Episode 10
73 ::: Tiffany Wuebben › The Hospitality Revolution in Dental Care : Lessons from a Former Ritz-Carlton Concierge
In this enlightening conversation, Tiffany Wuebben, RDH, shares her unique journey from the luxury hospitality industry to dentistry, bringing valuable insights from her experience at the Ritz-Carlton and La Costa Resort. She discusses how hospitality-based care can transform dental practices by creating memorable patient experiences that go beyond clinical excellence. The discussion covers practical strategies for implementing five-star service in dental settings, including personalized attention, anticipatory service, and the importance of timing in patient appreciation. Wuebben emphasizes how these principles not only enhance patient satisfaction but also lead to practice growth, team satisfaction, and increased referrals. The conversation highlights the critical shift in dentistry from commodity-based service to relationship-based care, especially in an increasingly competitive market.
Transcript
Okay, so today I could not be more excited that I get to be with a dear friend of mine, Tiffany Wibben. I said it right.
Tiffany Wuebben, RDH (:Yep, it's women like ribbon. Thanks.
Shawn Zajas (:And Tiffany, you are just one of my favorite people because you just, you keep going and you keep serving and you show up and you give and you're passionate about what you're doing. And that is refreshing in dentistry. And it's what dentistry needs. And today we get to talk about giving remarkable, not just customer care or patient care, but patient service, going above and beyond.
And that's all because you have a really interesting background where you actually worked at the Ritz -Carlton.
Tiffany Wuebben, RDH (:Yes, yes. And so I started in hospitality and absolutely loved it. I worked at a resort and spa in La Costa, California first. And I was so young. I was, gosh, barely 18. And I was the poolside waitress girl. I was, gosh, I was at two of the restaurants there, Center Court Restaurant for all those tennis enthusiasts and all the tennis celebrities would come through. And
just a really great experience in being able to take care of guests, take care of members who were private members there and where we gave so much as, you know, the, the team there, but we, we felt good about it. Like every time we got to serve a guest and, and accelerate their whole experience and make it so nice. And.
They just were like, this is the best day ever. It just made us feel good. So from there, yes, I went onto the Ritz -Carlton and went through the whole training for the Ritz -Carlton way. And I learned that we were ladies and gentlemen, serving ladies and gentlemen. And I just ran with that. I just thought it was the best, best motto. They had their niche. It was excellent.
And it was all about creating those wow moments for these guests so that way they could continue to come back so we could serve them again. And it was just wonderful. I'm very lucky.
Shawn Zajas (:So you were at two amazing, so you were at a resort then moved on to the Ritz Carlton. They say contrast is the mother of clarity. I'm guessing the resort was great as it was, but then you moved on to the Ritz. What, in what way did you, cause a part of you is probably like, Hey, I already learned how to give exceptional service to go above and beyond. It sounded like it was already a culture even at the resort where we love doing this. We feel good doing it. It's we embody it. It's who we are.
Tiffany Wuebben, RDH (:Mm -hmm.
Tiffany Wuebben, RDH (:Yeah.
Tiffany Wuebben, RDH (:Yes.
Shawn Zajas (:but then you move on to the Ritz. I'm guessing it was a different intentionality in the way that they went above and beyond. Like what was maybe the biggest difference?
Tiffany Wuebben, RDH (:Well, they had a whole, I mean, you go through big time training to get ingrained with this serving and this excellence and this white glove service. It was elevated beyond the resort that I was at, even though I got great training there, especially being able to work in all the different areas on that campus, you know, in La Costa. And it was just wonderful. And...
but I felt like I needed more. I needed to be elevated and to be challenged. And when the position came available and a friend told me, hey, you'd be great as a concierge. And I thought, that's one job that I had never done before. And I went through the training and I worked there. It was wonderful. And they put me out in Palm Springs and
but then I missed my family. I was out there all alone and living in my uncle's house. He had an extra home out there and I thought, I love this so much, but I missed my family. And I ended up leaving that company. But the neatest thing ever, and now looking back, I mean, this was, I was 18, 19 years old at that time. So looking back over 40 years, no, I aged myself, I'm sorry, over 30 years ago.
That mattered. That had to happen for a reason. And now what happens is I'm able to really make sure that we are projecting that message through our trainings for the hygienepreneur about how do you really build a practice where these patients come back for generations. Well, you do it by having an elevated guest experience.
And so that's what it's about. It's about that five star.
Shawn Zajas (:Can it just happen by accident? Like can't team members just show up and naturally create amazing elevated experiences? Like, isn't it just, meaning I'm being sarcastic here because you had to get trained and yet you probably showed up in dentistry and you realized they don't do the training. They don't invest in training thinking this is important. And yet I feel like even more so now, Tiffany.
Tiffany Wuebben, RDH (:Yes.
