Projecting an image of quality

Now that things are opening up again in Melbourne it’s good to be able to get out and about and visit the shops. At our biggest shopping centre they have an Apple Store and I always marvel at what a beautiful environment it is.

Most stores are nice but Apple takes it to the next level. Everything is “perfect”, from the lighting, to the furniture, to the colours, to the layout.

You could look at the Apple Store and say it is just a retail establishment but the net effect is deeper. They are making a statement about the quality of their products.

Apple charge premium prices and the purchase experience reflects that.

Most people cannot accurately and objectively assess the quality of a computer or phone, so they make that assessment based on the “packaging” around the product.

I reckon that the same applies to dentistry.

A really well designed and laid out practice says a lot about the dentist(s) who work there.

That’s why it always amazes and disappoints me when I visit a dental practice and find shabby furniture, posters blue-tacked to the walls and old dog-eared magazines. They are making a statement about themselves, but in a negative way.

Have you had a good hard look at your work environment lately? What greets a patient when they come in the door? What impression do they get sitting in the waiting room? Have you thought about the statement it makes about you?

Small, inexpensive changes can mean a lot.

A bit of decluttering, some new furniture, some fresh paint and you could change people’s initial perceptions of you.