Below is a free essay on “Dr. Beckett’s Dental Office Case” from Anti Essays, your source for free research papers, essays, and term paper examples. The seven elements of the services marketing mx addressed in “Dr. Beckett’s Dental Office” case are; product, price, promotion, place, people, process, and physical appearance. Product: As the mission statement displayed in the back office stated “Dr. Beckett’s core product is to provide superior dentistry in an efficient, profitable manner within the confines of a caring, quality environment.
Facilities seem to increase the value of her product but her main goal is to differentiate her product in terms of quality. Price:Services were offered at a higher price than competitors with better quality. Promotion: She did no advertising. All of her new patients came from positive word of mouth by current patients. Place: She looked for an office in the North Carolina town where they have office spaces available but didn’t find anything she liked, so she hired an architect from San Francisco to design a contemporary office building with lots of light and space.
This increased the building costs by $100,000, but felt it would be a critical factor to differentiate her services. People: There were eight employees including Dr. Beckett. Two employees in the front office doing receptionist and secretarial tasks and financial/ budgeting work, 2 hygienists in the back office who handle routine exams and teeth cleaning and 3 chair side assistants that helps them and Dr. Beckett with treatment procedures. Dr. Beckett valued her friendships with staff members and understood that they were a vital part of the service delivery.
She provided them with many opportunities to update their skills, rewarded their hard work by giving monthly bonuses, and took them on vacation trips once a year. Process: All of the office systems were redesigned, with the help of a consultant she hired. One of the main goals was to standardize some of the routine procedures so that error was reduced. Patients should be kept no longer than 20 minutes without being given the opportunity to dge able about the business side of dentistry, it is a good move to hire a consultant that would do the work for her. g) Physical environment Dr. Beckett moved to a bigger space was aligned with her positioning strategy. The new place was designed extension on her personality add to the company’s branding. The new clinic is not just advantageous to attract more customers but on her workforce as well. The investment also was worth it since the physical place is the first thing that customers will see when they visit the dental office.
There was intentional balance between function and design which sets the dental office apart from the usual clinical and traditional dental offices. The add-on features (play area, classical music, headphones, etc) were all aimed at providing a superior and pleasant dental experience minimizing the unpleasant feelings of going to a dentist. The certificate diplomas displayed, which is a standard practice in most professional service industries adds credibility to the dental office 2.
Why do you think people dislike going to the dentist? Do you feel like Dr. Beckett addressed this problem effectively? People dislike going to the dentist because of many reasons, first of all is the needle followed by the pain, anxiety and most especially the poor service combined with noise and smell of the dental clinic. Some people also do not find it necessary unless they are already feeling pain on their mouth. I feel like the above reasons I gave are being addressed by Dr.
Beckett since she gives visuals and informal education to her patients about dental problems and information. It is her goal too to provide quality service that the customers will notice. About the noise and the smell, her place; the dental clinic is as good as new and is designed modernly to differentiate the ambience of her clinic to her competitors. 3. How do Dr. Beckett and her staff educate patients about the service they are receiving? What else could they do? They use VCR to show patient educational films about different dental procedures.
Else they can do is to provide flyers of the procedures that are being availed on a particular customer, they can also have a consultation time while waiting for the procedure like the front people can be approached for further questions or these employees will voluntarily approach the patients and give orientation about the services they render. A 4. What supplementary services are offered? How do they enhance service delivery? Information – Dr. Beckett dental service offers high quality dental service by providing high level services.
They have good environment architecture; there is an entertainment area while waiting. Her goal is to provide superior dentistry in an efficient, profitable manner within the confines of a caring and quality environment. Order-taking – Patients should be kept waiting not longer 20 minutes without giving option for rescheduling. These enhance the service quality of her business because it reduces and outcome
Which of the eight elements of the services marketing mix are addressed in this case? Give examples of each ‘P’ you identify. a) Price Dr. Beckett charges higher fees than competitors for better quality of service and refused to become an HMO provider as she feels that it wouldn’t allow her to give the quality she aims to deliver. b) Product their goal as indicated on their mission statement is to “provide superior dentistry in an efficient, profitable manner within the confines of a caring, quality environment”.