Shawn Zajas (:when you started, I felt like dentistry wasn't as commoditized as it is today. Today, if you're not able to see somebody and make some uncommon engagement and some uncommon connection where you really, I don't know, just, just see them as a person and, and take an interest in who they are and find a way to give them that white glove service. Then, you know, they can get a crown anywhere. You know, they can get.
Tiffany Wuebben, RDH (:3.
Tiffany Wuebben, RDH (:Mm -hmm.
Tiffany Wuebben, RDH (:Exactly.
Shawn Zajas (:filling anywhere. They can get a hygiene cleaning anywhere. It's all about the humanization and the care that real people are actually getting to deliver. So this was your foundation as an 18 and 19 year old. This is the training you're getting.
Tiffany Wuebben, RDH (:Yes. Yes. And I just absorbed it in, but everything's intentional with a purpose in our language, intentional with a purpose. And, you know, there was the, the little, the little nuances of that training that I, I, it was ingrained in me. And then I brought it into dentistry and you know, you hit it, you hit it right on the head. It's like, how can we, as dental business owners,
team members make a better, a more lasting, memorable experience for that patient where they leave and go, wow, wow, that practice made me feel like a superstar. They said, they spoke language that is high end that you would hear in a resort setting. Like, it's my pleasure. What more can I do for you?
How can we serve you best? And saying their name. I mean, it always makes you feel so good, right, Sean? When you go to a resort and they say, you know, Sean, it is so nice to see you. I see here that you traveled from and they know a little bit about you and you're like, whoa, somebody took notes. They made me feel really special because they took notes. They remembered, they said something and it wasn't just one.
one team member, it was handed off to multiples and everybody was speaking the same language. Everybody was edifying each other as, gosh, you get to see my special friend over here and they're gonna take great care of you. And so it's all about that. It's all about that elevated experience. So.
Shawn Zajas (:Yeah, I just love that. So as a freshman in high school, I read How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie. And I believe it's one of the first five or seven chapters when he says like the magic word, the favorite word that everyone has. And I'm thinking, is it love? Like, what is the word? And he's like, no, it's their name. It's sweeter than honey for them to hear. And so my wife every now and then laughs because, you know, whether we go to Chick -fil -A or whether we're going to a nice restaurant, I'm always looking at the person's name to...
Tiffany Wuebben, RDH (:Yeah.
Tiffany Wuebben, RDH (:Yes. Yes.
Shawn Zajas (:to just be like, hey, thank you, Matthew. I really appreciate that. And sometimes it catches them off guard because they would have only stopped by just for a few seconds, maybe to drop off waters or something like that. And I just thank them with their name and really they like perk up, but they remember because it's different. It's like, I'm actually calling them out. I'm saying like, I see you, you know, I'm acknowledging them. And the other day I was at an orthopedic practice because of my little rock climbing injury and.
Tiffany Wuebben, RDH (:Yep. You're important.
Shawn Zajas (:You know, we're there in the waiting room and sure they have TVs on because it's a pretty profitable practice and they have some decent processes in place, but you get like no time with the doctor. And you know, he's trying to be like present and everything like that, but like you just get kind of run through really quickly. And even in the waiting room, like the little difference of just someone came, if someone came out and even if they had like a little cold, I don't know, small water or just something and they're like,
you know, while you're waiting, would you like a little refreshment? Just something where they acknowledge your humanity and say they see you. All those little things go so far, and that's exactly what you get at a high -end five -star resort. They make you feel special.
Tiffany Wuebben, RDH (:It's about hospitality. Yes, hospitality -based care. Every single time John and I go to a restaurant, John's my husband, as you know, and we go to a restaurant, we'll ask our server what their name is, and then we introduce ourselves. And then it makes a personal connection that they're not used to. And when I kind of shared this and I said, John, this is kind of what I do, because I'm a relationship person.
And I like to come back and know people like, you know, the, the cheers episodes, right? They walk in and they're like, norm, you know, I love that. I love that small town feel. And so when I can make a connection with a server and then come back and, and I get to see them, I mean, that's wonderful. And so John had John noticed he's like, you know, what's really amazing. They give you even better service. I said, because you, you make a personal connection and you make them feel good. And that.
and they matter. They're serving you, but they matter. There's somebody that you're recognizing that right now they're present in your world and that you see them. So doing like your orthopedic doctor, if they would have come out and said, how was your day? Thank you so much for coming in today. We just appreciate you. We know you have all these children. Thank goodness you're even able to show up today. I mean,
And yes, would you like a coffee or water while you're waiting? And just kind of sharing that, it's just excellent. Or when someone comments on how nice they look, like when we were in that resort setting and people are always, they're on vacation, they're dressing wonderful, they're getting the sun, they look amazing. And you go, gosh, you just look really wonderful today, you're radiant. And you mean it because...
you mean it, but when you sit back and you give someone a compliment and say, gosh, thank you for allowing us to serve you. As a hygienist, I would say to the patient, thank you so much for allowing us to take care of you. We know you have a lot of options out there and we value you so much. So, that's the connection there. And when they leave the practice, they're going, wow.
