Periodic checkups - RE-CALLS

The clinic does not need customers to only remember it but also to visit it once every six months. Therefore, periodic checkups are undoubtedly one of the most important aspects of customer retention. Furthermore, RE-CALLS are considered the most effective marketing tool for a dental clinic, and it is no wonder, this is a fast, focused marketing tool at very low costs.

Why? Because customers who come in for periodic checkups remain loyal and serve as "ambassadors" for the clinic. Moreover, the periodic examination often reveals that they must complete treatments that they have not finished, or have to perform new treatments. Additionally, the checkup includes a dental hygienist and fluorine treatment + x-rays, and this is also a significant income for the clinic. Note that the correct terminology is "checkup" rather than "review". Customers see "periodic reviews" as unnecessary, compared to a "checkup" that is perceived as more important.

The dentist must emphasize the importance of the periodic checkup and even make it a condition for handling the customers' business. It is best for every clinic to focus on those who have not visited it for over six months. Remember! The more time has passed since the customer's last visit, the smaller the chances of his / her return and vice versa. On a strategic level, it is better to work with the group of clients that has not visited the clinic for a period of six months to two years. You do not have to give up on those who have not been to the clinic for the past two years or more. The chances of them returning to the clinic are lower, but what can you lose by trying?
So how do you do this most effectively? First, for each customer who has completed treatment, an appointment must be made in six months for the routine checkup. Second, it is important to pay attention to the wording of the appeal - instead of using the most popular wording "Hey Mr. Smith, you haven't been here for a while, you're invited for a checkup", the following wording should be used: "Mr. Smith, Dr. Jones has gone over your medical file and asked that we call you up to see if everything was all right and schedule a checkup. When would this be convenient for you - in the morning or in the evening? "

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Pay attention to the nuances: First, "Dr. Smith asked," which gives the customer a feeling that the dentist thinks about him personally. Second, it is a "checkup" rather than a review. Third, "to see that everything is alright", a client that tells the receptionist that everything is okay and there is no need for a checkup, should receive the following answer: "Mr. Smith, you have undergone expensive and complex care, medically, such treatments must be followed up. If something is wrong, you should catch it at the beginning to find a quick solution and not wait until it is too late." Very few customers will dismiss such an appeal.
A final and important point without which the RE-CALLS will not be effective, is who carries out the RE-CALLS and when. In an absolute majority of clinics this is done by the receptionist, during the work day, and this is where the problems begin. Suppose there is a shift full of emergencies and delays and the receptionist called Bob and invited him for a periodic checkup but Bob was not in front of his calendar and asked the receptionist to call him later etc.. Of course, this conversation will be missed on that day, and Bob will probably not make it to the checkup.
Telemarketing is Sisyphean and difficult work and in order for it to succeed, it demands a lot of patience, tenacity and focus. While working, telemarketers encounter answering machines, unavailable clients, clients who are in an area without reception, clients who cannot speak at that very moment, clients who are just boarding a plane on the way to a vacation or clients who ask to be called during the following week. Therefore, receptionists, in the middle of a shift, cannot successfully preform telemarketing work, not because they are lazy or without motivation, but because it is impossible to do such work when busy with receiving payments, booking appointments, etc.

In practice, in the vast majority of clinics - the receptionist conducts telemarketing work in the middle of the shift. The result? Customers who answer the phone and are having trouble with their teeth just then, or those with high awareness to the importance of periodic checkups, are happy about the call and make an appointment. But all those which were hard to reach, that needed encouragement to make an appointment for checkups in the first place, fall between the cracks, do not come for checkups, and at the end of the day, disappear from the clinic's database. That's why so many established clinics, which have seen thousands of customers, have so few periodic checkups, and employ a hygienist for a shift and a half a week.

Incidentally, it is very important to note in this context: RE-CALLS are one of the best and most important sources of income for the clinic. The reason for this is that those who come in for periodic checkups need new treatments ("Mr. Smith, it's time to change that brace, its run its course"), and they are active customers who serve as "ambassadors" for the clinic ("Do you know a good dentist?"). But in order for this to happen they first have to visit the clinic and periodic checkups are the best way to bring them in.

In the United States, the subject of RE-CALLS is highly developed and periodic checkups and work done by the dental hygienist is the main source of income for dental clinics. In other countries, compared to this, many clinics dream about the "new customer" and neglect the preservation of the existing customers. This, with the exception of a small percentage of clinics that work correctly, mainly periodontists clinics, which produce relatively high outputs of periodic checkups and dental work. Paradoxically, the way to reach an effective customer retention system for the clinic - a large number of periodic checkups and many full shifts for the dental hygienist, It's not only easy, it's even cheap - recruiting a telemarketer for a part-time position, who will focus exclusively on RE-CALLS, will lead to clients streaming into the clinic.

The telemarketer should "dig" into the clinic's entire reservoir – and find those who have not arrived at the clinic for the past six months or more, or even those who did not arrive at the clinic during the last few years, and call them in for an examination. I can tell you from experience, the results produced by the dedicated telemarketer can be amazing. Of course, part of the database may no longer be relevant (the customers have moved away, etc.), but what can you lose by picking up a phone, and at the same time updating the database?

There are also many surprises - we encountered quite a few customers who did not visit a clinic for many years, who returned for checkups, and also underwent expensive treatments.
Some technical matters are important in order for telemarketing to be effective. First, choose the right telemarketers. Telemarketing is a profession and not everyone can do it well - it's mostly appropriate for Pensioners or students. Second, usually the scope of the position is 3-4 nights a week between the hours of 16: 00 and 20: 00, so the maximum monthly salary will be 64 hours per month (less than a part time position) and would not burden the clinic financially.
In some cases, when the clinic cannot recruit a designated telemarketer for some reason, or when there is an interest in increasing the receptionist's or assistant's working hours, it is possible that the they do the telemarketing work, but on the condition that this is not done during the clinic's regular hours. This is a less recommended option, but in some cases can prove to be successful.