Sidekick - Spring 2013 - (Page 31)

Creating Great First Impressions with Office Design Making Your Office “Pop” Throughout our lives, we have been encouraged to make a great first impression: with the teacher, the coach, the employer, the (future) parents-in-law, and now… every patient. So, besides our personal MARK THOLEN, DDS, MBA appearance, communication skills, and those of our staff, how do we collectively “put our best foot forward”? By greeting the new patient with a great office. Of course, this begs the question, what are the components of a great office and what does it look like? Read on. Plan your space with an equal emphasis on aesthetics, image, and production for the most The first contact your new patient has with the office is viewing its signage. It should reflect the quality of care you are providing in the office and be legible and visible from the road. Character font, color, verbiage, and sign materials will all be part of the message about the quality of care delivered in your practice. Be sure to illuminate the sign with quality lighting for night traffic and for early morning patients, especially if you are in the north. A quality sign can be expensive today, so be prepared to spend $10,000 to $20,000 for a great sign (see fig. 1). successful result. Figure 1 & 2 The exterior of your building will also make an initial statement to the new patient. The materials and color composing the building, lighting, roof line, facility name, as well as the parking lot condition and ground maintenance all contribute to the mosaic being built in patients’ minds as they approach the entrance to your office (see fig. 2). As patients enter the front door, it should be glass or have a glass insert so they can see the space they are entering (see fig. 3). In fact, this Figure 3 principle should be carried throughout the office to alleviate subliminal anxiety in new patients as they move from space to space in the office. For example, the door from the waiting room to the trunk hallway leading to the clinical area should be glass or have a glass insert (see fig. 4). Figure 4 & 6 The waiting room should be large enough to accommodate 1.5 chairs per operatory for adequate seating, and the seats should be arranged to give patients that critical personal space we all require; no one likes a “closetalker” because they invade personal space and make a conversation uncomfortable. The same principle applies to seating. It is desirable to employ some level of ceiling architecture with soffits or coffers in the waiting room, if possible, with an associated lighting plan (see fig. 5). Figure 5 Sidekick | Spring 2013 31 3

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Sidekick - Spring 2013

Sidekick - Spring 2013
Table of Contents
Boulder Dental Designs
Featured Designs
Are You Happy with the Quality and Quantity of Your Patient Base?
Digital X-ray— Everything I Didn’t Know I Wanted
Creating Great First Impressions with Office Design
The High Cost of Old Technology
When I See You Smile
Making the Switch to E4D for a Better Fit
Buzz Nabers Dental Studio 304
Understanding Credit Card Processing Rates
A Growing Family—Two Winning Announcements from i-CAT
Kalman Oral Surgery & Implant Center
A New Model for an Old Practice
TechCentral
Henry Schein Service
Henry Schein Financial Services
Privileges
Professional Practice Transitions
ProRepair

Sidekick - Spring 2013