They offer a wide and complete range of dental services for all possible markets. c) Place and Time Dr. Beckett hired an architect from San Francisco to design a contemporary office building with lots of light and space. Though it increased the building cost to 100,000usd, it is worth it if better quality is what she desire. With the area in the building where her patients/customers are comfortable and relaxed that they would not mind waiting. Time related elements: Patients could have coffee or tea and browse through a large selection of current magazines while they waited for their appointment • Office policy specified that patients should not be waiting for more than 20 minutes without being offered to be rescheduled *time is crucial in providing services, which is why service providers do their best to minimize the time needed to do the service, and make other strategies to keep the customers busy while waiting d) Promotion and Education Dr. Beckett didn’t advertize her services but she’s getting her patients via referrals which is a good promotion.
A word of mouth about the quality of her services also answers a good evaluation. According to her, this means that the new patients would already have heard of her service and her business strategy of high quality and appealing environment. Patients wait for appointments even for 3 1. Situation analysis 1. 1Analysis of the 7 Ps 1. 1. 1 Product Dr. Beckett’s and her team goal is it, to provide superior dentistry in an efficient, profitable manner within the confines of a caring, quality environment??? ‚N? as they stated in their mission statement.
According to the case study, they offer the complete range of dental care from simple teeth cleaning to complicated dental surgery and implants. 1. 1. 2 Price The practice is no member of one of the HMOs, because Dr. Beckett was not of the opinion that she could provide the level of service she wanted, at the reimbursements given by the HMO. Therefore she offers now her dental services at a higher price, but therefore also at a higher quality. 1. 1. 3 Promotion The practice does with 2000 ??? ‚Nsactive??? ‚N? patients very well, at the moment.
Dr. Beckett got her patients mainly form her old practice and from positive word of mouth by current patients. She did no advertising whatsoever, as she believed word of mouth promotion to be the best way. According to her, this means that the new patients would already have heard of her service and her business strategy of high quality and appealing environment. Patients wait for appointments even for 3 or 4 month, so the promotion worked so far very well in respect of attracting new customers. 1. 1. 4 Place Dr.
Beckett is providing her service in her own practice in a Northern California town. That means that patients will have to go to her to receive the dental care. Therefore, it is important, that her customers do know where her practice is located and how to get there. In the case study is no further information provided as to where the practice is located, but it seems likely that the new office building was built in a reasonable area, with good access to public transportation. 1. 1. 5 People An essential ingredient to any service provision is the use of appropriate staff and people.
Recruiting the right staff and training them appropriately in the delivery of their service is essential if the organisation wants to obtain a form of competitive advantage. Even without any marketing background, Dr. Beckett seems to have understood this perfectly. She selects her employees very carefully and bears in mind that the team fits together and that there is no rivalry. First of all, Dr. Beckett divided up the team so that each team member can work in his/her field of specialisation. Additionally, each team member received special training so that they can fulfil their part of the job as perfectly as possible.
To build up a corporate identity, the whole team wears the same uniform (which also fits with the office design) and they also meet up socially outside work to build up frindships. Further, to strengthen the feeling of acting in concert, the whole practice meets every morning to briefly check the daily work. Dr. Beckett way, of letting her employees contribute to the practice??? ‚a„’s processes is very good, as it is an efficient way to keep your personnel satisfied. And satisfied service personnel will always appear much friendlier to the customers or patients. 1. 1. 6 Process Dr.
Beckett tried to standardise the procedures as much as she could, in order to improve the level of service and to provide the same level of care to each of her patients. Special times where introduced as to what kind of care patients need, so that the doctor could fully concentrate on the topic and also, that all the equipment is ready. As an additional service for the customers, the practice offers the possibility to reschedule their appointments, if they have to wait too long. 1. 1. 7 Physical Evidence Physical Evidence is the element of the service mix which allows the consumer again to make judgements on the organisation.
