ll likely call another office. You just lost a new guest.
To avoid this, it’s a good idea to leave open spots in your schedule specifically designated for new guests. This way, you’ll always be prepared to get them on your schedule.
The reason it’s essential to get your new guests on the books ASAP is because you want them to feel like their care is a top priority to you.
The greeting
When a new guest walks through the door for the first time, every part of their visit needs to be spectacular, and it all starts with the greeting. It’s good practice to have your front office staff greet all guests by name when possible, so if they know a new guest has an appointment at 10:30 AM, they should still be able to greet that guest by first name. Greeting guests by their first name adds an extra level of service and makes the experience feel much more personalized.
“Hi, you must be John. Welcome! Let’s get you checked in for your visit.”
Imagine walking into an appointment anywhere and being greeted by your first name. Any business can greet customers and ask for their names and why they are there. Taking the next step by greeting a guest properly adds a nice touch.
Once the new guest is checked in, they should be taken back by a clinical staff member as soon as possible to ensure quick, quality service.
Make them feel comfortable
For many people, going to the dentist is an unpleasant experience. Your goal should be to make every guest feel as comfortable as possible. You and your clinical staff should try to get to know the new guest and their comfort level at the dentist. Do they struggle with dental fear and anxiety? Or are they the kind of person that isn’t bothered by the dentist? Are they the kind of person who wants to know what’s going on during every step of their visit, or would they rather not know what you’re about to do next out of anxiousness?
Letting the new guest know that you care about their experience and their comfort will help ensure they made the right choice in coming to your practice for care.
Make it count
First impressions are extremely important in any situation, so it’s important to put your best foot forward and make your new guests' first experience the best it can be. Show them what you’ve got!
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