Your waiting room is doing more for your dental business than you can imagine. It’s the first thing people see when they enter your office, and the last thing they see when they leave. Even if you if are doing everything right while patients are in the your dental chair, you may still be losing business because your reception room isn’t designed to welcome patients and make them comfortable.

Here’s how you can improve your waiting room so that it leaves a good first impression, and an even better lasting impression, on your patients.

Make it Comfortable and Appealing

Just like the right dental chair accessories can make long procedures more comfortable for patients, the right reception room can alleviate the pain of long waits in your office. You will eventually run behind, but comfortable furniture will make patients a lot more patient with the long wait. Ask yourself if you would want to sit in your waiting room chairs for more than 15 minutes. If the answer is no, then it’s time to invest in some more comfortable chairs

Studies have shown a positive correlation between aesthetic waiting rooms and the opinions patients have about their doctors’ visits. If you find yourself unsure as to how to decorate your waiting, a sound investment in an interior designer will greatly help your business in the long run. Remember that there are many well-qualified dentists out there, the ones who differentiate themselves the most usually do it with better customer service and a calm, comfortable dental office atmosphere.

Distract Patients

This especially applies to the young patients. If you can, set aside a corner of your waiting room as a play area for children and fill it with toys to keep them occupied. If you can make this a separate room, that is even better. This way, patients with children can wait while not distracting your other patients.

As for adults, you have to get a bit more creative. Subscribing to a dozen or so magazines may have been sufficient decades ago, but this is the 21st century. Most patients will be on their phones when they wait, so the best thing you can offer them is free Wi-FI and ample charging stations to keep their devices working. Some office even go as far as giving tablets to patients or supplying workstations for them to set up and get some work done. Some people will be missing work to come see you, so make the wait worth their while.

Add a Personal Touch

One of the most important aspect of your reception room is naturally going to be your receptionist. No matter how well designed and comfortable your waiting room is, nothing can beat a friendly and personable person to receive patients as they arrive. Work with your receptionist to create a friendly, welcoming and comfortable waiting experience for all of your patients.

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