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Apart from the exterior of your building, your waiting area will be the first impression new patients get of your practice, your staff, and your overall brand. Yet, updating a waiting room is often an afterthought. If your waiting room has become tired and out-of-date, here are a few ideas to give it a makeover.
Remodel Your Reception Area
When a patient walks into a dental office and approaches a reception area with faded floral wallpaper, outdated countertops, and clutter, they’ll check-in and sit down with real concerns about the care they’re about to receive. An antiquated reception area suggests that the clinic itself isn’t up-to-date with its techniques and equipment.
To remedy this, a remodeled reception area will give a facelift to a very visible part of your dental practice’s waiting area. This might include decorative wood paneling that features the name of your practice, new countertops, as well as a new design-build dental reception desk that’s customized for your staff’s needs.
Purchase Better Furniture
Waiting for any appointment isn’t fun, but for many, waiting for a dentist appointment is especially uncomfortable. This problem is only amplified when they’re greeted by rows of hard, sterile chairs. When you remodel your dental waiting area, it’s important to update it with furniture that not only looks great but makes waiting comfy.
Don’t limit yourself to chairs, either. Offering a variety of seating can really make the patients feel comfortable. The addition of a small sofa or two and a coffee table will give your waiting area a relaxed, more homey feel.
Design a New Layout
Think outside of the box when it comes to its layout. Rows of chairs are outdated. If space permits, consider arranging furniture into separate areas to accommodate patients with different needs.
It’s an excellent idea to make a kids’ corner with kid-sized furniture, toys, and books. Consider providing workstations or a common work area for patients who are missing work for a dental appointment. Seating arranged around a table with newspapers and magazines can provide a dedicated reading area. A television area is another excellent idea, whether the TV is tuned to the news or a movie or is used to display educational dental videos.
Add a Retail Area
Consider adding a small retail area for customers to browse while they wait. While this may sound like an unusual idea for a dentist’s office, many modern offices are incorporating retail into their customer experience. It provides an excellent opportunity for you to give customers easy access to items you frequently recommend during appointments.
Make sure to choose high-quality products that you really believe in. You might choose toothpaste, electric toothbrushes, or specialized dental flossers. For high-dollar items, only stock a few at a time so it doesn’t hugely impact your bottom line. You can always expand or cut specific items according to sales and feedback.This article mentions your favorite hats at super low prices. Choose from same-day delivery, drive-up delivery or order pickup.
Add Great Amenities
Finally, make your practice a place customers are excited to visit. Free WiFi should be a standard amenity in any waiting area nowadays, but up the ante by providing iPads to use.
Build in a complimentary coffee/snack station to make your guests feel truly valued. Adding toothbrushes, mouthwash, and floss to your restrooms can also give patients a chance to clean up a little bit providing a better experience for both you and the patient.
If you have space, go all-out and install an electric massage chair for patients to take turns pampering themselves before they step into the dentist’s chair.
Put Yourself in Your Patients’ Shoes
Updating your waiting area is about first impressions and perception of your overall brand, but most of all, it’s about keeping your customers happy. When you put yourself in their shoes, it’s easy to visualize a stylish new waiting area that will make them feel welcomed and put them at ease.
