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CDS Member News and ArticlesProfessional News Articles : FRONT DESK by Mary M. Byers, CAE : Start a Kids' Club in your practice Start a Kids' Club in your practiceSeptember 05, 2006 Sea World is doing it. So is Disney. And you can do the same in your practice easily and inexpensively. “It” is a Kids' Club designed to build loyalty in the families that come to your practice and to keep the kids coming back for years—and maybe even bringing their own children to visit you some day! Here's how you to start a Kids' Club in your practice. Develop a Kids' Club kit you can share with children on their first visit to your practice. The kits don't have to be expensive to be effective. Package them in a plastic bag with your practice contact information printed on it. (It can be the same bag you use for adults if you already use something similar in your practice.) Include some sort of giveaway such as a plastic box to put teeth in for the Tooth Fairy, a small toy or sugarless gum or candy. (Oriental Trading Company is a great source for inexpensive gadgets you can buy in bulk. Shop online at www.orientaltrading.com.) Photocopy a word search, maze or coloring sheet and place it in the kit. Make sure your contact information is on this sheet as well. (Go to http://www.cds.org/just_for_kids/index.wu4 or http://www.isds.org/publicInfo/kidsActivities/index.asp for free handouts.) Add a “Brushing Chart” printed out from the computer and you've got a great welcome package. Kits are a nice way to acknowledge your young patients and service as a tangible reminder of your practice. Determine what milestones you'll celebrate with kids in your practice. How about keeping a punch card in kids' records and letting them punch it every time they have a cavity-free checkup? Or noting anniversaries with the practice? Then, when a certain milestone is met, you can reward kids with a gift certificate for a free movie rental, or another, inexpensive treat. If you'd prefer not to spend money on the kids' club, put up a “Wall of Fame” and let kids add their name when they reach a specified milestone with your practice. Moms love it when their kids are rewarded and recognized. Kids love it too! Remember that the purpose of the kids' club is to create loyalty and reinforce positive behavior. Whatever you decide to do, remember that the purpose of a Kids' Club is to make kids feel welcome in your practice and encourage them to keep coming back. Everything staff members say and do around young patients in your practice should support these goals. Remind hygienists to encourage good oral hygiene with positive words rather than negative lectures or fear tactics. Support assistants with help in the operatory when a child is frightened, unruly or misbehaving. Recognize it when a child makes advances in his or her oral care. Make your reception area kid-friendly. You don't have to have toys in your reception area in order to be kid-friendly. (If you do, be sure to sanitize them on a regular basis.) A small table, coloring and/or activity sheets and a box of crayons (replaced regularly) are enough to indicate to parents that you welcome children in your practice. Books or magazines geared to kids in the waiting area is another way to welcome young people to your practice and makes a trip to the dentist less stressful for mom and dad, too! CDS presents Front Desk, a column addressing problems dentists and staff members experience in the office. Front Desk is prepared by Mary M. Byers, CAE, a professional speaker and freelance writer. Ms. Byers may be reached at mbyers@marybyers.com or www.marybyers.com. Send suggestions for topics to be covered to review@cds.org. Copyright 2006, Chicago Dental Society |
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