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Greening the Heartland!

Posted on: May 16th, 2012 by admin No Comments

This week I’m off to the Greening the Heartland Conference where I’m looking forward to learning all kinds of new tips and ideas on how to bring better green design to dental offices everywhere!

Today I’m looking forward to learning more about Integrating Wind Energy and learning more about Solar Panels into green buildings for enhanced energy conservation. Also, learning more about a national network on reuse.

I’m sure the day is going to be exhilarating and I’m looking forward to sharing my findings with you here as the week continues!

An Easy Way to Add Zing to Your Dental Office Design

Posted on: May 14th, 2012 by admin No Comments

A recent arrangement of red Gerbera daisies

We really love flowers. We think there is hardly any better way to brighten someone’s day than with a bouquet of bright, fresh flowers. In dental office design planning a spot on the Reception Desk where a bouquet can sit on a regular basis is key to helping insure patients feel welcome when they first enter the office. Plus, an arrangement of fresh flowers in the dental office also helps to put the staff in a brighter mood, too.

Now, we realize that there are downsides to fresh flowers. Many people have allergies that are aggravated by fresh flowers. We regularly send bouquets of red, Gerbera daisies to our clients as “Thank You” gifts and as a way to stay in touch with them; however, we have a couple of offices that we cannot send to because members of their office staff are allergic to flowers. This depresses us, but we try to make up for it by sending them chocolate instead. This solution probably isn’t as good for their teeth.

Take a look at this dental office reception and notice just how much the orchids add to the welcoming and relaxing nature of the reception area. The colors blend together with the branding message seamlessly and really sets the mood for the entire office.

A recent centerpiece for a client

So, if you are looking for a quick and easy way to add some zing to your dental office design, think about how you can incorporate some fresh flowers. You’ll be amazed at how much better of mood everyone will have.

Tags: branding, client experience, customer experience, dental design, dental experience, dental interior design, dental office branding, emotional branding, office design, patient experience
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Do It Right!

Posted on: May 11th, 2012 by admin No Comments

I was at Paradise Bakery the other day and as I was filling my soda cup I observed a young (20 something) employee stuffing napkins into the napkin dispenser to the point that one could not possibly get another napkin into it. I later had to go back to get some more napkins (I’d spilled some of my soda), and found that not only were the napkins crammed into the dispenser to the point that it wouldn’t close properly, but all of the napkins had been put in backwards so they wouldn’t dispense. The other dispenser also had this same problem that they were put in backwards.

Now, my grandfather taught me that anything worth doing was worth doing right. He was also big on doing it right the first time. Grandpa always said it cost more to go back and do something over than to take the time to do it right the first time.

I have to wonder whether not putting the napkins in the dispenser is a case of not caring on the part of the employee or not being taught that there is a right way and a wrong way to load the dispenser. I find so often that employers take things for granted when giving young or new employees tasks. In this case, the manager may well have assumed the employee already understood that the napkins are directional and that the dispenser can only be loaded one way for it to work correctly. But, here again, Grandpa had a saying for this too, in as much as one should never assume. (Grandpa had a lot of sayings.)

This does not, however, excuse cramming too many napkins into the machine whereby it won’t work properly. I’m not sure what that is other than a bad attitude.

Regardless, as employers it is better to take the time to train employees on how things should be done. The training should be based on written Standard Operating Procedures, and new employees should demonstrate competence and understanding of the procedures before being left unsupervised to perform tasks. There should be SOP’s for everything; how to answer the phone, how to greet a patient; how to escort a patient to an operatory, and so on, and so on. In a service business, like a dental office, it doesn’t take long to destroy the patient experience and leave a poor impression. I know my visit to Paradise Bakery was diminished by the frustration of not being able to pull a napkin from the dispenser.

Tags: client experience, customer experience, dental experience, dental office, interior branding, patient experience, practice management
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The Power of a Logo

Posted on: May 9th, 2012 by admin No Comments

Monday evening I went to a live, variety-style production by several performing arts troupes. Typical of live performances ads were sold to help fund the printed program. As I was leafing through the program one ad stood out from all others. The ad was placed by Eli Lilly and Company and all it contained was their iconic, script Lilly logo. Perhaps in other parts of the world this would not be sufficient, but in Lilly’s home town, nothing more needed be said; their logo said it all. Seeing it on the page immediately reminded the reader of the company’s strong presence in the community as a philanthropic leader, major employer, and producer of life saving pharmaceuticals.

