For Elizabeth Bueno, the clinical director of a busy, multi-location dental practice, incorporating ZenSupplies into her systems increased efficiency, eliminated stress, and spurred further business growth. After five years utilizing ZenSupplies for ordering and dental inventory management, River Run Dental Spa in Richmond, Virginia has grown from one practice to five, and Bueno herself has transitioned from a hygienist managing direct patient care to a director managing bourgeoning practice operations across multiple locations. "I have a lot going on...our practice is rapidly growing," said Bueno. "[ZenSupplies just improved the efficiency of ordering and training and supply inventory management." After hearing about Zen on a podcast over five years ago, Bueno and her team approached founder Tiger Safarov about signing up for a subscription model at just a few hundred dollars per month. "Working with Tiger from the beginning, he was kind of at the forefront of his company," said Bueno. "It was great to have that personal relationship with him from the beginning." At the time, with only one River Run Dental Spa location, "We really didn't have budgets that were shared with us or budgets that were super strict," said Bueno. Though "There was a lot of flexibility and grace with it," Bueno noted, it was difficult to manage exact inventory and spending. "With Zen, we were really able to have one dental platform, order from multiple distributors, get the lowest prices, create new relationships with new distributors, and manage our inventory and our budget all in one place." Because River Run Dental Spa is highly focused on the patient experience, outsourcing product management allowed new freedom to further enhance patient care while leaving the inventory logistics up to Zen. "We really focus on providing an exceptional patient experience and have really grown our practice through focusing on that main vision," said Bueno. Their priority, she added, is "Exceptional dental care...we strive to leave a lasting legacy in Richmond by creating an experience that's different than others and providing a place that isn't your typical, average dental appointment." Bueno also noted that the practice saves thousands of dollars each year on dental supplies through the savings comparative tools Zen provides. "It was kind of a no brainer." Typical dental offices spend about 5% of their collections on products, and after implementing Zen, River Run has maintained a 3.4% spend on inventory. Instead of spending hours on organization, ordering, and searching for the best prices, River Runs Dental Spa staff can focus on providing the best patient experience possible. "Because it is just a click of a couple buttons...and the way that the storages work within Zen, makes it super efficient," said Bueno. Saving time, money, and energy has resulted in exceptional growth for the business. "We're continuing to grow. We plan on opening several more practices over the next couple years," added Bueno, who is currently overseeing the opening of River Run's sixth office this fall. "That's super exciting."
By Lauren Carlson Let's face it. Inventory dental inventory management in a dental office can be complicated, frustrating and, above all, time consuming. Instead of providing the best service and treatment to your patients, you (or your office managers or dental assistants) are busy in the supply closet counting gloves, masks, etc. until they're cross-eyed, all with the goal of maintaining steady daily operations in the operatory. But as the old adage goes, 'There's gotta be a better way.' And there is; in the past few years, technology-savvy startups have crafted new solutions that streamline and/or automate product counting, ordering, budgeting, and price comparisons. Instead of paying the high hourly rates of your skilled employees to complete these tasks, dental offices have outsourced this labor to dental software systems or individuals ready and able to efficiently manage inventory processes. So instead of focusing on products, your skilled staff members can provide better service to your existing patients, take on higher workloads, or train for completed procedures. Brian Mc Court, Global Procurement & Supply Chain Professional for Abra Health Group, has worked in the health and wellness industry for 15 years, with seven years directing supply chain and commerce. In his current position for Abra, a health collective that provides affordable dental services for underserved communities, Brian works to streamline team and client communication along the supply chain. As the health group continues to grow — Abra went from three sites to over ten in the past year and plans to double that number in the next 18 months — its many sites required better oversight of vital inventory information. Specifically, Brian needed support to help determine the amount of staff necessary and the roles that they fill. Improved processes would also help him visualize product needs, procure the necessary items, and control their flow into and use within the office. "Now's the time. We're kind of right in the middle of that huge growth," he said. 1. Streamline your reporting One way inventory management tactic that Brian uses to help save his team money is regular reporting. By collecting data, either using outsourced support staff, scanning product QR codes in the supply closet, or the old fashioned manual counting method, Brian ensures that Abra's many locations have up-to-date information on product needs. "[Dental staff] have a whole clinic to run," he said. "The last thing I want them to worry about is trying to figure out what they need. If we have better visualization of our inventory we can create KPI [Key Performance Indicator] report...and that can be done at the corporate level." By collecting all data in a single location and having one staff person oversee product needs for all locations, Brian says, he can better utilize on the ground staff to do what they do best. By consolidating the work of weekly reports under one corporate staff member, the entire health group saves time and money. 2. Manage the supply chain The COVID-19 pandemic has forced uncertainty and chaos into industries across the globe, but has especially impacted those in medical and dental services. As community health needs and worries shift, dental practice owners need to remain flexible to ensure that have the PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) and everyday supplies at the ready. Jordan Lorenz, Director of Special Markets for City Dental, has worked for the dental supplies distributor for almost a decade. "The business end of it is what I enjoy," said Jordan, who is inspired by the efficiency and constant evolution of the dental industry. His team works with dental office customers who use a variety of methods to place orders. Some place orders over the phone, others partner with a DSO (Dental Service Organization) or GPO (Group Purchasing Organization). Still others utilize technology platforms like Zen Supplies, a tech startup that organizes inventory data and helps offices compete for the best prices. For Jordan, "understanding what my office needs and when they need it." And "Operating in a lean way is the best method to save his clients money through better inventory management. When you have access to real-time data, "You're ordering the things that you need and you have tight control around that supply chain," he said. Also, by partnering with one of the inventory platforms mentioned above, you have access to dozens of suppliers at a variety of price points, ensuring that supply chain woes become less of an obstacle—both in emergencies, and in everyday patient care. "The one thing that probably the pandemic taught people was that...the more sources for products you have, the better," said Jordan, who noted that if a certain product is out of stock at a go-to provider, platforms like Zen Supplies offers relationships with additional suppliers. "You gain efficiencies if you have multiple suppliers available to you," he added. 