By Damien Troy / Special to Healthcare Facilities Today

It’s true - Patient’s first impressions of your dental practice are highly important. After all, you never get a second chance to make a good first impression. Making a good first impression often starts with the look of a modern practice. Take Smile Cliniq Finchley dentist for example. Their facility says they patient’s health and comfort at the heart of what they do.

Comfortable seating area

If you walked into the unpleasant kitchen of a friend who was hosting a dinner party, you wouldn’t want to eat the food about to be served. The same can be said for your dental practice waiting area. Any reception area, no matter how big or small it might be, should give visitors a positive first impression and communicate the right message about your company so keep it clean and comfortable. Similarly, it should set the tone for employees ahead of the working day, as they’ll be flitting around inviting patients into the examination room throughout the day.

Clean and organized

A clean and organized workplace is great for business. A neat and tidy appearance is vital to make a good first impression, and while it may look ‘organized’ to you, consider what patients walking in for appointments see and how it may impact their impression. Additionally, the cleanliness of your reception desk and seating area alike can majorly reflect your practice, brand and future success. That includes odd odors, stained chairs and mud-ridden wooden floors.

Free WiFi, tea and coffee facilities and bottled water

While more often than not, a majority of people are interested in the professionalism of the dentist, others can be swayed by free WiFi and complimentary tea and coffee facilities. So, maybe tea and coffee aren’t the best beverages to offer in your dental practice, but bottled water certainly is.

A good first impression can begin online

Creating a good first impression isn’t limited to the luscious looks of a dental practice’s reception area and friendly faces. You have seconds to make a good impression, and ensuring your online presence is prominent is the first step to attracting new customers, as well as retaining existing ones. Provide visitors with some sort of direction, whether it be what they should do next, or where they should look.  

Greeting patients

Dental practices should certainly not ignore the small details, such as greeting patients politely with a smile when they enter and leave, because a visitor’s first impression is likely to determine whether or not that person becomes a returning patient. Since your receptionist is often the first point of contact a new or returning patient will have with your practice, either by telephone or face-to-face, they should always be greeted in a polite and friendly manner. Saying goodbye is just as important as saying hello. Final impressions are important, too. So before you let your patients flee out of the door, be sure to acknowledge their time and custom.