Empathy is a relationship builder!
May 13, 2022
Empathy is one of the six pillars of exceptional customer service.
In order to create stronger personal connections and create more personal relationships with patients, we must show empathy by working to understand their circumstances.
When we take the time to actively listen to patient concerns and work to understand their needs or circumstances, we are then able to offer personalised solutions to help based on this understanding. We show them that we understand how they feel. We let them know other patients have felt the same way and our solutions can help them get the dentistry they need and deserve.
A few months back I observed a DA who cut down an anxious patient with a passive-aggressive comment. It still haunts me. It made me feel sick at the time and I can only imagine how it effected the patient in the chair.
She said to the anxious female patient, "Man up" and then laughed.
This remark was belittling and rude. In dentistry, perhaps we are so desensitised to the causes of dental anxiety, we don't even realise how often we use dismissive language.
How often have you heard or said "you'll be right", which completely dismisses how the patient feels and prevents any further discussion or understanding.
When we show empathy, our patients will feel
- respected
- that we genuinely care
- that we have listened and acknowledged their concerns
- that we understand their particular situation
- we care enough to take the time to understand them
- we will help them find the best solutions or options to help
Tips to be more empathetic with patients:
- Spend time asking questions to better understand them
- Focus on listening more
- Be understanding, not sympathetic (feeling sorry without helping)
- Allow then to vent or finish talking before offering solutions
- Use your own experiences to empathise and reassure
- Thank them for sharing
- Don't be dismissive of their concerns
- As a team, work to create solutions to the most common patient concerns - create systems and processes
Being empathetic is as easy as saying "thank you for sharing that with me, tell me more about.." followed by reassurance and a solution to ease the concern.
To learn more about creating an exceptional patient experience at Front Desk and with your team, contact Renata or see Module 2 Exceptional Customer Service.
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