There is a Telephone – And There is Weave!
February 23, 2015
For a while now, I have been hearing great things about a company called Weave. I did some research, and I would like to share my findings with my readers.
Weave has been in business for six and a half years. For the first four years of its existence, Weave served as a recall solution for dental practices, contracting with the practice to schedule overdue patients for continuing care. Two and a half years ago, Weave totally reinvented itself into a patient communication platform that syncs with all major dental practice software to combine calling, texting, and e-mailing into one system. Their growth has been explosive with over 1000 dental offices signing on in the last 12 months.
Weave is a VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) telephone system dependent on a reasonably fast Internet connection. There are dozens of VoIP companies out there. I think that VoIP has many advantages over a land based telephone company such as AT&T or Verizon: unlimited lines, unlimited long distance, unlimited local calling, plus the ability to record multiple messages.
But Weave has them all beat because nobody else can do what they do. Weave leases you special telephones that have been pre-loaded with their software. These are high-tech phones that deliver crystal-clear communication. The Weave app is installed on your desktop computer. Now when a patient calls the practice, everything about the patient and the patient’s family will automatically pop up on your computer screen. Your staff will know if the patient on the other end of the line has a birthday coming up, when their next appointment is, if any of their family members are overdue, or if there is an unpaid balance on the account – all without putting the patient on hold. Information that was once inaccessible because it was buried within multiple pages of practice management software is now available on every call the moment the phone starts ringing.
Weave provides true two-way text messaging just as you send and receive texts with your cell phone. It is wonderfully timesaving and efficient to be able to click to dial, thus controlling your telephone from the desktop. Weave also allows call recording, call tracking, advanced voicemail, and coming soon–a mobile app for your cell phone.
The bottom line is that Weave software helps you make more meaningful connections with your patients. It works seamlessly with your practice management software, pulling relevant data and presenting it in a beautifully simple way. Instant prompts give you everything you need to know about your patients to make them feel important and appreciated. And that leads to better outcomes for your patients and your practice.
Weave does not require a contract. They truly want and expect to earn your business every month. They provide 24/7 email customer support along with very comprehensive and detailed staff training that is included in the monthly charge.
In gathering information for this post, I spoke with five or six people in the Weave organization –at all different levels – and each one was more passionate than the other about their technology, the growth of the company and its future. I truly feel that Weave has the potential to become the dominant player – similar to what Care Credit did with outsourced patient financing. I would encourage you to call and schedule a demo of this amazing technology. And I would love your feedback.
The Best Pastrami Sandwich in the World!
February 9, 2015
I recently read an article that totally captivated my attention. It was all about a world-class Midwestern delicatessen called Zingermans. Zingermans is a local independently owned business in Ann Arbor, Michigan that was started in 1982. Zingermans was mentioned in a book written by Bo Burlingham who is editor at large for Inc. Magazine. Burlingham’s book is titled Small Giants: Companies That Choose to be Great Instead of Big. The book talks about successful companies that have rejected growth for growth’s sake in favor of adopting a passionate dedication to be the absolute best you can be.
In Zingerman’s case, they developed a four step formula for success: serve great food, provide great service, give back to the community, and create an environment where the employees love their work. That formula is closely aligned with the concept of servant leadership. Servant leadership suggests that you, the business owner, treat your employees like your customers, consistently say thank-you to employees and customers, help your staff to succeed, and provide an inspiring vision that is clearly articulated.
Zingerman’s published mission statement is “complete devotion to a great product and great service while taking good care of your employees, suppliers, and customers”. What a great model and inspiration for your dental practice!
As your dental practice gets bigger and busier, you simply can’t lose sight of your core principles and culture which was undoubtedly responsible for your initial success. I hope those principles would include:
•Treating each customer as if he or she is the only person in the world that matters.
• Taking an extra minute or two to give someone your total undivided attention and respect.
• Owning the problem. Admitting when you stumbled. Click on this link and this one as well and read two amazing blog posts written by Seth Godin that illustrate this point.
I hope that you will read this information carefully and share it with your staff. Then you should all sign on and agree to try to become the absolute best that you can be.