A dirty doormat damages your credibility

The practice I mentioned last week with the old tatty magazines also looked terrible from outside.

The doormat was filthy, there were cobwebs around the front door, the windows were dirty, there were weeds along the paths and the gardens were overgrown. Finally there was a fountain that was full of green sludge.

Patients have no real way of assessing if you sterilise your instruments properly. Therefore they make that judgment based on things they see around them.

Based on the exterior of the practice in question the dentist was sending four clear messages:

• They don't give a s#@t.

• They don't pay attention to details.

• They are unobservant.

• And, finally and by far the worst — they couldn't care less about cleanliness.

If these are the messages you want to send to patients then by all means have a dirty doormat.

But, if you would like to be in the top 5% of dentists then the exterior of your practice must be spotlessly clean. You should walk in the front door of your practice at least once a week and look at it with fresh eyes.

What are you waiting for? Go and have a look at your doormat right now!