Millennials make up ¼ of the U.S. population, with a total of 77 million (Nielsen).  Dentists looking for potential patients, that is a huge market segment that you can’t ignore.

However, reeling in millennial patients isn’t as easy as having your practice phone number in the yellow pages. We also have access to more information than any previous generation, so it’s no wonder we want to “know it all” before making a decision.

I’m going to take you through my journey of choosing a new dentist. I can’t say that every millennial would go about choosing a dentist in the same way that I did, but studies show the average millennial will search for new products and services in a similar manner.

They say your birthdays become less fun each year after you turn 21, and while life continues to get better, I’d have to agree with that sentiment. This year I got to experience turning the glorious age of 26.

Three exciting things happened for my 26th birthday:

1. I lost my dental insurance (thanks, Dad… it was good while it lasted).
2. Our sweet dog, Bernie, jumped up in excitement and chipped my front tooth.
3. My boyfriend and I went on a trip to New Orleans to celebrate (my birthday, not the chipped tooth).

Unfortunately, the order of the above-mentioned exciting things is where this millennial’s story of finding a new dentist begins. Our flight to New Orleans was leaving the next day and I didn’t want a chipped tooth to stop me from enjoying the trip.  We were planning on celebrating my birthday and also attending WWE’s Wrestlemania. I bet you didn’t see that one coming. 😉

In my frantic search for a dentist, I had two very different experiences with two very different outcomes. You may wonder, “Why did you need to find a new dentist? Didn’t you already have a dentist?” Let me explain…

My First Dentist

I’d always gone to the dentist that my parents took me to while I was growing up. From my very first exam as a small child, through cleanings, fillings, sealants, and ortho, this man was my go-to dentist.

Even after I left for college, I’d drive back to my hometown dentist. It wasn’t convenient, but let’s face it, looking for a new dentist wasn’t on the top of my priority list. And let’s be honest… I was still counting on my parents to schedule my appointments for me.

The Search Begins

I live about an hour away from my childhood home and I decided that it would be easiest for me to choose a new dentist in my current town once my insurance expired. Obviously, I thought I’d have ample time to decide, but when my dog’s big head collided with my mouth, that time had come. I was in desperate need of a dentist, and fast! The search was on.

My Process

I have a process I follow when researching something for the first time:

Ask friends and family for a referral. 95% of millennials believe friends are the most
credible source of product information (SocialChorus), and I’m no different.
Follow up with a Google Search looking at:  Location, website, reviews, availability

Facebook research. I love getting a feel for a place and their brand/practice values before stepping foot into a building.
Last resort….

The actual phone call. And honestly, I’d avoid this step if I could.

ASK —> GOOGLE —> FACEBOOK —> CALL

DENTIST #1

Ask: My boyfriend seemed to like his dentist well enough so I started there, but I have to say… my first impressions weren’t that great.

Google: When I researched my boyfriend’s dentist on Google, their website was pretty good, but it didn’t blow me away. It was aesthetically pleasing, had a list of their services and offers, but it was full of stock photos. The only real photo was of the dentist and it reminded me of elementary school photos. You know… when you got to choose your favorite colored background and had to tilt your head ever so slightly to the right?

Facebook: I then checked the practice Facebook page. The last post was from a few months prior, and it looked like every other “Are you brushing your teeth correctly” blog that I’ve seen a million times before. Disclaimer: This may be one area that I pay attention to more than other millennials. As a social media strategist at Rita Zamora Connections, it is my job, after all. But I truly didn’t feel like I got a good sense of the practice environment.

Call: Unfortunately for my millennial self, I knew this was a situation where I’d have to pick up the phone and make the call myself. Typically, I’d look for a way to request an appointment online, but I needed to squeeze in an appointment and couldn’t wait 24-48 hours for a response. So, I bucked up and made the call. (Is it obvious that I strongly dislike talking on the phone?)