Tiffany Wuebben, RDH (:They appreciate me. They notice me. They told me I'm valuable. They use my name. They stood up and said, hello, not just sat down and sign in and no, we've got to make sure that these experiences are so next level that they don't even know what to do except leave that practice and say your name to others. They'll have no choice because you wow them.
Shawn Zajas (:And I love that you just wrapped it up that way. They'll have no other choice but be talking about you. It's like people remark on what's remarkable, but they don't know how to talk about a crown margin. So I think as dental professionals, we think of great clinical outcomes as what is remarkable. And I think for patients, that's kind of what is like, that's just what they're expecting. Like,
Tiffany Wuebben, RDH (:100%.
Shawn Zajas (:I'm coming here to get a great, like I'm requiring almost a great outcome. But if in the process you can make me feel like I belong, that's what then can become this massive differentiator. And the reason why I think it's more important now than ever, Tiffany, is because 30 years ago, marketing wasn't as advanced. 30 years ago,
Tiffany Wuebben, RDH (:Yeah, they can go get that.
Thank you.
Tiffany Wuebben, RDH (:Yeah.
Shawn Zajas (:You didn't have these corporate players that are aligned with, you know, top marketing agencies that can dial up, whether it's, you know, using a Facebook pixel or even still direct mail. These moments that are meant to break customer loyalty. When you see this rock bottom new patient special in the mail, I always tell people your patient only has two options. Either when they're looking at this, they see the face.
Tiffany Wuebben, RDH (:Mm -hmm.
Shawn Zajas (:or faces of those in the practice they're going to now, and they feel cared for and they belong, and then no rock bottom new patient special really is going to matter. Because they're like, you know what? I already belong somewhere. I don't need to save a little bit of dollars today. I belong somewhere. Or your service is viewed as a commodity and the economic rules of commodities means lowest price wins. Literally, that's what it is.
Tiffany Wuebben, RDH (:That's true. And there was no social media back then. And the Google review, my gosh, these patients, when they give you a compliment and you ask them, would you mind sharing with our community your experience? Because we are a practice that is still growing and we would just love it because you're a real patient and hearing from you really would matter. And so then the patient goes home, does the Google review.
And the more Google reviews you have, it builds your Google reviews because the normal person that does, you know, reviewing of all the Googles and the Yelps and all those reviews, they'll want to go who has the most and then they'll go in, do their, have their experience and then they'll give a review and the domino effect just happens. It just builds very quickly. So, and it's all being very authentic. It's organic.
It's again, relationship. Patients don't know the quality of the crown or how good the hygiene appointment was as far as the... They don't know all of that or how perfect that filling margin was and what materials... They don't know. What they know is how you made them feel at the end of their appointment, at the beginning of their appointment, when they're sitting in the chair and they're listening.
Right? How the environment felt, how that culture was. I can tell you the Ritz -Carlton culture is a great vibe. Everybody feels it. You know, I was in, I was in Maui and dropping off, I have this thing when I travel, I like to send my kids postcards from the different places. I just put a little postcard and I didn't have a pen and I was looking around and one of these,
Team members came by and said ma 'am. Are you looking for a pen because I had this you know post He pulls one right out and then he says a man when you're finished Would you like me to take that down to our post postal center here and I'd be happy to take care of that for you You
Tiffany Wuebben, RDH (:He could have just walked right past me and let me go up to the desk, grab a pen, do it myself, walk down to this postal center. But what did he do? He stopped, he noticed, number one, he anticipated the service. Okay, that's a big deal. Anticipatory service. That's part of the Ritz -Carlton way. So he had anticipatory service mindset. He served me, got me the pen, I did my cards.
I gave it to him and he handled it and I was off to the pool. And I said to my husband, I just had the best experience. And this is why I used to work for this company because it was just so amazing. And thank goodness I did because I was able to build a hygiene practice within a practice, a successful hygiene practice within a practice on the foundation of hospitality -based care.
And so now with the Hygienepreneur, we're able to do that. And we train on this and it makes the culture of the practice just that much better. And as a provider, it reduces stress because it helps you feel good because you're delivering such exceptional care and the patients are grateful. And it's just a full circle positive energy and just wonderfulness.
Shawn Zajas (:Well, I love that you were just saying it makes you feel good because I think so much of the sentiment in the culture of a practice can be, it can be negative if you just keep talking about the person that's upset that their insurance didn't do this or the person that's coming in frustrated about this or complaining about, like there's a lot of, you know, patients that,
that makes certain parts of your practice and your day difficult. And if you focus on that and the fact that, you know, it seems like you're always just asking for money and you're always just getting things from your patients, it's like, well, that's not true. You're getting to give and you're getting to create really special moments for them. And you can feel proud about that. I'm curious, Tiffany, because...
Tiffany Wuebben, RDH (:Yeah.