Other major companies have similarly powerful logos, such as Apple, Ford, Starbucks, and McDonald’s. Depending upon one’s experience and relationship with the company the logos probably conjure up different emotions and mental images for the viewer.

The important thing to remember is that the logo is not the brand. The logo is merely one physical representation of the brand. When a company does an excellent job of defining, sculpting, and living its brand, in time, the logo can become potent.

We so often hear small business owners say they need a brand and go out and hire a logo created. This is true for many dentists, too. They completely miss that the logo is merely one representation of their brand. A dental offices’ true brand lies in the emotional remembrances of the experiences of the patients that frequent the practice and of the staff that work there. Everything must be working in tandem; the interior design of the dental office; the interaction of patients and staff; the interaction between staff and doctor; the quality of service and care received; and the ease of the transactions to produce one, singular emotional response. This is the dental offices’ brand. If one’s really good at building a brand, over time, seeing the logo will be all that is needed to trigger the desired response.

Tags: branding, client experience, customer experience, dental experience, dental interior design, emotional branding, human interaction, marketing, patient experience
Posted in branding, dental office design, interior branding | No Comments »

Is Your Dental Office As Compelling As A Tavern?

Posted on: May 7th, 2012 by admin No Comments

Little Tavern on the Prairie

You’re driving through the countryside on a narrow, twisting road when on the horizon it appears. The telltale signs of the little tavern on the prairie that you’ve been searching for. You know that inside its 100 plus year old walls awaits mouthwatering cuisine and great wine that you’ve driven so far to reach.

You park in the gravel parking lot and walk in the front door. As soon as you enter, you’re greeted with a big smile and a warm “hello” like you’re a long-lost friend. Immediately, all of the tension from the long day at work and the long drive releases from your shoulders as you sink into the booth and your server begins to describe the evening’s dining options.

Branding is an emotional response. It is the memories of these emotions that people tell their family and friends about when describing a good or bad experience they’ve had. Things like color, texture, shapes, and lighting all help play into the creation of these emotions and thus the brand, but make no mistake, they are not the brand. A logo is not a brand. The human interaction that accompanies the experience is a critical component of creating and shaping the brand. These interactions can either reinforce or teardown the branding message that all of the other components are working to create.

Thinking about your dental office and dental office design, what emotions does it inspire in your patients? Does your dental office design and dental team inspire emotions as compelling as the little tavern on the prairie? Are your patients willing to drive a long distance for their exams because their dental experience has been so positive that they wouldn’t dream of going anywhere else; even so far as to drive past other dental offices to get to yours? If not, why is that?

Tags: branding, client experience, customer experience, dental design, dental experience, dental interior design, dental office branding, dental office design, human interaction, interior branding, office design, patient experience
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A Front Desk or Concierge?

Posted on: May 4th, 2012 by admin No Comments

A Front Desk!?! Thanks to our friends Rich and Dave at Madow Brothers for sharing this tale of a dentist calling his front line staff a “front desk.”

As dental office designers we really believe every dental office deserves a great front desk. After all, this is the first thing patients and guests see when they walk into the practice. In addition to the awesome dental office design and snazzy desk, patients and guests should be greeted with a big, bright smile and a warm and friendly greeting by the Concierge that is seated there. That’s right; we’re big on the concept of receptionist as concierge. Consequently, the concierge’s desk needs to reflect the importance of this role in welcoming patients and making them feel comfortable – think luxury hotel and spa and not institutional office.

Get your concierge out from behind a large, imposing counter and especially out from behind glass and let them interact with the patients. There are many creative ways to design a dental office that still permits the staff person to multitask and remain in compliance with HIPAA regulations. All it takes is a bit of thinking outside of the box and being willing to move away from the same ol’ – same ol’ of dental office reception areas.

Tags: client experience, customer experience, dental design, dental interior design, dental office design, dental office interior design, HIPAA, patient experience
Posted in dental design, dental office design | No Comments »

Let it Pop!

Posted on: May 2nd, 2012 by admin No Comments

Illuminated shower ceiling

We came across this amazing shower yesterday in a plumbing design showroom. The LED lights under the floor and above the ceiling really make this design pop. What signature item do you have in your dental office that makes it stand out from the crowd?

