Whats up fellas…Im turning to Clutchfans for some advice and opinions. I am currently building a new dental practice in Katy. I want this practice to be different than any other dental practice anyone has been to...from the moment you step in until you step out. From top to bottom, I want it to provide the utmost comfort and relaxation for patients. So, I want to ask you guys what features you would like to see in dental offices and what could make your experiences better when you are seeing your dentists. Some features that will be implemented into the office: Free teeth whitening for every new patient Coffee bar Fridge with drinks Game room in waiting area (with xbox and playstation…mostly for kids) TV with full cable in every treatment room along with Netflix, HBO GO, Hulu, etc… Heated pillows and blankets. What other features would you like to see or would you take advantage of, if available? How about if there is a massage room with a licensed massage therapist? All new patients getting a free 60 minute massage. How about if alcohol (champagne and wine) is available while you wait? Other features that will be included will be things to give patients incentive to refer patients. For instance, once a month there would be an item, such as a Samsung 55 inch LED television that would be made available. For every patient that refers someone, they get their names placed in a bowl. At the end of the month, a patient wins the prize. Prizes would range in value from $500-$3000 depending on effectiveness. Just trying to brainstorm and get a grasp of what can truly separate a dental office from others, from your perspectives. I have also attached a photo of the look we are going for in the waiting room. Any feedback would be appreciated. Thanks.
Can you PM me where you are located? I'm about to have to go in for an exam, I hate the dentist office so I have to be put under even for a teeth cleaning, plus I know I need some work done. The more comfortable, like your pic above, the better. **** scares the hell out of me. I loathe having my teeth scraped.
This is something more for the kids, have a treasure chest full of small stuff animals that they can choose from after their visit is over. Wi-Fi is something everyone will appreciate.
When people see all the perks, the first thing they think is, "how much is he over charging me to afford all this."
People may think the coffee bar is to get them to return, since coffee stains teeth. I know one time won't do it, but just something to consider. You dont want to give patients any reason to hate. As for the waiting room, would patients walking into it, still under the effects of anesthesia, feel worse because it's a circular room? I don't have any facts to back this up, just throwing it out there. Seems like it could be true. Personally, i'd put more focus on training of employees, especially when it comes to explaining details/instructions to patients and then following up. I know having a nice place helps, but be careful not to focus too much on aesthetics.
Your my Dentist anyway and you have me already sold so no up-selling needed here. I drive all the way across town for you. What I can say is my friends like hot women dentist. Although you have a pretty cute dental hygienist nice looking women always help. Nice dental chairs, good scheduling, good greeting, good looking desk girl, top of the line equipment, do all needed services in one sitting, easy parking. The text message reminders are nice btw.
It's a dentist office. It isn't going to pleasurable . If you do a good job and don't overcharge you are good.
What kind of a ****ing dental office is that? That's more like a spa. I may not be the customer you're looking for but I'm a relatively busy man and if I go to a dentist, I just want whatever dental work be done well and as quick as possible. If I want to go to a spa, I'll go to a spa. I don't want to pay extra for the spa treatment I don't really want. I agree with Air Langhi: keep it as simple and focused as possible. That said, there are conveniences I would like to find standard in dental offices. I'd prioritize a water fountain over a beverage dispenser. If you're gonna sell beverages, sell ones that are healthy, as already said. Wi-Fi, as somebody else has already mentioned. The need to have a console for entertainment is fading quickly with phones.
I'm very interested. I am currently looking for a new dentist and need some cleaning done and possibly other things. Can you PM me through here for more info on where I can find you currently?
At my dentist office they have tvs with cable you can watch while they do what they need to do, but honestly that's enough for me. The office is tasteful and the waiting area is comfortable. I think offering free water bottles is a nice touch, but most of the other stuff you mentioned just seems to me to be over the top. The prizes might be a good way to get a customer base to begin with, but I'm of the belief that your service will grow your practice. If you offer top notch quality service that is also quick and competitively priced your patients will be your best form of advertising. I know for me I was told about the practice I currently go to. All the bells and whistles you mentioned are totally unnecessary and out of place in a dental office. I understand you're trying to change the whole experience, but dentistry has been around a while. There's a reason places like that aren't mainstream - they have either tried and failed or people have dismissed it because the idea itself is not worth pursuing. I don't mean to discourage you in any way, I'm sure if you're serious about this you will have done some research into what people in the area and customer base you are targeting are interested in versus what they can afford to pay, and I'm interested to know more about that. However, I would hate for you to go through all the trouble of building this new building only to see customers go to the office down the road with magazines in the waiting room and maybe a tv or two because it's cheaper.
I've got a lot of work I need done. You take payment plans let me know ill keep you busy for a while.
Everything but the game room, I don't want any damn kids running around and yelling cuz they won at ping pong. Also, there have gotta be some "teeth friendly" beverages and/or snacks, stick some relevant brochures next to them and I think people would appreciate and be mindful of that. Don't forget basic staples like halfway decent, current magazines and newspapers (WSJ, Vanity Fair, Town & Country).
Thanks for all the feedback...Ive taken all your comments into consideration. I will touch up on a few points, in no particular order. Wi-Fi is a must...big breasted women are always a plus. My current office and the next office will be predominantly insurance offices...about 80% of the patients at my current practice have dental insurance. Im going to guess that the next office will be closer to 90%. With insurance patients, we dont dictate the price per procedure...we are told how much we can charge. Therefore, for the most part, patients will know that our prices wont differ from any other dental office they visit. Yes, many people just want to go to the dental office and get out as soon as possible...and plenty of people could care less about any perks...however, those people dont need to take advantage of any of the perks if they dont want to. Being in practice for over 3 years, I have seen plenty of high maintenance patients b**** and complain about seemingly stupid stuff. Im guessing that my clientele in Katy will be more high maintenance than the average person. With that patient pool, it is very critical to cater to every aspect possible, even if the majority of people arent impressed or dont care. The purpose is to have something for everyone. Also, the beverage station is not going to be selling drinks. There would be a refreshment center for patients to get what they please, at no cost. The aim of the dental office is to be a family dental practice...which means that kids are welcome. The game room would be for the little kids so they have something to do while mom or dad are getting treatment. The game room is also separated from the main waiting area so that the noise doesnt annoy other patients. Every idea I stated in my first post is present in dental offices around Houston. Alcohol, massage tables, game rooms, etc... However, none of them have put them all together. Its like they mix and match random "perks". For instance, Floss dental (13 locations in Texas) serves alcohol to patients. Yet, their offices are very small (1500 sq ft) and cant provide the space for other amenities. You have other offices that provide massages, but then dont have the basics like updated magazines in the waiting room. It just doesnt make sense to me to provide one luxury and then take away something else. If you're gonna do it, do it right. Money has never been the driving motivation for me...I dont care if I spend a few thousand extra every month to provide, at the very least, an opportunity for patients to step in, grab a drink, read updated magazines, surf the internet on wifi, watch cable tv, listen to the music station of their choice, etc... Sure, many patients wont see any reason to take advantage of any of these things, but what about the handful that find it useful? In my opinion, it is best to be able to provide every patient with something, anything, that can make them happy. Of course, providing poor dental care and/or poor service makes everything else pointless, but Im not worried about not being able to give quality care. To answer some of the specific questions at my current office: Wisdom teeth removal is $250 per tooth unless insurance is involved. We just started implementing payment plans this week actually...with a credit card we can spread payment out over 4 months. Every month, the credit card will be charged after we call to give the reminder. First payment is made before procedure starts. We'll do all the work with no guarantee that we will get full payment on the procedure.