Shawn Zajas (:Anyone that's working at the Ritz -Carlton that has a decent EQ is going to see you and I think you're approachable and you're charismatic and you have this beautiful smile.
Tiffany Wuebben, RDH (:Thank you. Gosh, that's so nice. Thank you.
Shawn Zajas (:What are you supposed to do when you see someone that maybe isn't trying to be seen, or maybe they're just on their phone, or they're just more, everything about their own energy is just closed off and to themselves? Like, did you learn a way that you, I don't know, like are available but not pushy? Like, because I'm thinking if you're surveying a waiting room and it seems like people are just kind of like to themselves and on their phone, like,
Tiffany Wuebben, RDH (:Exactly.
Tiffany Wuebben, RDH (:Mm -hmm.
Shawn Zajas (:I don't know, how do you manage that? Because I would like to approach someone that looks at me the way that you do because you just have that warmth, but not everybody does.
Tiffany Wuebben, RDH (:Thank you. Well, with the guests that were there, a lot of them were high -end C -suites. I mean, we're talking especially at LaCosta. I mean, it was very elite and celebrities came through and a lot of them were very busy and in their own world, like you said. And so I never took offense to them not engaging like you and I can with people and do and like to.
But I would just let them know, you know, there's if there's anything that I can do for you or any any more service that I can provide just let me know I'm gonna give you I'm gonna give you your time your space and Because sometimes they need their space and if they're celebrity they really want space They don't want to have they want you available to serve but they don't want you continuously coming back so it would be body language I would walk by and just
nod like this and they would give me a nod like I'm good and I would continue on and just give them their space and their peace. So I would give them that body language and if they needed something more from me then they would ask and then I would come over and say, you know, what can I do for you? What can I provide? And so that was the open door, you know, as far as that goes. So that body language and being quiet.
but being present in that spoke volumes for them. And I seem to be able to get some good engagement there, just making sure that I was doing my job for them and that I wasn't being overly extrovert, you know, especially with some of the celebrities and the athletes that used to come through there, the professional athletes and some of them, they're...
creative people and they're introverts and they don't want to engage a lot. And that's okay. We all...
Shawn Zajas (:And in their free time, chances are they want space and privacy and peace instead of notoriety and fame. They already have fame, like all the time. This is almost a little respite where it's like, I can just be human.
Tiffany Wuebben, RDH (:One more piece. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.
Yes. And our patients, same. So as a hygienist, having that close proximity to our patients, I learned how to take that skill from the Ritz -Carlton and know by reading my patient's body language, whether they wanted to engage a lot or they just wanted to be served, be taken care of well, and...
said, I look forward to seeing you next time. Thank you so much for coming in today. And that's it. So we have to read our patients' body languages and read where they're at in their own worlds, how busy they are or what have you, and not take offense to it. Just be able to dodge and weave those situations and give the patient what they want and need in the way that they want and need it. And...
and then just carry on to the next one.
Shawn Zajas (:I feel like also like what I'm hearing is like the value of EQ and the ability to relate and understand people. And yet I wonder if some of our hiring metrics are still based off of like, are you capable in like an intelligence sort of way? And I get it, like hygienists, you guys have to know a lot. You know, in schooling, it's not easy. You have to be very intelligent. But at the same exact time,
Tiffany Wuebben, RDH (:Yes.
Shawn Zajas (:It's like not at the expense of not understanding people because that's the business you're in. You're in the people business. You're constantly interacting with individuals that typically might have some sort of friction for being there, whether it's a financial friction or a fear of pain. Like dentistry, it's not like someone's coming in, you know, they're picking out wedding dresses because they're excited to celebrate a wedding. Like this isn't.
Tiffany Wuebben, RDH (:Yeah.
Tiffany Wuebben, RDH (:Great analogy. I love that. Yes, like say yes to the dress and everybody has joy and all of this and you know, but I always talk about how the hygienist and I don't know what this is about but most hygienists have this skill of building patient relationships and having that emotional intelligence and this really great mindset and
That's why they're able to gain the lifetime patient. And so, you know, I've gone to the dentist and said, really lean on your hygiene department to build your practice and do it in these ways because hygienists have these skills and we've got to hone in on that. And so, you know, when we better optimize, you know, as far as the operations of a hygiene department, we get that under wrap and then we continue to...
hone in on the hygienist skills of communication and social intelligence and being able to build those lasting relationships in five minutes. I mean, in five minutes, even a new patient, I've seen hygienists do this. And if we hone in on that, it's gonna reduce the stress of the doctor. It's gonna build the practice. And that's what we see. We really empower the hygienist to really lead with it and...
and take it on. And if the doctor says, here's the keys to the kingdom, what ends up happening is the practice just soars. It absolutely does. And so the practices that we help, you know, go in and say, okay, you've got a hygiene department that's suffering. Well, let's really go in there and nurture it. Let's elevate these hygienists and you watch what happens to your practice in just a short time.
we get these results that are just really, really amazing. And that's what the service is about. And that's what makes us feel so good is because we're serving the practice, but we're serving the patients and helping the teams reduction of stress through utilizing our own powers that we already have inside of us.