Now, you probably don’t have an illuminated shower in your dental office, and if you did chances are the patients would never see it, but there are other ways to reflect the unique personality and branding message of the office without building an illuminated shower. There is a dental office in Indianapolis that has built its brand around auto racing and is in the process of mounting a real Indy car to the ceiling of the Reception Area. That will certainly give the office a “pop” and solidify its brand.

Another dental office recently has been working on a NASA theme and is wrapping a moonscape throughout the office complete with twinkling stars on the ceiling. Again, a solid use of the dental office design to incorporation the dental office brand.

Not every dental practice needs to go to these lengths with integrating the brand into the dental office design, but surely there is at least one thing every dental office can do to make the office really Pop!

Illuminated shower floor

Tags: branding, dental design, dental interior design, dental office, dental office branding, dental office design, dental practice marketing, interior branding, office design
Posted in branding, dental design, dental office design, interior branding | No Comments »

Say “No” to Windows

Posted on: April 30th, 2012 by admin 3 Comments

Reception Area with Open Counter - No Window

When patients first walk into your dental office, how are they greeted? Is there a bright, smiling face welcoming them or a closed glass window?

Traditionally, it seems the closed glass window that would be slid open to see who had entered the dental office was the norm. We’re not sure why this became the standard, really, except that the closed window allowed the front desk staff to block out conversations from the Reception Area and to keep conversations amongst the from desk staff more private from those waiting patients. However, walking in to a closed glass window certainly isn’t a very friendly reception and gives off an aura of separating “us” from “them.”

In today’s regulatory environment it is sometimes challenging to create a front desk and Reception Area that is both welcoming and inviting and provides the required sound and visual separation necessary to be in compliance. That said, however, in creating a dental office design it is certainly a goal worth striving for. Who really wants to walk into an office and be greeted by a window?

Tags: client experience, customer experience, dental design, dental experience, dental interior design, dental office design, office design, patient experience
Posted in dental design, dental office design, interior design | 3 Comments »

Poem in Your Pocket Day

Posted on: April 27th, 2012 by admin No Comments

Tree along Lake Michigan in Door County Wisconsin

Yesterday was “Poem in Your Pocket Day.” What poem did you carry in your pocket? Did you offer up a poem to your patients that visited your dental office yesterday? One restaurant in NYC tucks a small poem into each carry-out sack for their lunch customers. What a great way to lift someone’s spirits by finding a small surprise in your lunch bag. There are so many simple little ways we can make engaging with patients more personable and more memorable that cost no more than our time to think about them and do a little preparation and the returns are so great I’m amazed more dental practices don’t do more of this. One of the five (5) elements of a strong Interior Branding strategy is to have positive human interaction with patients and staff.

Here is a poem I remember fondly from childhood. Not sure why, exactly, but of all of the poems my classmates and I put into our poetry notebook in fifth grade, this one by Joyce Kilmer has always stuck with me.

Trees

I Tthink that I shall never see

A poem lovely as a tree.

A tree whose hungry mouth is prest

Against the sweet earth’s flowing breast;

A tree that looks at God all day,

And lifts her leafy arms to pray;

A tree that may in summer wear

A nest of robins in her hair;

Upon whose bosom snow has lain;

Who intimately lives with rain.

Poems are made by fools like me,

But only God can make a tree.

by Joyce Kilmer – 1886-1918

Tags: branding, client experience, customer experience, dental experience, human interaction, interior branding, patient experience, Poem In Your Pocket Day, practice management
Posted in branding, interior branding | No Comments »

Are You Preparing for Success?

Posted on: April 25th, 2012 by admin No Comments

We all want to be successful in our businesses. Perhaps, you already feel like your dental practice has achieved your desired level of success, but chances are you and your dental office team are striving for further success and greater challenges.

Our friends over at Addicted2Success have written this great blog that details the top 10 things successful people do prior to reaching the pinnacles of their careers. Whether owning your own dental practice or your own dental office design firm, these words ring true.

The Top 10 Things Successful People Do To Reach Their Dreams

Our bookshelves are lined with habits that successful people do on a daily basis. We read about them and implement them into our routines and practices. Quite often these practices improve our productivity and make our lives better as a result. But that’s not what this article is about. It’s not about what successful people do, but what they did.

Here’s a brief study of 10 things that these hungry and unstoppable people did to see the success they all eventually achieved. more

Tags: client experience, customer experience, dental design, dental experience, dental success, human interaction, practice management
Posted in practice management, Uncategorized | No Comments »

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