If you walk into a practice your expectations are of a clean, friendly environment. But Dr. Beckett does not only want to fulfil the normal expectations of her patients, she wants to provide a friendly, caring and calming atmosphere so that the patient feels comfortable. To achieve that, she designed the whole building with a lot of light and bright, friendly colours. Besides, there is classical music playing in the background and coffee and tea is provided to the patients. Like this, the customers feel more like guests than patients.
During the treatment, patients can listen to music via headphone and they can observe birds through the large windows so they are distracted from the pain that might occur to them. 1. 2Economic Environmental Analysis 1. 2. 1The dentist profession The dentist profession is generally considered as a not so much rewarding profession. People, who go to the dentist, generally go there because they have to. Only a small percentage of the population really goes twice a year to the dentist to have a routine check, as it is suggested by the health care organisations.
This is simply because they are afraid of the possible pain, a dental treatment can involve. Also the atmosphere in dental practices is mostly quite cold and sterile and the receptionists are unfriendly. That makes patients even less comfortable. Therefore, the idea of Dr. Beckett, to improve the whole service around the dental care is a very good and promising idea. 1. 2. 2HMOs Today, more than half of all Americans who have health insurance are enrolled in some kind of managed care plan ??? ‚a€? an organized way of both providing services and paying for them.
Different types of managed care plans work differently and include health maintenance organizations (HMOs), preferred provider organizations (PPOs) and point-of-service (POS) plans. The most obvious advantage to belonging to an HMO is cost. First, the premiums of managed care are usually lower than traditional health insurance, which can end up saving you money if you are now paying any of your own insurance costs. Secondly, HMOs and most other types of managed care do not require that you pay for your medical care up front, so there are no claim forms to fill out or waiting periods for.
But there are disadvantages as well. What most people dislike is the requirement that you use only doctors and hospitals that are part of the HMO plan. Also, HMOs do not cover all medical services. In some HMOs, the dental care is not included at all, or only to a certain extend. The most common HMO used in Northern California is Kaiser Permanente with around 2. 6 million members (2007). 2. Problem Definition As said before, people normally do not want to go to the dentist, because they are afraid of the pain and the often displeasing treatments. But this leads also to dissatisfaction for the doctor.
As Dr. Beckett said, it is difficult to maintain a positive attitude, when patients tell her ??? ‚Nsthat they hate to go to the dentist, even if she is giving the best service and dental care she can. The challenge is therefore, not only have enough patients but also to make them feel as comfortable as possible and even to enable them to enjoy their stay at the dentist. Only like this, it is possible, that both, dentist and patients will be satisfied by the provided service. In the following, I will analyse the situation and provide solutions as to how this can be achieved. 3. SWOT Analysis 3. 1 Strengths
High dental qualification of the doctor and good trained and specialised assistants Appropriate organisational structure the different treatments are divided up so they are done at different times of the week Differentation advantage the practice is specialised in high quality treatments Many (satisfied) customers/patients Corporate Identity The whole team works together, they meet up socially and therefore appear as a unity towards their customers Well designed, bright and modern offices to make the customer feel comfortable The whole team is working very obliging and trying to serve the customer as much as possible 3. . Weaknesses High costs because the practise is no member of a HMO No marketing or advertising The practice offers the whole set of dental services that can lead to incomprehension about high prices for basic services 3. 3 Opportunities Entering into a new market segment, e. g. aesthetic dental surgery Introduction of a new dental service, e. g. combining wellness with dental care Advanced and high-standard equipment Market growth by advertising 3. 4 Threats High competition from dental holiday providers
Consumers might not like the high amount of service at a dental practice but prefer quick and low-cost service Competition form other local dentists Downturn in economy people do no longer have the money to pay for the higher service 4. Possible Solutions 4. 1. Advertising Advertising is not only a method to generate new customers. It is also a way of informing them and to communicate your unique selling proposition. Obviously, the main issue of Dr. Beckett is that people still tell her that they don’t like to go to the dentist, even if the service at her practice is much better than that is generally the case.
