Creating a culture of referrals through Patient Surveys

The purpose of the Patient Survey is to reinforce the patient’s positive experiences with your dental practice and create a culture of referring based upon those positive experiences.

1. BOMA provides the survey and preaddressed envelopes. Please place a 1st class stamp on the envelopes.
2. Hand out the survey with an envelope to every patient possible for the first 3-6 months. Important: Ask “What did you like about our practice?” when handing out the survey. Do NOT focus on what needs improvement or what can be improved.
3. Completed surveys are mailed to our office so that the patient feels as though they are bragging about your practice to a third party. ALL mailed in surveys are reviewed and the ones with comments are brought back to your office.
4. Positive surveys will be shared with the entire practice. Those surveys that include the optional patient name should be called and thanked for their positive comments. The phone call is a positive one and cements the relationship with the patient and the fact that they have written how they feel about the practice makes it easier for them to verbally repeat the positive statements.
5. During the thank you phone call the patient should also be asked for permission to place the positive comments in a notebook in the reception area for other patients to see and to reassure new patients as they come to the practice for the first time.
6. Place the positive surveys in a notebook in the reception area – preferably in sheet protectors so they last. Put a cover/title on the notebook like “What our patients are saying about us” or “We love our patients” or “Our Patient Brag Book” or something similar.
7. Later, as appropriate, the patients may be called again to thank them for the positive impact their comments have made and ask permission to place their comments on the practice website or in an advertising piece.

Patients through this process become Champions for the practice. They realize that they are promoting the practice and their relationship is strengthened for referring additional patients as well as accepting treatment and having better overall dental health.