You can be the greatest dentist in the world and have the friendliest staff, but if your hours aren't convenient, patients will choose to go elsewhere. People are busier than ever before, and it's harder for many patients to make it to the dentist during normal business hours. If you're having trouble growing your practice, could your office hours be an issue?
Offer expanded hours. Most dentists would prefer to work 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. four or five days a week, but that paradigm may not be the best one in this era of increased competition. Many of our consulting clients offer evening hours once a week and Saturday hours once a month, because that's what their patients want. Find out what your patients want and make adjustments accordingly.
Don't stick with the status quo -- if it's not working. Change can be difficult, especially if you've been operating one way for years and have been successful at it. But as the competition for patients heats up, you can't rely solely on what worked yesterday. Be open to new possibilities -- they just might take you where you want to go!
