To quote over the phone or not is one of the most controversial questions that has dogged dentistry for decades!
Over the years, I've flipped between being on the yes side and the no side. But now I've come to the conclusion that it should be a resounding YES!
The fact is, when we make things difficult or confusing for people, they turn away. You may lose the opportunity to convert the lead by being elusive or officious.
In my time at the front desk - well over 20 years - I have taken thousands of phone calls from potential new clients. Some of these new clients were what we used to call 'shoppers'. Shoppers were people that we assumed were simply ringing around for the best or lowest price.
The problem is that because of this assumption, we didn't really understand their needs or engage with them effectively.
On reflection, the so-called shoppers were 90% of the time a lead who really did want to book with us but knew no other way to express interest or start a conversation except to ask about price. The other 10% were actual shoppers looking for bargain basement dentistry.
In this modern era of social media and online reviews, the majority of leads come to you already knowing what to expect. They like what they see and are ready to commit to that first appointment. Our job at the front desk is not to stuff that up!
The answer is... give them a quote but don't do it straight away.
Give them an estimate, a ball-park figure, but only after you have asked them a few questions.
You need to gather information first and begin building a relationship before you quote. The objective is to demonstrate the quality of service and treatment the new client would expect to receive.
More often than not, the fee will not be what they remember about your practice. It will be the way you made them feel.
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