Do you quote 'shoppers' over the phone? Here's why you should!

To quote over the phone or not is one of the most controversial questions that has dogged dentistry for decades! 

Over the years, I've flipped between being on the yes side and the no side.  But now I've come to the conclusion that it should be a resounding YES! and I'll tell you why.

The fact is, when we make things difficult or confusing for people, they turn away.  You may lose the opportunity to convert the lead by being elusive or officious. But there is one caveat. 

In my time at the front desk, and that's well over 20 years, I have taken thousands of phone calls from potential new clients as well as existing clients.  Some of these new clients were what we used to call 'shoppers'. (These days, we refer to all potential new clients as leads). 

Shoppers were people that we assumed were simply ringing around for the best or lowest price.  The problem is that because of this assumption and labelling them as shoppers, we didn't really understand their needs or engage with them effectively. Therefore, most of these shoppers - whether we quoted or not, often didn't schedule an appointment. The cycle ended when we dismissed them as 'just shoppers' and got on with our day.

Thinking back to this, we deserve the biggest face palm we could give ourselves.

On reflection, the shoppers as we saw them, were 90% of the time a lead who really did want to book with us but knew no other way to express interest or start a conversation except to ask about price.  The other 10% were actual shoppers looking for bargain basement dentistry.

In this modern era of social media and online reviews, the majority of leads come to you already knowing for the most part, what to expect.  They like what they see and are ready to commit to that first appointment.  Our job at the front desk is not to stuff that up! We should be welcoming, enthusiastic and appreciative as well as informative and helpful.

But what do we do if the lead asks for a quote for treatment at the beginning of the phone call?

The answer is... give them a quote but don't do it straight away.

The caveat is that you will give them an estimate, a ball-park figure but only after you have asked them a few questions.

If you recall that most of these so-called shoppers are really interested new clients who don't know what else to ask to get the ball rolling, you need to avoid answering the question out-right now or worse, saying "We can't give quotes until the dentist blah blah blah".

I'm suggesting you gather information first and begin building a relationship before you quote.

The 10% of true shoppers will stop you right here, abruptly and sometimes quite rudely. You need to be prepared for these people. Frankly, these 10% will go on to make your lives hell once they’re in your practice so filtering them out now is a blessing in disguise. Let them be someone else's nightmare patient and bad debt.

This is how the conversation should play out:

Lead: "Hi, I was wondering how much a filling is?"

Front desk: "I'd love to help you with that! May I ask your name so I can bring up your file?"

"It's Emily Smith but I don't have a file, this would be my first visit"

"Oh, in that case Emily, welcome! I'd like to ask a few questions so I can better answer your query, is that ok?"

"Sure"

"Wonderful, thank you. Is there something in particular that prompted you to call?"

"I think I need a filling on a back tooth"

"Can you tell me what you've been experiencing?"

"It's a little sensitive to cold things"

"How long has it been concerning you?"

"A few weeks now, I'm just worried it may get worse"

"I understand, you've done the right thing by calling and wanting to have it looked at"

"So how much would it cost to get it fixed?"

"You can expect to pay anywhere from $120 upwards for a filling, less if you have insurance.  Emily, can I ask when was the last time you saw a dentist?"

From here, I continue the conversation, gathering more information which leads to encouraging the person to schedule for a comprehensive exam and assessment of the concern.  (NB If the new client is in pain, I would schedule them for treatment to alleviate their pain first).

What we need to do on these phone calls, is to have a conversation. These are people who need your help. There is a problem that needs a solution.  You need to find out why the client is calling, uncover what their issues are and begin to offer some information.

You are doing what nobody else would do - talk to them, help them rather than see them as a nuisance or something to be wary of.  

Of course, the treatment they ask about will differ.

"My old dentist said I need a crown but he wanted to charge $1600.  How much do you charge?"

Guess what, you charge $1800. What will you say? You can't compete on price so you must subtly 'sell' your dentist, their expertise, the quality of treatment, exceptional service and other benefits to the client. 

"Can you tell me a little about this tooth? Why do you think it needs a crown?"

"There's a big silver filling on it and he thinks it might break"

"You know, that can happen.  Our dentist Dr Jones has replaced many old silver fillings before they break so if that's the case, it sounds like a good idea.  May I ask, is there a reason why you're looking for a new dentist?"

"I'm just not sure that I want to pay that much for a crown"

"I understand, it can seem a lot for one tooth.  The great thing about crowns are is that they protect and strengthen the tooth and it sounds like you really want to keep that tooth but the fee worries you"

"Yes, so how much do you charge?"

"We offer 4 payments of around $450 or an interest free plan over 6 months.  Our crowns are same-day so only one visit is required rather than two.  The usual fee is around $1700 - $1900.  I can offer you a complimentary consultation with Dr Jones this Wednesday to assess the tooth. Will that be convenient?"

You may get this reply:

"You've been helpful but I think I'll check with a few more dentists"

"Certainly, please do.  It was a pleasure speaking with you and we'd be more than happy to have you as client here.  Please feel free to give us a call to schedule that time.  In the meantime, I can send you some information about our convenient same-day crowns.  May I have your email address?"

Not all phone calls will end with an appointment.

The objective is to demonstrate the quality of service and treatment the new client would expect to receive.

Wow them with an exceptional experience because more often than not, the fee will not be what they remember about your practice.

It will be the way you made them feel.

So when they have a mediocre experience on the next call, guess who they’ll decide to call back?

COMING SOON

New Client Phone Call Short Course

Subscribe to join the community and receive notifications of new courses.