Shawn Zajas (:I totally see that, that in some ways, like hygienists are almost like the heart of the practice that carries so much of that connection. And yet I know there's ongoing power struggles between, you know, we don't need to bring up anything that's gonna...
Tiffany Wuebben, RDH (:Mm -hmm.
Tiffany Wuebben, RDH (:there can be those stressors and even silent stressors. And so because I am a hygienist and practicing since 2005 and now start, I have the Hygienepreneur Consulting Company and now we're helping all of these doctors and hygienists how to better work together and respect one another and elevate each other and...
you know, just making sure that everybody's nurtured and then that practice wins because if the practice isn't winning, then we're nothing. We're just people working in this practice. Well, we've got to nurture the practice. And so when we can get everybody on the same page, everyone's calibrated and, you know, doctors and hygienists are having these meetings and really having this...
Ultra focus on patient care and elevating the experience and having that same mindset for growth what happens is beautiful beautiful changes occur and Coming to work isn't like coming to work It's like coming in and really having an experience and having fun having fun in where you know and where we practice so and you know, I
When you came to me and shared with me about your 100 patient challenge with the Zana toothbrushes and it hit home like Ritz Carlton was like, boom, right? And just like, here it is. Here's another experience that the Ritz Carlton probably would say, yeah, that's a good idea. Taking the top 100 patients, your favorite patients that always speak joy of you and refer patients.
and then you'd gift them a toothbrush, well, they're gonna love that. And it's such a nice gesture of hospitality, right? So I just love that idea that you came up with, Sean, and I just think we can do a lot more of that to help grow the practices out there for sure.
Shawn Zajas (:Yeah.
Shawn Zajas (:Well, I love Tiffany just that you get it. And I understand now why you get it because you came from a paradigm of hospitality. You came from an industry where the greatest resorts, the greatest chains have figured out. The more they elevated the experience of the people staying there, the more people were willing to pay. More people kept coming back. Like,
Tiffany Wuebben, RDH (:Yeah.
you.
Shawn Zajas (:the parallel between a high -end resort and a hotel and a dental practice isn't that far off. There's tons of different options. You can go to the value one if you want to. But if you want to practice value dentistry, I don't think you're going to achieve the dream practice. And right now, if I'm a dentist and I'm hearing all about this hospitality -led care and I'm a little discouraged because I've tried in the past, it's like, I feel like the good news is,
Tiffany Wuebben, RDH (:Right.
Shawn Zajas (:If you handle this at the level of culture, that's when it becomes, I feel like that's the only way to do it. It's not about a hack down here. It's not about little things or each day trying to figure out the little stuff at the tactical level. If on a missional level, if on a values level, if on an organizational level, culturally, we're like, this is who we are. This is how we treat patients. This is how we elevate care.
then it's something that can continue almost like you were saying, the energy of it, the vibe of it, the people buy in and all of a sudden everyone starts feeling good. Like this is just how we, this is what we do here. When patients belong here, this is the way we see them. This is the way we care for them. And my biggest frustration, Tiffany, as to why I created the Beyond Black Series Toothbrush with the 100 Patient Challenge is that I saw the bottleneck.
Tiffany Wuebben, RDH (:You know.
Shawn Zajas (:for delivering amazing care ongoing was time. Like a hygienist only has a certain amount of time. A dentist only has a certain amount of time. The team only has a certain amount of time in the practice to really express care, deliver care. In an ideal world, if you could pause time, yeah, you could go and do little coffee dates with all your patients and get to know them and see how they're doing and find out about their life and really just kind of develop that.
friendship type intimacy where you're just getting to express care, but unfortunately you don't have that time. So it's like the patient's going to be in the practice for whatever that set time is. But if all of a sudden now in the midst of that time, you go above and beyond to see them, you go above and beyond to acknowledge them, to make them feel like they belong. Now, when you do those little thoughtful things outside the practice, all you get to do is elevate care. When you gift your
Tiffany Wuebben, RDH (:Right.
Shawn Zajas (:best patients with a symbol of care. All it does is it takes those real moments that you've already made as a hygienist. You've already developed that rapport over maybe four, five, six appointments. And now all of a sudden, when that gift shows up and it's on that patient's bathroom counter for three to five years, with the practice name on it, it's just meant to be the symbol that reminds them, this is the place.
Tiffany Wuebben, RDH (:Alright.
Shawn Zajas (:that I belong now. So if a practice is coming to me and they're like, well, we want to do this, but they don't actually have those moments of care because it's all about time efficiency and quantity. And they're just, there's this mill that's just getting people in trying to deliver great outcomes as efficient as possible, but they're really not seeing people. You can give people brushes. It's not going to do anything because there's no heart of it there.
