Are you plain vanilla?

Every time I fly I get a cheery email from the airline asking something like "How was your flight?" that invites me to fill in a survey.

Years ago I used to fill in the surveys and offer constructive suggestions. Now I don't bother. The suggestions are never read as far as I can tell. Asking for suggestions is just a marketing ploy so that the airline can pretend that they care.

The only differences I find between the airlines are the colour of the uniforms and the paint job on the aircraft. Apart from that they're all the same. Which leads me on to dentistry.

In your practice the things that make you memorable for your patients are not the things you do that are the same as all other dentists – it's the things you do that are different.

Like, for example, having an espresso machine, or baking fresh muffins each day, or offering a hot towel at the end of treatment, or even something as simple and low cost as standing up and shaking a patient's hand when they enter the room.

Years ago an airline used to give out Lindt chocolates after the meal service. It was very small thing but it made me feel good about them.

What things do you do that are different from other dentists? People tell me that the dental environment is much more competitive today, yet I visit practice after practice where they do nothing different or memorable.

Do you do anything different or are you just plain vanilla?