Case:

Patient: Hello, I mainly came in today to consult about my teeth.

Doctor: What’s wrong with your teeth?

Patient: My teeth mainly feel uncomfortable when eating, not strong enough, a bit sensitive, and the teeth seem a bit harder. Can you take a look for me?

Doctor: Alright, let me examine you.

Doctor: It seems you have a removable denture in the front due to missing teeth in the past. So, the chewing mainly relies on the two teeth at the back, which have worn down significantly, causing sensitivity to hot and cold, and sweet and sour foods, right? Let’s do a basic examination, then take an X-ray. With the X-ray, I can explain some treatment options more thoroughly. Is that okay with you?

Patient: Okay.

Doctor: Here’s your X-ray. You have two missing teeth which have worn down significantly, and there’s also a wisdom tooth pushing against them.

Patient: You don’t need to explain so much. I just want to know first, how to treat it, and second, how much it will cost?

Doctor: Please don’t rush, let me explain the treatment plan to you slowly. For these two missing teeth, considering your young age, the best option is dental implants. Have you heard of dental implants? You won’t need to wear a removable denture like the one you have now, as that’s more common among older people. Also, the wisdom tooth should be extracted because it’s causing problems by pressing against the other teeth. So, my best recommendation is to go for implants, or alternatively, porcelain crowns, which you might have heard of.

Patient: Um, how about the implants?

Doctor: Are you asking about the price of dental implants or the procedure itself?

Patient: Yes.

Doctor: The implant procedure usually takes about six months.

Patient: Six months, I see. This timeframe isn’t too flexible for me.

Doctor: Where do you work?

Patient: I work at a bank and I’m usually quite busy. If I decide to proceed, I’ll need to set aside specific time to come in.

Doctor: Alright, how about this? Since you’ve had a series of checks today, can you leave your phone number?

Patient: How about this, I’ll let you know if I decide later. I really don’t have time today, my friend is waiting for me downstairs.

Doctor: I understand. Take care then.

Jessica:

First point, the doctor’s approach to reception is flawed. The doctor didn’t try to address the customer’s main complaint, which was toothache, but instead jumped straight to suggesting tooth extraction and implants. This clearly exposes the doctor’s profit motive, selling for the sake of selling. This is the main reason for customer loss. What is this like? It’s like going to a store to buy a shirt, and instead of helping you find a shirt, the salesperson only promotes suits and shoes. Blindly pushing sales will only make customers more resentful. This is the problem with the reception approach.

Secondly, there was no resonance in communication. The communication between the doctor and the patient did not resonate, which means it was like speaking nonsense. The doctor only spoke from a professional perspective, not from the patient’s perspective. So, the patient was not interested in what the doctor said, leading to impatience and direct questions about the price. Because it wasn’t what they wanted to hear, they just wanted to know the cost. If the price is too high, they will consider it because they did not receive a solution to their problem in the first place.

Thirdly, when designing a treatment plan, the doctor’s behavior was misleading. The first plan did not address the patient’s main concern, which was toothache, but instead directly negated the patient’s removable denture and strongly promoted implants. This kind of direction is a bit biased, and it will definitely make the customer wary. What should be recommended? I suggest that our doctors should respect the customer and not treat the patient as a fool. Therefore, we should sincerely help them solve their problems and then provide some suggestions under this premise.

Fourthly, the customer was given the price before fully agreeing to the implant plan, which is a major mistake in reception. Giving the price before agreeing to the plan will only add psychological pressure to the patient. In addition, the cost of implants is relatively high, and the customer’s previous removable denture was definitely cheaper. The customer came to solve their main complaint, but did not receive a corresponding solution, only a blind push for implants, plus the high cost of implants. Therefore, this high-priced implant plan will inevitably cause a strong reaction from the patient.

Fifthly, the customer doesn’t lack money; they lack trust. High prices are always just a surface phenomenon. They might say that implants require surgery, they don’t have time, etc., but these are excuses. Why don’t they want to give their phone number to the doctor? Because they understand very clearly what the doctor wants their number for. It’s not to help them solve their problem or to care about them; it’s just for sales.

Sixthly, when making phone calls, the doctor’s profit motive is very obvious. When the doctor calls the customer, it’s definitely not to help them with their toothache, but to ask when they will come for implants.

So, what can we conclude from this lost case? From the above six points of analysis, I will provide six suggestions for this case.

The first suggestion is that reception should be customer-oriented. Establishing a customer-oriented approach is key because the concept determines your influence, which affects your thoughts and actions. How you speak and act will ultimately affect your results. We need to communicate sincerely with the other party, first solve the customer’s main complaint, and then explore their potential problems. We shouldn’t sell just for the sake of selling. We need some cleverness and should not treat the other party as a fool.

The second suggestion is to try to help the customer solve their most urgent problem first, such as their toothache. Help them solve their most urgent problem first, establish trust, and then explore their potential needs. Don’t try to communicate and establish trust just to generate sales because trust is the foundation.