Tiffany Wuebben, RDH (:Right. It has to be the full circle. It's like the oral surgeon that we worked with, we would refer the patient to him for implants or the child would have third molar extractions or what have you. And he would send flowers to the patient, but in the general dentist practice name.
Shawn Zajas (:wow.
Tiffany Wuebben, RDH (:It wasn't from his name. So these patients would come in and say, Tiffany, will you please thank doctor for those flowers? And finally we're like, okay, we need to find out what's going on over here because we didn't send the flowers, but the oral surgeon sent the flowers in our name. That's next level. That's next level. I mean, you do that and look how it's like little, but it's not.
the impact on that. And so you're right though, it's like you have to have a whole system. We have to make sure that yes, we've got systemized operations so we can create more time to have those relationship moments with our patients. So that way we can free up the hygienist and the dentist to have more time and the assistance and for an office. I mean, we're all care providers in the end.
So we've got to have good systems and operations intact. And that way we can have more time with our patients to have those really impactful moments with them. Then we can do the 100 patient challenge because we're already having this hospitality -based care moments during the visit. And then you do that and then it's like, it's off and running. And all you've done...
is created a really wow experience with that patient and it makes you feel good. You got to take a few moments and just be you and just elevate their day, which elevates yours. So, I think it's a real, real impactful moment for everybody involved.
Shawn Zajas (:And I think so much of these little moments, it also has to do with like timing. You know, when I think back of, you know, dating, there's a reason why at the end of a date, you don't hand the girl that you went on a date with a bouquet of flowers. It's like, you're already having a great time, you know, well, assuming it's a good date. Like, you don't write a card to them and give it to them at the end of the date.
Tiffany Wuebben, RDH (:Right.
Shawn Zajas (:You send it a few days later. You send the personalized cookies a few days later. You send the flowers a few days later because you're wanting to come back up in their memory. You're wanting it to come across as thoughtfulness and care. And yet I see so many practices at times gifting things at the beginning of treatment or at the end of an appointment, you know, doing it. And maybe it's convenient, but it comes across more like obligatory in those moments.
Like, well, I just spent a lot of money with you. Thank you. You know, thanks for the blanket. But even if they just realized they're already trying to be thoughtful, you know, you're trying to get this like blanket that's locally sourced, that's going to be, you know, comfort to your patient. But if you just spend a little bit of extra dollars and just delivered it to them or like mailed it to them when they're not expecting it, just so all of a sudden during their week, they're not thinking about you. And all of a sudden you reemerge out of the busyness and all of a sudden they're like,
my gosh, like seriously, they're thinking about me?
Tiffany Wuebben, RDH (:That's what you just said. It's the fact that they left your practice and days later you thought about them. There's the moment. That's the five -star Google review waiting to happen. And yes, it's really nice when we can say to a patient, here you go, thank you so much, and give them something in the practice. I mean, that's nice, right?
But it even, it's a bigger impact when they go, wow, they were thinking about me and I wasn't even in there. And days later, they delivered this. They went to the trouble to go to the post office, pack it up. And all it takes is creating a system, having someone in charge of that and saying, okay, you're in charge of making sure that these gifts go out, 48 hours after or whatever the hours are.
Shawn Zajas (:Right.
Tiffany Wuebben, RDH (:and having that system written down, you make sure somebody's in charge of it so it always happens, there's consistency, and then what happens, just like the doctor with the flowers, that's a whole system they wrote over there, and that's a practice builder. That's a practice builder. Those patients are gonna come back, and he did it in our name, but here's the beauty. Being a triple diamond referring practice,
He's gonna get more referrals out of us. And I know him personally, and the man is just a beautiful person with a wonderful heart, but he's genius at business because he's gonna get more referrals from us. This hygienist here is going, wow, thank you so much, patient. Yes, yes, I guess we sent those flowers to you. And then I go to the other hygienist and doctors and go, you know what he did?
Shawn Zajas (:Right.
Tiffany Wuebben, RDH (:okay, then another patient comes in the chair and I say to the doctor, are we going to be referring this patient to this doctor? And then of course, you know, doctor, yes, yes, you know, write it up, right? Beautiful. It's a beautiful first full circle moment. It grew our practice, it grew his practice and the patients are happy and it made us as providers feel really good.
Shawn Zajas (:So.
Shawn Zajas (:It's just that when, when, when, and just last week I was talking to Dr. Victor Martel. Are you familiar with this gentleman? Okay. So he's in dentistry. I think he was an oral surgeon and now he coaches and consults and was saying, Sean, I want this brush because oral surgeons, the best of them, what they do is in the name of the GP, they send flowers. So he just shared that idea with me. So I don't know if.
Tiffany Wuebben, RDH (:No!
Shawn Zajas (:your oral surgeon like got tutelage or some training from Dr. Martel or whether they're all just sharing this beautiful idea. And that's where he was saying, wow, if the oral surgeon in the name of the GP decided to send the brush giving the GP credit to the patient, talk about like, just sewing with generosity, just honor.
