Building long-lasting patient relationships ensures that you’ll continue to have patients for years to come. In addition, the more loyal a patient is, the more likely they are to recommend your practice to other people, which means that you’re more likely to get more patients.

There are many factors affecting customer loyalty for dental practices, and you need to know how best to take advantage of them to improve your relationships with patients and keep your patients happy and coming back for all their dentistry needs.

1. Your Relationship with Your Patient

Case studies have shown that there’s a positive correlation between good patient relationships and loyalty. Relationship marketing can really help your patients feel appreciated and make them more likely to return for additional services.

If you want to build strong relationships with your patients then:

• Listen carefully to their needs and address any concerns
• Take note of any details they tell you about their life and ask about them later
• Follow up with your patients after appointments
• Offer friendly service

The best case scenario is to wow your patient at their bi-annual cleaning so that they tell their family and friends about your outstanding service and even come back for more dental services, like crowns, veneers, or whatever they need.

2. Loyalty Programs

Loyalty programs are excellent ways to improve customer retention long term. These programs reward patients for sticking with your practice. The longer they’re a patient, the better the rewards.

Rewards can include a range of things, such as free cleanings, discounts, or even branded merchandise. Deciding on and advertising rewards can help you attract more patients — and keep them coming back.

At Dental Intelligence, we can help you set up your Patient Loyalty Program and build your practice. Patients can build up reward points for doing various things — for example, filling out their paperwork — which they can then cash in for prizes in one convenient platform.

3. The Convenience of Your Service

Even if a patient loves your service, they might not stick around if it isn’t convenient. People already have a lot to worry about in their days; they don’t want to also be worrying about how to set up a dental appointment or schedule a payment.

The more convenient your services are, the more likely patients are to stick with your practice. Consider doing the following:

• Setting up an online payment system that’s easy to access such as Dental Intelligence Payments
• Setting up Virtual Check-In to streamline the process
• Creating an easy-to-use online scheduling system like Dental Intelligence Online Scheduling

4. The Quality of Your Dental Services

You could have a fantastic loyalty program, incredibly convenient appointment times, and a great bedside manner — but it won’t matter if you don’t have good service.

Solid patient care is probably one of the number one factors affecting customer loyalty. If your patients know that you’ll do good work and take care of their oral health, then they’re more likely to keep coming back.

Focus on providing the best dental care possible. Make sure you use up-to-date equipment, pay close attention to your work, and do what you can to alleviate anxieties.

5. Patient Engagement

Patients want to know that you hear their concerns. Engaging with patients outside of your office can be an excellent way to reassure them that you understand and will address their needs. In addition, you can use the opportunity to build a friendly rapport with them.

Using social media is one of the best ways to engage with your patients. Respond to any comments that people leave, either thanking them or letting them know that you hear their concerns. In addition, encourage engagement by creating posts that ask for them to share stories about their experiences.

Increase Customer Loyalty with Digital Solutions for Dentists

Having loyal patients means you can worry less about the state of your business. By building patient loyalty, you’ll have a much easier time attracting and retaining new patients. Make sure you offer good service, amazing loyalty rewards, and listen to your patients.

At Dental Intelligence, we have a thorough understanding of the factors affecting customer loyalty. Our goal is to help you improve patient retention and grow your practice. Schedule a demo to see our Patient Loyalty Program and other features in action.

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