478: Getting Out of PPOs By Blowing Up the Box - Debra Engelhardt-Nash - a podcast by ACT Dental

from 2022-09-28T03:00

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Getting Out of PPOs By Blowing Up the Box

Episode #478 with Debra Engelhardt-Nash

Thinking outside the box is great. But why not get rid of the box? And to help you start thinking beyond the ordinary, Kirk Behrendt brings in Debra Engelhardt-Nash, practice management expert and co-founder of The Nash Institute. Go above and beyond to exceed your patients’ expectations, improve their experience, and increase revenue! To learn more about out-of-the-box thinking, listen to Episode 478 of The Best Practices Show!

Episode Resources:


Main Takeaways:

Go above and beyond what's usual and customary in dentistry.

Respond to patient questions with above-usual answers.

Give patients information to help their decision-making.

Build relationships with patients as quickly as possible.

Always tell patients about everything you offer.

Quotes:

“If we’re going to change our behavior, if we want to behave in an above-usual and customary way, if we don't want to do things usually and customarily, then get rid of the box that we pigeonhole dental practices in, ‘We have to do it this way because this is how dental offices do it.’ Do it your way.” (2:51—3:11)

“Patients expect certain things in offices. They expect a toothbrush at their hygiene appointment. They expect to be re-called. They expect cleanliness. They expect sterilization techniques. That's expected. And then, there's what we call augmented behavior. So, augmented behavior is, what do we do that’s usual, but we do it in an unusual way, we do it in an above-performance way?” (3:15—3:40)

“Let's talk about the little bag. Sometimes, the patient comes in, they're paying $200 to $300 or more for a re-care, and you give them this little plastic bag that, frankly, looks like a dog poop bag. You know that plastic bag that doesn't cost you anything? You might have gotten it free from Crest or Colgate or somebody, and it’s the kind of bag I use when I walk my dog. So, think about, what can we do that would be exceptional and people say, ‘Man, when I go to my dentist, I get this kind of bag’?” (4:16—4:47)

“When patients say, ‘Well, my insurance company says that your fees are above usual and customary. My insurance says that your fees are higher than the fees that they're going to allow,’ my answer would be, ‘I'm so glad you've given me an opportunity to address that. Because I am sure that we have demonstrated that our behavior and our abilities and our professionalism, our techniques, our materials, are above usual and customary. We would never want to be considered usual and customary. We always want to be considered above usual and customary, and some of the things that we do are not recognized by your

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