Therefore, the practice should advertise actively their new concept of a dental practice and accentuate that this practice can in fact provide a good dental service AND enable the customer to enjoy their stay. It is important to stress this topic on an advertising campaign because it is that point, which differentiate this practice from others and makes it unique. There are different ways how to communicate the practices strengths to the public. First, there should be a webpage developed. On there, in any case, all the dental services the practice offers should be listed and briefly explained.
But it is also very important to include the mission statement and the aims and goals of the practice towards customer service. Pictures of the building, the examining rooms and the practice team should be on display so that people, who have not been there yet, can already see for themselves how calming and attracting the atmosphere in the practice is. That can take away fear and therefore decrease prejudices towards the visit at the dentist. Another way of advertising would be a radio spot on the local channel. This media offers the possibility to reach many people in the area.
And again, to emphasis on the special atmosphere and the obliging personnel could attract new customers who normally dislike to go to the dentist but are now willing to give it a try because of the ??? ‚Nsall-around-service the practice offers. It is also possible to advertise serious magazines or newspapers, read by the clientele of the practice. As mentioned in the text, these are mainly upper class people with a decent income. 4. 2 Specialisation into a narrower field of dentistry The main reason, why people do not like to go to the dentist, is because normally they need to go in emergencies.
This could be intensive toothache caused by caries or a broken or missing tooth. Older people also often need to go to the dentist for periodontal treatments or to get set dental implants – all painful and displeasing procedures. But there are also many good things to dentistry: such as teeth cleaning and bleaching. Also, there is cosmetic dentistry, for example for people who had an accident and need to get new teeth. So instead of being scared, they will be really pleased and thankful to go to a dentist that offers them help. By providing only these ??? ‚Nsspecial??? N? dental services, the customers or patients who would come to the practice would not come because they have to but because they want to. That is a completely different attitude towards the visit to the dentist and would probably help Dr. Beckett to enjoy her profession even more. 4. 3. Combination of dental care and wellness This third solution would concentrate even more in the service aspect of the practice by trying to make the patient even more comfortable then it is the case now by following the trend of Dental Holidays??? ‚N?. These ??? ‚NsDental Holidays??? ‚N? re organised by companies who offer stays in wellness resorts in countries all over the world. In these resorts people can relax but also receive dental surgery in a specialised clinic within the resort. SmileDentalTours. com??? ‚N? , or ??? ‚Nsdental-holiday. com, are some of these companies. They offer for example trips to the Fiji Islands or other places where they provide not only dental surgery but also a relaxing atmosphere by providing of course trips to all the local attractions the area has to offer but also wellness services such as hot springs or massages. This could also apply for the dental practice of Dr.
Beckett. She could rent some offices of the building to other doctors as well as for example a masseur practice. Additionally she could offer over-night accommodation for her patients. Like this she could offer a whole wellness-package over a couple of days or a weekend. Like this, stressed-out customers can regain energy and receive dental surgery in one go. The anxiety about the visit at the dentist would be eliminated by the fact that the customers can actually enjoy a relaxing weekend and are therefore much calmer towards the medical procedures. 5. Recommendation and Conclusion
In my opinion, Dr. Beckett is perfectly on the right way. She has obviously a big target market which can be detected by the big number of customers she has already. I also think she has very well understood that it is the service that makes the difference between anormal dentist and her own practice. Nevertheless, it is not only important that she and her team, know about these differences and the additional value added by the greater amount of service and customer orientation, she also has to communicate these competitive advantages to her actual and potential customers or patients.
Therefore I think it is most important to build up an appropriate marketing campaign, probably by an external marketing agency, as Dr. Beckett has no experience in marketing or advertising whatsoever. Secondly, I would recommend her as a strategic decision, to go even further into the service direction and transform her purely dental practice into something like a dental-wellness-clinic as suggested in section 4. 3. This could also come along with a specialisation into more complicated and sensitive dental surgery instead of carrying on offering the whole set of dental care treatments.