The receptionist uninvitingly answered and I told her my situation: chipped tooth, no insurance, trip tomorrow… you get the picture. Her response was a rapid, “We don’t have any openings today” in a tone that left no room for further discussion. She didn’t take the time to ask me any questions or offer any potential solutions. She just said that there was no way they could see me that day. I felt like my call was unimportant to her like I was interrupting her day. I hung up feeling discouraged; I was back to square one.

Dentist #1 → BUST!

Takeaway:

My experience with that phone call was enough to make me uninterested in ever visiting that office, even for a checkup. The woman answering the phone may have been correct in saying they didn’t have any openings that day, but the way she communicated with me led to the practice missing out on a potential long-term patient. A pretty great one, if I do say so myself.

DENTIST #2

Ask: It gets a little tricky here with Dentist #2. I don’t know many people in my area, and my boyfriend only went to one dentist, so I didn’t have anyone else to ask. In this case, I was in too much of a hurry and had to skip right ahead to Google.

Google: I Googled dentists in my area. It was mid-afternoon, so a new criterion became how late the practice was open. Some practices didn’t even have their hours posted online, so they were automatically eliminated.

Facebook: Because I had such a bad experience with my previous phone call, I decided to put more stock in Facebook and go with my gut on the impression it gave me. I wanted to feel like I had some sort of connection with the practice before I picked up the phone again. So, if they didn’t have a presence on Facebook, they were out. I found one office that was open a bit later than some of the others and pulled up their Facebook page. I was immediately impressed.

They had photos and videos of the actual people who worked in their office. This may not sound like a big deal, but it was such a comfort to see real people instead of another basic blog telling me how to floss. As I scrolled further, I noticed they had videos, too! The videos included one of the dentists doing a handstand walk down the practice hallway, with a not-so-graceful ending, dentists being pie’d in the face to celebrate Facebook milestones, and even a race to see who could finish a fruit roll-up first without their hands. These videos made it obvious that they had fun at work. I was sold!

Call: This time, I was more at ease as I picked up the phone to call. The woman who answered the phone had a kind tone. Plus one point. I told her my situation and she also told me that they didn’t have any openings that day, but… then she asked me what time I was leaving the next day. Plus two points! I told her I wasn’t leaving until early afternoon and lucky for me, they had morning appointments available.

DENTIST #2 → We have a WINNER:  OakPark Dental!

The next morning, I entered the office and was greeted with a smile. The waiting area had a slideshow running with a photo of every single team member and a little bit about them. Although I don’t feel this is a requirement, it was a really nice touch and helped me see how I could relate to each of them.

Every person I saw blew my expectations out of the water. They asked me questions about myself and my upcoming trip and they seemed to genuinely care. My chip was fixed and they let me know about a new patient special they had: $49 for x-rays and a cleaning. I had such a great experience that I scheduled my cleaning right away. I couldn’t wait to go back! Not something you always hear regarding visits to the dentist.

Takeaway:

I never would’ve made the phone call if it hadn’t been for the practice’s Facebook page. It’s not easy to maintain a genuine online presence, but if it attracts patients who have other options for their dental needs…it seems like a no-brainer to me

Their awesome Facebook page lured me in. Their friendly phone etiquette put me at ease. And their impeccable chair-side manner made me a new, loyal patient.

Summary

Is your practice doing all it can to attract this important market segment?

Ask – Are your current patients telling their friends and family about you?

Google – Is your online presence well-maintained and one you’re proud of?

Facebook – Do you give current and prospective patients an insight into your practice culture?

Call – Is your receptionist friendly and looking for ways to say yes to accommodate patients?

65% of millennials start interactions with a brand or organization online (Microsoft). That’s nearly 31 million people. If your practice doesn’t have a strong online presence, you won’t even be considered as an option. In some ways, I’m grateful Bernie chipped my tooth and forced me to frantically search for a new dentist because I didn’t just get my tooth fixed that day, I found a new dental home.

 

 

 

Lindsey Hurtgen is a Social Media Strategist at Rita Zamora Connections. A graduate of UW-Platteville with a Bachelors Degree in  Marketing, Advertising and Sales, she helps clients across the country establish a powerful online presence.