There are two things that absolutely infuriate dentists: patients trying to commoditize dentistry by making decisions about treatment based only on price, and patients not showing up for their appointments.
Certainly price is an important factor, but it is just one part of the equation. Patients need to understand the quality of dentistry they are getting and how your practice is the best partner for the patient’s oral health.
But, beyond that conversation, patients MUST show up for their appointment. When they cancel or change appointments it drains the practice of revenue, forces the dentist to work harder to make up for lost production, and is, quite frankly, disrespectful.
The results of a survey we did in cooperation with the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry and The Digital Dentist were interesting. We found that the #1 scheduling issue, by far, was broken appointments, and the #1 phone skills issue was handling patients who ask about price.
