Technology Fueled Great Customer Service

There are two things that I really appreciate: technology and really good customer service. During a trip to my dentist I discovered both working together in an unexpected way.

I didn’t go to the dentist for several years. They’re scary, they have a history of putting sharp instruments in my mouth, and…they’re scary. However, at the urging of a coworker whose wife is a hygienist, I scheduled an appointment with his promise that everything would be okay.

The day arrived. I walked to the door, convinced myself that it was safe to go inside, and stepped through the door. I was greeted by the most friendly front desk person I have ever met.  

I watched her greet the people walking in the door behind me by name. What a nice person, with a really good memory. How can she remember these people she only sees every 6 months? My first thought was that they must be old friends, but she did it with everyone. Her friendly exchanges started easing my anxiety.

Much of the initial cleaning was what I expected. At one point though, she used a tool to take photos of my teeth that immediately popped up on the computer screen at her work station. Maybe the dentist won’t have to unhinge my jaw to look at my back teeth. Very cool, I thought.

Then she used the little camera to do something else. She took a photo of me. A mug shot to go into the system. A light bulb went off. I remembered the lady at the front desk greeting everyone by name. That’s how she does it. She looks at the chart of the incoming patients-with their tooth camera mug shots-and greets them warmly to help them feel more at ease.  

I’ve been going there for a few years now, and she always greets me by name. I smile knowingly, and return her greeting.

They use technology in several other ways, but this one was a clever way to provide better customer service. I liked it so much that I borrowed their technique when I was doing outside sales.

With every new contact I made, I would google their name to find a photo of them (which is much easier in a social media world). I would add it to their contact information, so I could put a face with a name and a voice when we talked on the phone. This made them more real to me.

I also used the notes section of their contact card to keep record of our conversations. Before walking into their office I would look at their photo, the details of our previous conversations, and the talking points I wanted to remember. It helped me remember details and connect with my customers better.