Dr Phillip Palmer, September 2015 -  

I recently heard a local businessman compare his customers’ behaviour to that of pets…dogs, cats and birds. He exclaimed (quite complimentarily, I might add) … that I was a dog customer. My first instinct was to be offended…until he explained the analogy, and I started understanding what he meant. I started thinking about this analogy and how it translates to dental businesses and client retention…let me explain.

There are four reasons why a person chooses to frequent a business:

• Personality – the person frequents a business because they feel a rapport with and loyalty to the proprietor.
• Quality – the product is of such a noticeable difference that it brings people back again and again.
• Location – the person wants to frequent a business close to their home or work, or near their children’s school. They want the whole process to be easy, and not take too much time out of their day.
• Price –The person goes where they get the best – or cheapest – deal.

In dentistry, as with other businesses, one of these will always be dominant in patient behaviour and will act as the main persuading factor when choosing a practice. These reasons correspond to the personality traits that dogs, cats and birds are well known for.

“Dog” Patients

The strong bond between dogs and their owners is well known. Dogs are loyal animals - once they have rapport with their owner, they stick with that owner through thick and thin and are in it for the long haul.  They are faithful and reliable, as long as they have a little love and nurturing.

“Dog” patients are the ones that are want a relationship with their dentist. They choose their dentist based on personality and rapport, and have a trust in and loyalty with their dentist that means that their relationship and custom will survive:

Premises relocation, even if it is a hassle to get to the new location. I know of many people who have immigrated, yet still come back to see their dentists for any significant dental work, many years after they’ve left.
Price hikes and big treatment plans. These patients make regular visits, keep appointments and refer friends. Why? Because they trust that you have their best interest at heart when you make a diagnosis or suggest a treatment.

“Cat” Patients

Cats are known to be loving, good companions, but are also territorial and like to be made a fuss of. They want to be made a priority and want you to come to them, not the other way around.

“Cat” patients want a relationship with their dentist too. However, they choose on the basis of quality (pampering) and location. They might tell you how happy they are with their treatment, but don’t mistake this for loyalty. They know what the balance of power is – they don’t need you as much as you need them. They can easily walk away, and will, the minute someone else is showing them more love, or they feel they are making too much effort with you.

“Bird” Patients

Birds are opportunistic creatures - they circle overhead and swoop down to take and eat what is easily available.

“Bird” patients are those that will look out for the best deal, regardless of who the dentist is, and choose their dentist on the basis of price. They are the segment of the general public that responds to preferred providers, shopper dockets, group on vouchers, no-gap, dollar a day dental plans, etc.

Our challenge

It is obvious which of these types is the least desirable and which is the most. Patients that are choosing you on the basis of price are the most fickle, and the most easily poached by another practice with a better deal. The patients that are coming to you because of your personality are obviously the most valuable. From a business perspective, they don’t require pampering or discounted dentistry to stay, and are reliable and trust you enough to accept the treatment you deem that they need.

The problem is that while many of us can build rapport, given a chance, it is very difficult to have a personality so magnetic that it draws new customers and patients in off the street. People choose you first on the basis of price, quality and convenience. They start off as “birds” and “cats”…

The challenge as business/practice owners is to take patients that are choosing you because of convenience, price and quality and convert them into loyal fans who are staying because of their rapport with you and your staff. Your success in doing this will be directly correlated to your communication skills with new patients.