Little acts of kindness !! (Part I)

The horror in your patient’s eyes says it all. You accidentally uttered words you should never say in front of unsuspecting patients.

The second you said what you were thinking out loud you knew you’d messed up. Not only did you see the surprise in the patient’s eyes, but in other team members’ eyes as well. This has happened to the best of dental professionals. Hopefully, everyone learns a lesson from the slip-ups and won’t do it again.

                   

“What should the dental team never say or do in front of patients?” Let’s start with the №1 answer sent from dental professionals in all office positions — OOPS! Oh, no! Oh s**t! Oh my…I’ve never seen that before. Stop saying words like this, it makes your patients distrust you.

STOP BITCHING AROUND: 

“ The dental work your previous dentist has done in your mouth is terrible.”

Why would you say that to a patient? It’s a strict NO-NO. Whenever you say things like this about a dental surgeon, it leaves an impression that you are not supportive of your own fraternity and …you will talk about things like this beyond your patients back (he might imagine you say — “he is a terrible patient”).

                 

If you can’t say something good, SHUT UP, but don’t hurt feelings:

Imagine when you are in pain and the staff in hospital mistreats you or your loved one. Would you ever go back to that hospital, that doctor no matter how good they are?

Words of Appreciation matters :

Instead of saying “Sorry for the wait” , say thank you for waiting so patiently. I appreciate how well you are following my instructions. Gift your patients a care package, a coupon when you see they are regulars, something to make them feel appreciated when they refer more patients to you.

Be genuinely Concerned:

We haven’t seen you in a long time? Is everything ok? A patient of mine was one of the most cooperative and happy patients that I have ever met. She was going for BPS dentures, always on time, I and my staff used to wait for her. By her 3 rd appointment, she started coming late, forced smile, sad puppy eyes. We could clearly make out there was something wrong with my patient. She didn’t say much but we got the point that she was going through some family crisis. By the fifth appointment, she wanted the cheapest set of dentures which we had. On poking further, she explained that her husband lost his job, the grown-up kids denied support and the old couple was left alone in the world. Our clinic supports old age homes and orphanages, I spoke to the caretaker who was thrilled to have Jaya’s Husband on board as a manager for the premises. She thanked our staffed with tear-filled eyes, saying that my staff was genuinely concerned about her well being.

Hire compassionate people:

                  

People who cannot empathise with patients in pain cannot be left with patients and are naturally, not a good fit for a healthcare organization, prioritizing tik-tok videos and Facebook over patients leave a negative impact on the caring ambience you are trying to create. Imagine a patient in pain who is waiting for his appointment, your receptionist instead of assuring him about the treatment is busy listening to Bhojpuri songs. Teach your staff to be courteous, compassionate, professional and most of all kind.

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