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What your patients think about your
service really matters
We all know the new CQC legislation means that if you’re a dentist in England you’re now required to give your patients a chance to feedback on the service they receive from you. Understandably, this can be a daunting prospect, especially if you already feel stretched by the amount of things you need to do to manage your practice effectively.
However, running a customer feedback survey can be a very straightforward and simple process and the results can be incredibly beneficial for your business.
Why feedback?
Speaking at the British Dental Conference and Exhibition, top dental business consultant and patient champion Sheila Scott said, “The power of patient questionnaires should not be underestimated. They can be really powerful when used to find out what patients want from the practice and their dentists.”
Communicating with patients is essential for the growth and success of your dental practice. Patients want to feel involved with their treatment and one of the ways to do this is to ask them what they think about the service you’re providing them with. The more you listen to your patients the more strategic you can be in driving your business forward.
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Why you should welcome feedback
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What do your patients want?
Like any effective business, finding out what your clients need or want should always be your starting point. If you offer a great service that meets these needs then chances are you have a successful practice. Of course your patients want you to look after their oral health but that’s just one part of their experience with you. Patients may also be concerned about the convenience of your appointment times, the cleanliness of your practice, your emergency arrangements, the friendliness of your team and the cost of visiting you. All these things, and more, make for a successful or unsuccessful practice and the people to tell you how well you are doing are your patients.
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 If dentists are serious about improving patient satisfaction, appreciation and loyalty, they must start by finding out what really matters to patients about their service, and then how patients think they are doing in these important areas. In my experience dental teams are often surprised to find out that patients' views about what is most important to them is often very different from the team’s! Sheila Scott |
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How do I measure patient satisfaction?
At Snap Surveys, we’ve been working with Sheila Scott, to create a simple to use, tailored dental patient experience survey. Patients can complete a questionnaire online or on paper. Results are then collated into a report. The report explains where you are doing well and what areas in your practice could be improved.
This report is a key part of the pack we’ve created, it is almost a mini-consultancy which will help you drive your business forwards.
What about my competitors?
The Dental Patient Experience Survey also allows you to compare the results of your practice against those of a representative current national sample. This means you can benchmark yourself against your peers. The areas you are doing well in can be used in your Marketing and PR activity .
The Dental Patient Experience Survey pack starts at £499 + VAT for a single site with up to 2 practitioners. Further information about this service can be found on the Snap Surveys website, www.snapsurveys.com/dental-surveys
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For more information visit: www.snapsurveys.com/dental-surveys |
Some updates should make interesting reading to any practice principals with a close eye on finances
