Ginny Hegarty

Business owners everywhere are unhappy when social networking interferes with work. Here’s an example of the tables being turned for one potential employee who may have tweeted himself out of a job:

POST: “Cisco just offered me a job! Now I have to weigh the utility of a fatty paycheck against the daily commute to San Jose and hating the work.” “TheConnor” Twitter
RESPONSE: “Who is the hiring manager? I’m sure they would love to know that you will hate the work. We here at Cisco are versed in the web.”

I left home at 6:00 am for an on-site visit with a client today and at nearly 6:00 pm I’m about 30 minutes from home and hungry. I see a Chick-fil-A up ahead and decide to stop. If you check my post in mid-January you’ll read about the commitment that this company has to fine service and exceeding expectations. I figured I’d get dinner and also see if my great experience in January was a fluke. The wait in the drive-through line was longer than I expected and I was beginning to think that even the best intentions don’t always translate into great performance. As I reached the window to pay, I was greeted with an apology for the longer than usual wait and given a courtesy card for a free meal at my next visit. Wow! They exceeded my expectations once again. I think this company is real deal.

The take away for your dental practice: Customers / patients don’t expect you to be perfect every time - but they do expect you to be aware and to care. Service recovery strategies can save the day. Is your team empowered to turn your patients into raving fans?

Food for Thought:

“If you took the twenty smartest people out of Microsoft, it would be an insignificant company.” - Bill Gates identified Microsoft’s Core Competency as HIRING.

“Plans don’t accomplish anything, either. Theories of management don’t much matter. Endeavors succeed or fail because of the people involved. Only by attracting the best people will you accomplish great deeds.” - Colin Powell

I hear you! You read the last post about Zappo’s and said core values, more fluff, more distraction, more meetings, more talk of soft skills, No thank you! CAN I PLEASE JUST DO DENTISTRY?

The reality is that you’ll be doing more dentistry - and more of the dentistry you love - if you can get your staff to work together like a world-class team to provide the five-star service that creates raving fans for your practice. Fans who wouldn’t dream of going elsewhere for their dental care.

According to the Gallop Organization, these raving fans will have a 40% less attrition rate and spend 67% more over time than customers who are simply “satisfied” with the care and service they receive. Ritz-Carlton, Zappo’s and Chick-fil-A have embraced this notion that people like to be treated exceptionally well and they will favor businesses that make them feel special.

If you think establishing core values, a practice philosophy of care and service and developing great working relationships is sounding better, give us a call. Our one-day workshop will bring out the very best in your team members and be the catalyst for positive growth and change for the practice. Ginny@GinnyHegarty.com / 610-873-8404

Zappo’s, the Las Vegas based e-commerce shoe retailer’s site’s debut at No. 23 makes it the highest-ranking newcomer on the list of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in Fortune’s February 2009 Issue. Zappo’s inspirational leader believes that his company’s core values are the reason for it’s success.

Job No. 1 is for all reps “to delight callers.” Also included in his Top Ten Commandments: Pursue Growth & Learning, Create Fun, Deliver “Wow Through Service”, Be Humble, and Build Open and Honest Relationships Through Communication.

As Fortune Magazine says “Zappo’s Knows How To Kick It.” This is great advice if you’re selling shoes or changing people’s lives while providing great dental care.

How will a global economy affect dentistry? Check out page 15 in Geoff Colvin’s new book, Talent is Overrated and prepare for a wake-up call. “You might suppose, for example, that dentists will always have to be where their patients are. Not so. Many consumers in Britain, where dentistry is a much-criticized part of the National Health Service, are taking low-fare flights to Poland to get their dental work done by well-trained dentists who charge bargain prices. If you think your job isn’t exportable, you may be right – but think about it hard before you relax.”

World-class care has taken on a whole new meaning. This is both a wake-up call and a fabulous opportunity – a game changer for exceptional practitioner.

Many thanks to my friend Greg Drevenstedt at Valmont Research for this info:

“The Chinese zodiac is based on a 12-year cycle, with each year represented by an animal. Each animal has a different personality and a different set of characteristics. The animal associated with a person’s birthyear is believed to influence their traits, success, and happiness in their lifetime.

2009 is the Year of the Ox. According to Wikipedia, characteristics of those born in Ox years (2009, 1997, 1985, 1973, 1961, 1949, 1937, 1925, 1913, 1901) may include: Dependable, calm, methodical, patient, hardworking, ambitious, conventional, steady, modest, logical, resolute, and tenacious.”

We would all do well to practice these characteristics as we welcome the New Year. Health, happiness and prosperity to all!

This classified ad for a Team Leader is currently on the web:
“You’ll be responsible for developing the team, and individual team members, to meet and exceed customer demand and expectations. The ideal candidate must be results oriented, have strong verbal and written communication and interpersonal skills, the ability to build and maintain positive working relationships at all levels, a passion for excellence, and familiarity with continuous improvement concepts.”

Would you believe that Chick-fil-A is the company behind this ad? You would if you’ve visited Chick-fil-A lately. After visiting a new franchise in our neighborhood, my son Dan called to say, “You have to drive down here, you’re going to love this.” Here’s how I was greeted: “Hello, my name is Josh, may I take your order please?” ..“My pleasure, please come around to the next window where Amy will be happy to serve you.” After thanking Amy for my lunch, she also replied “My pleasure.” Great service, servers who identify themselves and set themselves apart with high energy and above average manners. This was a far cry from the “do you want fries with that” stereotype of fast-food restaurants. I’ve come to learn that Chick-fil-A’s CEO, Truett Cathy was inspired by the Ritz Carlton hotel chain when he chose his restaurant’s trademark phrase, “My pleasure”. Mr. Cathy is dedicated to inspiring others to leave a positive impression on the people they meet. It sure worked for me.

15 Reasons Mr. Rogers Was The Best Neighbor Ever

Even Koko the Gorilla loved him. Most people have heard of Koko, the Stanford-educated gorilla who could speak about 1000 words in American Sign Language, and understand about 2000 in English.

What most people don’t know, however, is that Koko was an avid Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood fan. As Esquire reported, when Fred Rogers took a trip out to meet Koko for his show, not only did she immediately wrap her arms around him and embrace him, she did what she’d always seen him do onscreen: she proceeded to take his shoes off!

Read the full article: Fred Rodgers http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/wayoflife/07/28/mf.mrrogers.neighbor/index.html?imw=Y&iref=mpstoryemail

Now more than ever it’s essential that you and your team focus on the fundamentals that will create success for your practice.

Stop looking for the next secret to success or magic bullet that will transform your practice.

There are no more secrets; there are just good habits and old-fashioned work.

So, get to work doing what most every successful business does exceptionally well – the basics…

Read my full article on Dental Products Report website: http://www.dentalproductsreport.com/articles/show/dpr1008_pm_fundamentals