By making these changes, it should be possible to provide a high quality service to the customer and for her and her team to be get acknowledgement for their work and services. Top 10 Reasons Why People HATE Dentists Why People HATE Dentists #1 – The Needle! In picking #1 for this Top 10 list, I gave the nod to the biggest phobia. Fear of needles and injections is HUGE for some people. It’s one of the Top 10 Adult Phobias, and children are even more fearful. I didn’t dare show a picture of a needle here, because even the image will upset a phobic person.
Dentistry without anesthetic is an option… “Dear lord, you must be kidding! ” is what you might be thinking. I actually do a lot of Minimally-Invasive Dentistry with no anesthetic. It’s nice to avoid the freezing (that’s what we call it here in Canada) when it isn’t needed. On the other hand, proper Pain Management is absolutely essential for more invasive dentistry. I can hardly imagine the brutality of old-style dentistry. Delivery of Local Anesthetic is often the make-or-break “Moment of Truth” in the entire patient-doctor relationship.
That’s the reason I use a Comfort-Driven System to ensure patients are as comfortable as possible. Being a little sneaky about it also helps. Nobody should have to look at it. Why People HATE Dentists #2 – The Pain! “Is it going to hurt? ” That’s the question on everybody’s mind whenever they sit in a dental chair. This was a strong choice for #1 on this Top10 list and is easily the most common reason that people hate dentists. Modern dentistry should be comfortable and easy. Everyone hates pain, and if you’ve ever endured dental pain, you know how excruciating it can be.
That’s the reason why so many people associate dentists with pain. Your teeth are a vulnerable, sensitive area of your body, so the threat of dental pain is very real. Many people have felt jolts of pain at the dentist in the past, and they never want to feel anything like that again. That’s why proper Pain Management is so vitally important. Otherwise dentistry becomes brutality and the dentists are despised for it. Modern dentistry should be comfortable and easy. Why People HATE Dentists #3 – The Anxiety! This has to be the worst part. Anxiety is that sense of dread and general apprehension before and during an appointment.
Anxiety puts you on edge, compounds the ordeal and you’re left completely drained by it. Even if there isn’t any pain involved, it’s the threat of pain and other triggers of fear that build up the anxiety and make for a miserable experience. Some people can’t sleep properly the night before their appointment. They hate feeling so anxious but they can’t shake it. Sedation Dentistry is a great option to reduce anxiety. I wrote more about this issue in a previous 2-part post about Fear and Anxiety. Why People HATE Dentists #4 – The Drill! Some people are OK with everything, except for the dreaded dental drill.
This weapon of destruction – with all the noise vibration and spray – becomes a focus for their anxiety. When they hear that sound, their sweat starts to pour. Thankfully the newer ones are much quieter and smoother than those old brain-rattling ones of yesteryear. Inside your mouth, sounds tend to be amplified. Sedation Dentistry can help you relax if the dental drill is intolerable. Earphones help block out the sound so you can almost pretend you’re laying back on the beach. Why People HATE Dentists #5 – The Invasiveness! Dentistry is invasive.
We’re right inside your mouth performing our gum-gardening and tooth-carpentry. This can definitely feel like an invasion of your personal space. If the dentist is not graceful, gentle and respectful about your care, you could feel almost violated by the invasiveness of most dental procedures. Why People HATE Dentists #6 – The Sounds ;amp; Smells! With any measure of anxiety or fear, your senses are put on high-alert. You become hyper-aware of sights, sounds and smells. Some people hate the antiseptic smell of medical and dental offices. We do our best to keep our office sensually attractive within a spa-like atmosphere.
You’ll feel our warm ambiance with light jazz in the background, our soothing warterwall, and medical-grade air purifiers to maintain a fresh clean smell. Why People HATE Dentists #7 – The Cost! What is pocket change to one is an astronomical fee to another. This can be a deal-breaker. Everyone appreciates exceptional care, but for some people, even basic dental care isn’t affordable. There’s 2 issues here. One is affordability. What is pocket change to one is an astronomical fee to another. People have their budget limitations and I certainly respect that.
