The holidays are the perfect time of year to show your patients how much they mean to your practice. You most likely end every appointment by sending patients home with a goodie bag full of home care essentials, so this is a perfect time to give a little more substantial.
However, before you decide on another standard take home gift, you should consider gifting patients with an extra in-office procedure when they come in for their regular hygiene appointment. This will benefit your practice in two ways:
- Current patients will enjoy getting additional services at no cost and form an even stronger relationship with your office
- You can advertise this special to attract new patients and immediately form a positive association with them
When it comes to nurturing relationships with patients, having them in your office and interacting with you is far more effective than a take home gift that they may or may not use. With additional chair time you get more time to build a rapport and convince them that your office is the perfect place for them to receive continued dental care.
Plus, unless your schedule is full to bursting with patients, having a giveaway that works double duty as a new patient acquisition tool can offer some relief to your team’s workload. You won’t need to run two separate programs for current and new patients. Instead you can enjoy the spirit of the holidays and patients’ happiness.
So what are these in-office gifts you can give?
X-rays – some patients avoid paying for these until they have a problem they can’t ignore. Give them some peace of mind by confirming that they’re just as healthy under the surface as they are on top of it.
Whitening – you’d be hard pressed to find someone who doesn’t want a whiter smile, but it’s a little easier to find someone who doesn’t want to pay extra for it. Give patients the gift they won’t give themselves.
Fluoride varnish – for patients with sensitive teeth this could be a holiday saver. With the de-sensitizing effects of fluoride varnish they won’t need to worry about eating or drinking their holiday favorites.
Sealants – have some cavity prone patients? Sealants offer a great way to protect their teeth from future decay better than just regular brushing alone.
No matter which procedure you choose, just remember why you’re doing it: to give patients the best possible experience in your office and to show that you care about your relationship with them. With those intentions you’ll have a practice full of happy patients who’ll want to keep coming back.
Enjoy the holiday season!
