Do's and don'ts for customer feedback

Is your practice providing excellent customer service to patients? The only way to answer this question accurately is to ask your patients. And the easiest way to do that is to ask patients to complete a brief, anonymous survey at the end of their appointment. In the new dental economy, customer service plays a major role in practice success, so getting accurate feedback about the service you provide can lead to significant growth.

Make your survey easy to take and easy to tabulate. Limit your survey to 10 questions that can be answered in a few minutes. Use simple questions and statements, and ask for yes/no, agree/disagree on a scale of 1 to 5, or include multiple-choice responses. This will not only make it easier for patients to complete but also easier for your staff to review and tabulate.

Don't make assumptions or take offense. Most practices are surprised -- and enlightened -- by what they learn from patient surveys. You'll probably discover that some of your perceptions and assumptions are wrong, and you may also see some negative feedback. This helps create a more accurate picture of how you're doing and how you can improve.

Dr. Roger P. Levin is CEO of Levin Group, a leading practice management and marketing consulting firm. To contact him or to join the 40,000 dental professionals who receive his Practice Production Tip of the Day, visit LevinGroup.com or email [email protected].

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