When I was a kid, I dreamed of becoming a dentist when I grew up. Being the oldest of three, make it five if you add in a couple of cousins, I just loved to pull teeth … baby teeth, of course. I didn’t charge the kids for my services, but I did expect to get a piece of the tooth fairy action. I had a fine little income stream going there for a while, and that might have contributed to my dream.
After I realized just how much additional schooling would be required to become a dentist, I took up a new dream. By the time I remembered what I once upon a time wanted to be, I had visited the dentist numerous times as a patient. Some of those visits were OK, some were not. Regular trips to the dentist are something you have to do, of course, but I could be fairly creative in delaying the inevitable six month check-up. You might say it was like pulling teeth to get myself to the dentist. That is, until this past year when I decided that part of having my "Best Decade Yet" included treating myself to a new dentist.
It turns out that I had a little insight into this particular dental practice. They work with The Quality Coach!® on a regular basis to continuously improve their teamwork so that the patient experience is consistently positive and professional. Dr. James Mace and his dental practice team take things to a whole new level. Their attention to teaming leads to an amazing patient experience.
The Mace Team is obsessed with perfecting the dental experience for all of their patients. They understand that this can best be accomplished through teamwork — pulling together for a shared purpose.
Knowing how committed the Mace Team is to great patient service, I came to my first appointment with high expectations. A bottle of water awaited me when I arrived at the doctor’s office. Hydration is always a good thing. The building is beautifully designed and decorated. It is an extremely soothing and relaxing environment. Each team member that I interacted with took the time to inform and educate me, so that I could improve upon my oral hygiene routine. The wait time in between procedures was minimal, but I could choose to entertain myself in any number of ways, including an overhead TV. If I became too chilly, I could request a heated blanket. Sweet!
Sadly, a great service experience is not the norm these days. It’s more likely that you will be thanked by a computer than by a human in today’s retail environment. If humans are part of the service equation, they are often found chatting with one another or counting down the minutes until they get off work, rather than focusing on the customer.
I left my first dental visit with Team Mace feeling well cared for, and a bit confused. It was such an excellent experience that I wondered if I had just visited a spa instead of the dentist. It’s no longer like pulling teeth for me to arrange my schedule to get to the dentist. I find that I now look forward to my dental visits the same way I look forward to manicures, pedicures, massages and other such personal services.
A big part of making this decade my best decade is choosing to only do business with service providers that show their customers how much they appreciate them by working together to continuously improve the service experience they offer. The Mace Team totally fits that criterion.