Tiffany Wuebben, RDH (:Yes. Yes.
Tiffany Wuebben, RDH (:And we'll see. Yeah.
Shawn Zajas (:And I think a lot of practices sometimes in dentists, just because of, it's like people don't know what they don't know. And it's kind of like strength finders as a personality test. What it was trying to educate people is instead of always looking at where you're weak and trying to become strong, look at where you're already strong and double down on those things. In that same exact way, a lot of times we're like people pleasers and we're like, what are the patients that...
Tiffany Wuebben, RDH (:Mm -hmm.
Tiffany Wuebben, RDH (:So true.
Shawn Zajas (:aren't having a good experience or don't feel very connected and we don't want to lose them. And it's like, okay, but what about all the patients that do like you and are that close to becoming a raving fan if you just paid a little bit more attention or just showed a little appreciation? I say, don't try to take an indifferent patient and make them love you. Take a patient that already likes you, that already loves you and just light a bigger fire underneath them by just that little extra, that hospitality led care. I love it. I love...
Tiffany Wuebben, RDH (:Mm -hmm.
Shawn Zajas (:everything you're saying because it brings the heart to dentistry and you need excellent outcomes, you need excellent clinical care, but not at the expense of a cold and sterile experience.
Tiffany Wuebben, RDH (:We want to feel good with what we're doing. I mean, we all went to school for a long time and we go in and we try our very best. And I'll tell the doctors, I'll say, just like what you had said, they'll say, this team member isn't doing this or isn't doing that. And I go, you know what? I see five gifts that this team member is doing. We need to elevate those gifts. Let's hone in on those gifts and you watch what happens. Let's, I mean,
patient is being served, it's not like they're doing anything that's going to harm the patient. Maybe doctor isn't happy about a certain little something and I'll say, okay, we're going to work on that, but let's really elevate the gifts and you watch what happens to this other thing. It's going to naturally get fixed because we're really making sure that that staff member, that team member is nurtured, that we're honing in on those gifts. We're recognizing them. We're appreciating them.
and you watch what happens with the shortcomings, those will go wayside. And so, you know, we love those experiences with our practices that we help. We love to make sure that we're, you know, sitting back, take a pause. It's okay, let's take a pause and really look at all of our team members and the value that they bring and the little things that they have inside them that...
are just waiting to come out with just some proper training and encouragement and letting them know that they're gonna be okay and that we value them. And so then the patient gets to see that and experience that and then the practice grows, of course. So it's just beautiful. We're in a time where we're being challenged to greatness. We're being challenged to...
deliver exceptional experiences because there's so much competition out there. There's so much things, obstacles that are trying to defeat us in our profession. And we need to recognize that it's okay if we just focus on the small things, the relationships, and building those authentic moments. What ends up happening is our practices soar, our team members feel
Tiffany Wuebben, RDH (:wonderful, you're going to be able to attract and retain team members. I'm always getting these questions about how am I going to attract and retain. Well, if you have a positive culture and good Google reviews, it's going to happen. It's fine. I've got a practice in California that has nine hygienists. We grew it from two to nine. And...
We just had an opening there and they had like three or four hygienists looking to get in there. Well, why? Because the culture's good. So, it's just that, this day and age, we have to focus on that growth mindset, right? That social intelligence and the growth mindset and just elevating one another, for sure.
Shawn Zajas (:But even just hearing you say that, Tiffany, it sounds like I don't know when this is going to go live in all transparency, but I know yesterday was Mother's Day. And to honor you, like in whatever way, I don't know if you personally have kids, but the way that you've mothered people, like I can just see, because what you're talking about in essence is almost like it's what a father and mother does when they just nurture.
Tiffany Wuebben, RDH (:Yes.
Tiffany Wuebben, RDH (:Yes.
Shawn Zajas (:the giftings in their kids and overlook some of the immaturities. It's the same thing you do with team members, where it's like, if we constantly catch them doing the things that they're immature with or growing in or just not that good at, then that's what almost becomes what defines them. If we keep catching them doing the beautiful things that they naturally do with the giftings that they have, and we celebrate them, and we honor that, well, that's what continues.
Tiffany Wuebben, RDH (:Totally.
Tiffany Wuebben, RDH (:I'm gonna hit it.
Shawn Zajas (:to grow and get nurtured. So it's like almost to bring it down to something really even basic. It's like, we're not asking care providers to be superhuman. We're just asking them to be human and to acknowledge the humanity in others and to care and to do it from a place of authenticity. And I feel like that's just so true to your message and the transformation that you bring.
Tiffany Wuebben, RDH (:Be human.
Tiffany Wuebben, RDH (:Thank you.
Shawn Zajas (:that you can't help but do that. It's like, this is just who Tiffany Wibben is, and this is just what you release. And I love that. So right now, if I'm listening and I'm like super excited, how would I get ahold of you so that you could do some consulting in my practice?