Sometimes “good enough” has to be the way when “the best” is not within reach. The other issue is value. Not everyone places high value on their dental health. It can be a lot to spend if you need major work, and some people absolutely HATE spending hard-earned dollars on dentistry. It makes them furious because they don’t get to spend it on stuff they like. Even if they have the money, they would rather be spending it on things that bring them more pleasure. Personally, I look upon general health and dental health as necessities. Staying healthy and keeping my teeth is a high priority.
Others have different priorities, such as the young woman in The Lost Starfish. Money is one of the biggest sources of Dental Drama. Not being able to afford decent care can be very upsetting. Why People HATE Dentists #8 – The Lectures! If you already feel guilty or embarrassed about your situation, the last thing you want is reasons to feel worse. You don’t need to be scolded into submission, admonished like you’re a helpless child or assaulted by irrelevant factoids until your eyes glaze over. Going to the dentist is stressful enough without the people who are supposed to help you piling on more guilt and blame.
Who needs that? Why pay good money and be made to feel like crap? My advice to dentists: Bombarding people with information shows professional knowledge, but demonstrates a selfish vie for attention and a disconnect from the relationship aspect. We are people taking care of people. Never forget your humanity and compromise that bond by indulging in lectures or overplaying the SMART card. People already assume you’re smart, so you don’t have to prove anything. Keep that card tucked in your pocket and use it sparingly. Play the WARM card to the hilt because what people really want is more caring in your care.
What you want as a patient are solutions and positive emotional outcomes – to feel the security of good health and the confidence of looking and feeling your best. You need a fresh new start with the hope and promise of a better tomorrow. What you want from a dentist is leadership. Here’s the bottom line: Find a dental team dedicated to making YOU healthy and happy instead of posturing to make themselves look more knowledgeable and superior. Never forget that you’re the boss, so tell them you prefer a NO LECTURES approach. Why People HATE Dentists #9 – The Poor Service! Everything matters.
Everybody promises better service. When you step in the front door, you find out the truth. Do they have brand integrity and a great reputation, or is it just song and dance? Indifference is the big relationship killer in healthcare. Every member of the team represents your brand, and any time one of them drops the ball on service, the magic you were trying to convey vanishes in a puff of smoke. Here’s a secret. Where you find great service, you’re likely to find superior quality. They go hand in hand. It’s all about dedication to excellence, and that dedication extends to all aspects. Everything matters.
Look for prompt courteous care where you’re always treated with grace and respect. You want an uplifting experience in which you walk out healthier, happier and smiling more beautifully than when you walked in. Why People HATE Dentists #10 – The Bad Memories! Your brain is wired for fear. Did you have a bad childhood experience? Join the club. So many of us endured nightmare scenarios by today’s standards. It’s hard to let go of that. Every time you enter a dental office it can feel like you’re reliving those childhood events. Your brain is wired for fear. Emotionally-intense memories are very powerful and long-lasting.
Sedation Dentistry can be a great option to reduce the anxiety brought on by bad memories. Trust also goes a long ways to helping you finally let go of that past. 5. Contrast your own dental care experiences with those offered by Beckett’s practice. What differences do you see? Based on your review of this case, what advice would you give(a) to your current or former dentist and (b) to Dr Beckett? My dental care experience is absolutely different from Beckett’s practice. My dentist office is poorly designed and there is no rescheduling option. She always makes me wait more than 30minutes.
There is no headphone, classical music or abundant of flowers. She has what she needs. But her dental practice is perfect, I feel no pain when I have operations. a. Although if she redesigns her office and provide more facilitating and enhancing supplementary services, I will be more happy. It is clear that there is a tradeoff between thecheap cost and expensive cost. If you want to be in an comfortable environment, you should paymore money. b. From my point of view, Dr. Beckett provides her service in a quality environment. May be shecan offer pet care for patients who have pets. Also a
