“ I ’ m Just Looking For A Haircut ,” Or Why Culture Matters
by Bill Robinson , ADAPT President & CEO
About the Author , Bill Robinson , ADAPT President & CEO
Bill came to ADA Practice Transitions from the ADA , where he was the VP of Member & Client Services and gained significant insight into the dental market . He joined the ADAPT team to help dentists improve the transition experience and ensure patients continue to receive high-quality care .
( This piece was originally published in the ADA Practice Transitions ’ ADAPT blog and is printed with permission .)
I used to go to an old school barber shop with the striped pole , containers of blue Barbicide jammed with combs , and lots of kitschy sports memorabilia . I loved that barber shop . And I loved my barber because he could tell that I was there to get my haircut and not to fill him in on everything that had happened over the last six weeks . When I got in the barber chair , it was all business . Our conversation consisted of , “ Same as always ?” to which I responded , “ Yep .” I loved that .
My barber got into a disagreement with the owner of the shop and left . Even though I loved the feel of that barber shop , all the other barbers there wanted to chat while cutting my hair . At that time , I was in a sales job and talked to people all day long . I had come to appreciate my quick , efficient haircuts . After trying a couple of different barbers there , I left that “ practice ” to find a new barber who felt more comfortable to me . I now get my hair cut by Sergei , who speaks very little English – problem solved .
You may be wondering why I am talking about haircuts in the midst of a blog about dental transitions . I am not trying to draw equivalence between dentistry and cutting hair . Obviously , the stakes are much higher in dentistry . But I wanted to illustrate a point about how customers ( patients ) select their service provider .
22 JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2021 | PENNSYLVANIA DENTAL JOURNAL