Tiffany Wuebben, RDH (:Absolutely. Well, I'd love for you to visit my website. We have so many things going on there. We do, you know, of course, one -on -one coaching, webinars, and live events, boot camps, hygiene hoedowns. It's just amazing. I mean, of course, we're building the barn. We're going to have the event center out there. So if you can go on my website, the hygienepreneur .com, there's a lot going on. And I would love it if you...
checked everything out there. And of course I'm always on socials, you know, Facebook, Instagram, and I'm just a phone call away. I just love to be available and we're all destined for greatness. We're all different, but we're all destined for greatness. And that, I have two children and they both played college sports and I always said that to them, you know, you're destined for greatness. So, you know, I don't know what you're worried about.
So, you know, that's how we elevate one another, give each other a little grace. And, you know, that's where my book cover, it's, let's give each other a little grace that the hygienist can absolutely grow a dental practice into a thriving dental business and patients coming back generations.
and just loving the team and the team just enjoying that and you know all of those wonderful things but we all have these powers in us that's for sure.
Shawn Zajas (:Is hospitality led care? Are there nuggets of that in the book? Okay, okay. So, so you don't need to create a course on or program on it. It's already infused in the book.
Tiffany Wuebben, RDH (:Yes, yes, and it's.
Right, but you know, it's interesting. I do have people that'll come to me and say, Tiffany, can you present on this? And I say, sure, because I've lived it. And so I'll write a course special for a meeting planner just to make sure that that message is of what they want is out there. So if they said, Tiffany, can you give me a course on hospitality -based care? I say, yes.
I already touch upon it when I am presenting in the different areas of the book, but even writing just a whole course on hospitality -based care would be so fun. And yeah, I think that that would be a real easy thing to do for me, for sure.
Shawn Zajas (:I disagree with you. It's where, I can't say it's just dentistry. It's where the entire market is going, where it's no longer just about either the widget being great or the service being great. People expect more. And it's not just that they expect more. I feel like people need more. And the companies and the services that are going to figure that out.
Tiffany Wuebben, RDH (:Mm -hmm.
Tiffany Wuebben, RDH (:Yes.
Shawn Zajas (:and make at the heart of everything they do, as my good friend Cassie Talon always says, like, people always proceed profits. Always. And that goes with our team, but it also goes with our patients. When we make everything about our team and sowing into them and building them up and nurturing them like you were saying, and we focus on our patients as people first, caring about them, what they're going through, going that extra mile.
Tiffany Wuebben, RDH (:Mm -hmm.
Tiffany Wuebben, RDH (:Yes.
Shawn Zajas (:the prophet comes and it.
Tiffany Wuebben, RDH (:Yeah, the money comes. It just comes, you just provide the service and the money just comes. It's amazing. And I tell hygienists, I said, you don't have to focus on the money part, focus on the care, focus on nurturing your patients, giving them an experience, that elevated experience and focus on the care and you watch what happens. And so that's why...
We get such big ROI. When doctors invest in training for their team, it's an amazing thing when you see the transformation of a hygiene department grow as much as even 56 % in six months with even less providers. I mean, these are the numbers that we're seeing. And it's wonderful. It's absolutely so fun to track that.
and attract the new patient growth and track the attrition levels and making sure that the back door is closed and that you're really growing. I mean, who cares about a hundred new patients a month if you're losing 102, right? So these are all the things that we hone in on as well as delivering that exceptional service and utilizing certain language that helps elevate that experience.
So we do train on communication. And a lot of times you don't have to say so much to get the yes, to deliver that care. You have that relationship, patients are more prone to say yes. So that's all within the trainings that we do too. And it's really going well. Yes, I'm so proud. I'm so proud of the practices and what they're doing. It's wonderful.
Shawn Zajas (:Tiffany, in this new era of dentistry, where it is all about people first, you are the perfect leader with the perfect message and method to help usher people, to help usher dentists, to help usher hygienists into that. Like it is so easy just honoring you as someone that uses your influence really just to make dentistry better. Like I love how you serve.
I love how you serve dentistry. I can't wait for you to get the barn ready so I can party with you and just get to continue to equip and empower dentistry. Tiffany, like thank you so much for letting me interview you today.
Tiffany Wuebben, RDH (:Thank you.
my gosh, you're welcome. Anytime. I just love your audience and you know, I can't wait for us to do this again and keep doing you, you know, keep keep doing what you're doing too, because that inspires all of us. And it's just wonderful when when you have, you know, people in our industry like minded, all all really having that heartfelt.
you know, method of operation where it's all about being patient centric and all about having those special moments with each other, our team members, but also our patients. And, and so I appreciate you so much and giving us a platform to even talk about it. So thank you.
Shawn Zajas (:Thank you, Tiffany.
Tiffany Wuebben, RDH (:You're welcome.
