6 ways to stop losing patients

Developing a strong, loyal patient base is key to building a successful practice, yet it's something many dentists struggle with. They simply don't understand why their patient retention rates are so low, a problem that's both frustrating and costly.

Sally McKenzie, CEO of McKenzie Management.

Patients opt to look for a new dental home for many reasons. Maybe they want to find something closer, or they need a practice with more convenient hours or with a shorter wait time to see the dentist. Whatever the reason, the result is the same: When patients leave your practice, it costs you money.

So how can you raise your patient retention rates and grow your bottom line? I've put together a few tips designed to help you do just that.

1. Improve your customer service

Most patients are pretty nervous when they walk into your dental practice, so the more you and your team can do to make them feel comfortable the better. Train team members to greet every patient with a smile and offer to help in any way they can. Reassure them they're in good hands, let them know the doctor will be with them shortly, and ask if they'd like water or coffee while they wait.

These small gestures will help put your patients at ease, making them more likely to schedule their next appointment with your practice.

2. Build a rapport with your patients

Patients want to know you care about them as people and that you're not just looking to sell them on dentistry. That's why it's so important to start building connections with patients from the beginning. Ask them about work, their families, and their oral health goals. Build a rapport with your patients and more of them will return.

3. Provide top-notch patient education

Often, patients don't come back for recare visits or schedule needed treatment simply because they don't see the value. That's where education comes in. Take the time to show patients what's going on in their mouths and talk with them about the possible consequences of not going forward with treatment and not maintaining their oral health. Let them know about the services you provide and how those services can help them meet their oral health goals.

When patients truly understand what you do and how neglecting their mouth can lead to problems down the road, they'll be more likely to schedule and keep their appointments.

4. Follow up

Train your treatment coordinator to follow up with patients two days after initial case presentations. Why? It helps keep these presentations top of mind, which makes patients more likely to return.

Most patients want time to think about their options and talk everything over with their spouse at home before they make any decisions. The problem is, patients often convince themselves they don't really need treatment or they simply forget -- so they never come back to the office. Following up will help remind patients why scheduling treatment and regular visits is so important, and it will give your treatment coordinator the opportunity to provide more education. If your coordinator addresses patient concerns and perceived barriers to care during the call, chances are you'll see these patients again chairside.

5. Revamp your recall

Focusing on recall is one of the best ways to get patients back in the chair and grow your bottom line, yet for some reason this is a practice system many dentists ignore. If you're among those dentists, take steps to revamp your recall. Task one of your team members with calling a certain number of recall patients every day and to get a certain number of those patients back on the schedule. You'll retain more patients, growing your production numbers and your bottom line.

6. Take complaints seriously

When patients complain, it's easy to shrug your shoulders and say they're just cranky and taking it out on you. Instead, take these complaints seriously and look at them as an opportunity to create positive change. After all, if one patient is complaining because it took so long to see the dentist, or because the patient had to wait on hold for 10 minutes after calling the practice to schedule an appointment, chances are other patients are experiencing the same problems, too.

Addressing patient concerns gives you the opportunity to improve your practice and show patients you truly care about their overall experience -- and that will go a long way in winning patient loyalty.

Improving patient retention can be challenging, but if you make the right changes, you'll soon see your rates rise to 85%, even 95%.

Sally McKenzie is the CEO of McKenzie Management, a full-service, nationwide dental practice management company. Contact her directly at 877-777-6151 or at [email protected].

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