Once upon a time, in a bustling city, there was a dentist named Dr. Ernest Flossy. Dr. Flossy had a thriving practice, and patients came from all over the city to receive his expert dental care.
One day, a new patient named Ginger Vitis arrived on time at Dr. Flossy's office for a standard cleaning. She walked up to the front desk and the receptionist gave her a clipboard with paperwork to complete before her appointment.
After completing the paperwork and returning the clipboard to the receptionist, Ginger sat in the lobby and started scrolling on her phone. After a while, she looked up and noticed several other patients were waiting.
She checked the time and realized she had been waiting almost 30 minutes past her scheduled appointment time. She needed to return to work soon and asked the receptionist how much longer it would take.
The receptionist, who had to place another patient on hold to talk to Ginger, politely explained that they were running a bit behind schedule but they would be ready for her as soon as they finished entering her information into the computer.
Like many dental patients who wait more than 20 minutes after check in, Ginger decided she would not return for further care, even before she met Dr. Flossy and his superstar team.
If Dr. Flossy's office had an automated check-in process with paperless intake forms, Ginger may have had a better first impression. Check out our latest article: 10 Ways To Improve The Dental Patient Experience and explore tips to dazzle your dental patients.