The third suggestion is that prices should only be given after the plan is agreed upon. Without establishing trust and demonstrating the value of the plan, giving the price before agreement will only make customers more sensitive to the price.

The fourth suggestion is that indirect negation can be used. For example, the patient’s removable denture can be indirectly questioned by asking about its use, chewing function, comfort level, etc., rather than directly negating something the patient still accepts. We first acknowledge but then find the shortcomings, which should be something they can understand themselves.

The fifth suggestion is to avoid any misleading behavior when designing the plan. This will prevent medical disputes and refund phenomena.

The sixth suggestion is not to rush during reception. Building trust takes time, and the process determines the result. Only by first retaining them and allowing them to experience our good techniques and services can we further develop and improve. So, we need to follow the principle of first retention and then improvement.

Tony: Regarding this patient case, I have the following analysis. Let’s start with the treatment plan.

Firstly, the doctor in this case did not address the patient’s main complaint of discomfort with their teeth when setting the treatment plan. Instead, they started with the issue of the wisdom tooth. This immediately triggers fear in the patient’s mind about tooth extraction, leading to a distance between the patient and the doctor. I believe that with a new patient, it’s crucial to establish trust initially. For this case, I think we should start by addressing the teeth causing pain. We can begin with less expensive procedures or those with fewer complications. However, extracting wisdom teeth is a treatment with high risks. Therefore, establishing trust with the patient is key.

Secondly, without establishing trust initially, the doctor proposed a treatment plan that would cause significant financial pressure on the patient. As dental professionals, we often aim to turn patients with missing teeth into implant cases because we know implants are lucrative. However, patients are also aware of the high cost of implants and may question why they should invest in them. Therefore, instead of focusing on the purpose of dental implants, doctors should focus on guiding the patients. In this case, the patient has a removable denture. We could inquire about their experience with it and discuss the differences between removable and fixed dentures from a professional perspective.

Fany: Regarding this case of patient loss, we actually don’t understand it either. Nurses often say, “Oh, every time I try to schedule an appointment with her, she says she’s too busy or gives various reasons like that.” So, today we will mainly focus on this case, analyzing why customers don’t want to return to our clinic for treatment. First, concerning the formulation of treatment plans, I think any specialized doctor or even a more experienced consultant should be able to understand that there are several treatment options for teeth. We may all know about dental implants and their benefits. But doctors often think about how to make customers accept our treatment plan or even better, accept the ideal treatment plan. I think when doctors communicate with a customer about creating a treatment plan, they should be able to roughly assess what kind of plan the customer needs or what kind of plan they might consider. At this point, they can guide them accordingly.

Many customers may worry about the cost of the treatment plan suggested or guided by our doctors. Some customers may think it’s expensive, but for many, the real concern is whether it’s worth it, not whether it’s expensive. So, for this case, I will provide some details and my thoughts. First of all, I think doctors should address customers by their proper titles during conversations because I believe everyone, no matter the situation, wants to be respected. Therefore, we need to learn to respect others first and establish a good initial impression in the doctor-patient relationship.

Secondly, I feel the time for customer consultation is too short. I often tell our doctors, for example, when I take my child to the hospital, I want to tell the doctor everything, such as when my child started having a fever, when it stopped, what medications they took, etc. But from the dialogue in this case, we found a problem; the time for customer consultation is too short. So, I think we should give customers more time to express their needs or concerns. The more they tell us, the better we can provide suggestions or ideas based on their needs within that short time. Sometimes customers may not like to talk much, so doctors need to know how to ask questions effectively. When it comes to asking questions, there are open-ended and closed-ended questions. Also, we need to create opportunities for nurses to provide service. What does this mean? For example, after a customer finishes an examination, during or after the examination, we might ask them to rinse their mouth. At this time, a nurse might hand them a tissue to wipe their mouth. This kind of service adds value in the customer’s mind.

Additionally, paying attention to small details during examinations is important. For example, when discussing treatment plans, does the light from the dental chair shine on the customer’s face? These small details matter, and I think everyone should pay attention to them. I often think about certain cases, such as whether a customer who spends two minutes with our doctor for an examination and listens to our treatment plan has the same chance of making a decision or spends the same amount as a customer who spends 20 minutes communicating with us and then asks about the price. I think the effects of these two scenarios are different. You can try it out and even conduct a statistical analysis. For example, out of ten customers, how many who only spend two minutes are more likely to make a purchase or spend more compared to those who spend 20 minutes? By giving you enough time to showcase your professional knowledge, you can better explain the details of your treatment plan.

Moreover, it’s not appropriate for doctors to actively seek customers’ phone numbers themselves. Instead, let the nurses do it. For example, the nurse can say, “Our doctor is very skilled in this area of operation, and he has many satisfied customers with high ratings,” etc., and then ask if the customer would like to leave their phone number. Through team cooperation, we can work together to retain this customer.

Above is the analysis of the case. We will provide more case analyses to help your clinic improve customer reception rates in the future.