Patients are likely to judge a clinic by the customer service they receive, the equipment they find in use at the clinic, and the qualifications and experience of the doctors at the clinic. Every clinic is, therefore, expected to uphold these essential elements if they are to remain competitive:
1. Appropriate equipment
Dentistry often involves the use of various equipment in the provision of services to patients. The equipment is improved regularly to increase the accuracy with which different procedures are performed. As such, dental clinics ought to be fitted with modern dental practice equipment from reliable dental equipment suppliers such as Dentec not only to provide the best services to their clients but also to remain competitive within the market. In fact, the use of modern equipment has become a major selling point for dental clinics. They are often quick to inform the public that they possess the most technologically advanced equipment among all clinics in a given state or country.
2. Skilled workers
Every dental clinic must be equipped with the required human skills. They should be able to provide a majority, if not all, of the general dental procedures. They may also provide other specialised services such as dental surgery and orthodontist services. Common examples of the required dental care workers in a mid-level clinic may include dental hygienists, dental laboratory technicians, periodontists, minor dental surgeons, and orthodontists. The employees must be available in suitable numbers and should possess the required qualifications to perform the dental services offered in a given clinic. They are also expected to be registered members with the American Dental Association that provides practising licenses to professionals they deem qualified and fit to practice.
3. Proper customer care
Dentistry is considered to be part of the service industry. That means that the way dental workers relate with their patients goes a long way in determining the patients’ levels of satisfaction and hence their customer loyalty. Patients must be treated with respect and concern regardless of their backgrounds. There should be no complaints by clients of unfair treatment. That occurs sometimes where patients on the waiting list realise that one or a few patients are receiving solicited favours from the workers. It is often in the form of skipping the queues.
4. Hygiene
This is a very important aspect to uphold in any business. Its essence is emphasised even more within the health industry. A clinic ought to maintain high hygiene levels in a bid not only to create a good customer experience but also to ensure the safety of their patients. A dirty dental clinic may result in the infection of patients. It may also result in a negative impression of the clinic among the clients. It is very unlikely that your clients will schedule future appointments with your clinic if they realise that it does not uphold satisfactory hygiene levels.
At the end of the day, a dental clinic is largely a business. That means that it is expected to generate profits. With the provision of dental services being a part of the service industry, the surest way of succeeding in business becomes the use of modern equipment by qualified personnel to provide satisfactory customer service to patients.