Scott Greenhalgh DDS - Cosmetic Dentistry

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

What really is Service?

I'm doing some very exhausting research right now. Sometimes one has to go to whatever extent necessary for the sake of growth. A business partner of mine gave me a gift of a stay at the Ritz-Carlton hotel here in Denver. So my radar is going a thousand miles an hour soaking in EVERYTHING they do.

I'm already a fan of the Ritz as I have hired their firm to train my staff on customer service.

So... what really is service?

In it's most rudimentary, essential form it is understanding very clearly what your client wants to feel, and then delivering it in the most subtle, non-distracting way possible.

When it's done well- you hardly even notice it. It is the shortest line through what your client wants to experience. As a friend of mine Bryan Williams calls it, the Double Platinum rule of service: deliver to your client what they want before they even express that they want it.

I call it-understanding the movie that is already playing in your client's mind. They might have specific expectations or they may be vague and unaware. The key from practice is to read the subtle signs and act accordingly.

In my cosmetic dentistry practice here in Denver, we focus on that movie that is playing. I'm proud to have great people on my team, who genuinely want to take care of people. The rest is about the details (read about our comfort options).

We get constant positive comments from our clients (see our rave reviews), but we are not done yet. Great service is about constantly paying attention to our clients, constantly scrutinizing what we do and asking, " How can we make this better?"

OK-- it's time to go do some more research... : )

Labels: comfort options, cosmetic dentistry Denver, Customer service, Ritz-Carlton, Scott Greenhalgh DDS

posted by Dr. Scott at 12:16 PM

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Why is good service so hard to find?

Maybe you are like me: I'm picky but not a pain in the neck. I like good service and some mental engagement from whomever is taking care of me or that whomever working with me has some vague understanding of what would make me happy. The service approach that drives me nuts is the "canned approach". Where I am forced into their "on-size-fits-none" rigidness. When they ask me what I want and then I actually tell them. Their face goes blank like I've suddenly started speaking French. And then the reply, "we can't do that...". Game over.

I had a new patient that was referred to my office today. I asked her what she liked or didn't like about her previous dentist/dental office. She described how when she entered the office that whomever worked there seemed too busy talking with the other girls nearby. When she when back into the office, she recounted how the staff were busy sharing their personal stories with each other-she said she felt like a "thing", instead of a valued client.

I am frequently disappointed when I hear about some of the experiences people describe in other offices. We make a focused effort to make sure our patients, have a great experience. One of our main concerns is easing anxiety in the dental office. At our cosmetic dentistry office in Denver, I have had the opportunity to hire the Ritz-Carlton for training on customer service. In a nutshell, "pay attention to everything, guess what the guest might enjoy next, take responsibility and act on it".

Our new patient today was beaming at me when I came in to meet her. She was almost giddy that we had treated her with attention and respect. That she had a warm, personal greeting when she arrived; that someone else offered her our complimentary spa treatment (see other amenities to help you relax). Even though she had been told what to expect on her first visit, She found out that we cared, and that we would do a good job for her.

So, there is no doubt that cosmetic dentistry really starts with service. We see people everyday that recount experiences where the dentist didn't believe them when it hurt, and just kept on going. Or didn't wait longer enough for them to be fully numb.

If you haven't really had THIS level of personal attention, then we believe you are truly missing out (contact us today for your own personal dental experience).

Oh, and if we pay that much attention to making you feel welcome, then just imagine how we'll pour ourselves into making an amazing smile for you!

Labels: cosmetic dentistry Denver, Customer service, dental anxiety, Ritz-Carlton, Scott Greenhalgh DDS, spa dentistry

posted by Dr. Scott at 3:55 PM

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

The Power of Unexpected Service

I recently attended the 25th annual session of The American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. It was a great meeting presenting cutting edge advancements in cosmetic dentistry techniques.

It's typically a very large meeting with thousands of dentists from around the world. With the economy being somewhat uncertain this year, I think it also filters what practices are really committed to cosmetic dentistry, and which just want to be on the bandwagon. In fact, this year only 900 dentists worldwide attended this meeting. I anticipate having the exact number of dentists from Colorado that attended, but I would guess about a dozen at the most from all areas of the state.

At big functions, customer service typically goes out the window because it's a captive audience. I have to say I had a number of really unexpected great experiences throughout the week.

For example, before you can enter any of the lectures, you have your registration badge bar codes scanned. Typically these are people who have to sit at a table all day for hours. Not exactly fascinating work. I met probably the friendliest person of the whole week at one of these check in areas. I happened to have a number of my seminars in the same room, so there she was day after day. She used my name, "Hello again Dr. Scott!" and was all smiles.

A number of years ago one of my study clubs brought the Ritz-Carlton to Denver to teach us the "Customer Service Secrets of the Ritz-Carlton". Rule number one- "Always give a warm welcome". This was a talent for her, she genuinely enjoyed welcoming people.

We hope you'll leave with that same happy feeling when you visit our cosmetic dentistry office.