3. Outsource the simple stuff For Julie Telles-Carrizales, Executive Assistant for Apex Dental Studio, improved inventory management was all about outsourcing the tedious task of counting. For two years, "I took on pretty much whatever needed to be done in the office...and that included inventory management," she said. However, the practice has recently outsourced its inventory counting to a virtual assistant who uses images of the office's stock to remotely count products. Julie has also crafted an in-depth spreadsheet with detailed information for exact product ordering that has cut down on manual ordering tasks. With outsourced data in hand and a streamlined center for her data, "It's just click click click," she added. This efficient system saves the dental assistants and dentists from using their skilled time on inventory. Instead, they can better care for their patients. "They're here for and with patients," said Julie. "A lot of them don't want to be stuck in the back taking numbers." Whether your role is in the corporate office of a health group, managing customer needs at a supplier, or on the ground in a dental office, better inventory management processes can save you time and money. By streamlining reporting, managing the supply chain with access to multiple distributors, and outsourcing simple tasks, your practice can begin operating more efficiently and earning more profit overall.
As a new practice from scratch, there was no question that we needed to have dental office inventory software. I had worked as an associate at multiple offices, of which none utilized a system that was proven efficient. There were unused, expired products, random lists of supplies needed, ordering from one supplier, never price comparing, and rarely was the doctor or owner involved. I had the opportunity to create my own systems and inventory supply to provide the practice with the most efficiency, as well as profit to invest back in the practice or in myself. Who doesn’t want more money in their pocket? If that’s the case- you, the doctor/owner, need to be involved in the dental inventory system. It takes less time utilizing a system and being involved in the process than it does dealing with misplaced supplies or realizing you don’t have something when you need it. I can look in my supply closet right now, without having to move a single item, and tell you what is running low or is out of stock. The organization of your dental supplies is the key to being able to utilize the software to its true potential. ZenSupplies has allowed us to implement a system with our lean, organized inventory that provides efficiency and savings. Even as the practice grows, almost every month, we are able to stay within about 5% of collections with our dental supplies. This has everything to do with the management system and keeping a lean inventory. I live by the saying that less is more. You do not need to have an overstock of supplies- it doesn’t allow you to spend the money where you might actually want or need to or you overspend without any knowledge of the budget. ZenSupplies emphasizes the responsibility of managing that budget with inventory that is necessary. The system allows for easily checking items out of inventory and keeping a running list of what absolutely needs to be ordered. Price comparison is obviously a huge benefit as well. Who wants to go back and forth between supplier websites, or even direct contact with reps, to figure out what the best price is? Zen is making it easier and easier, with the growth of the system, to price compare and manage your budget to reach your set goal. Like anything in life, there is a learning curve to utilizing something new. ZenSupplies is a great system to manage your dental inventory, but you need to learn how to make the system work for your practice. I cannot emphasize enough, that the organization of your dental supplies is very important. It is easy to stay organized when you narrow down your dental supplies and minimize to only what is absolutely necessary to function as a dental practice. When you can provide Zen with a lean inventory, the system will work for you. Ultimately, what I have learned is that when ZenSupplies is not working (i.e. we run out of a product that was not placed on an order), it is usually due to user error. Your staff needs to be trained on how to utilize the system or it will not work. Everyone needs to agree at what point an item needs to be ordered. As the doctor/owner, I take responsibility for overseeing that my team is utilizing the system correctly by auditing the inventory and approving all orders. With the ease of the ZenSupplies app, I can walk into the closet scroll through the categories, and confirm that they are checking items in and out as needed. It is worth my time and way less of a headache than scrambling to order a product we are running out of and overpaying just so that I can have it the next day. Dental inventory management is well worth the investment to reduce those headaches, improve efficiency, and stay within budget. Dr. Cerdas' bio is here
2023 is promising to be an exciting year. Technology is booming and there is so much we can bring to dentistry to help with day to day tasks and stress. From AI to basic tasks automation we are looking at the entire landscape and discussing with our offices what is the path forward. From a customer standpoint, according to Delaney, our Customer Success Manager, one of the most desired and requested features is Bar Codes. Ability to scan a barcode and remove products from inventory (or add them to shopping cart) would make the dental inventory software process a lot easier and more of “I don’t have to think about it”. Alesia, our Product Manager, is looking forward to improvements in the infrastructure, reporting, and reliability. This is a great and short episode that provides a glimpse into our inner workings and how we make decisions at Zen.
Providing a consistent and positive patient experience is essential for driving business growth, as satisfied customers are more likely to remain loyal and help your business grow. In addition, the cost of acquiring a new customer is significantly higher than retaining an existing one. That is why, whether you're a startup or a large DSO, building strong relationships with customers is crucial. Also, an exceptional service is not a one-time event: it is an ongoing effort to consistently exceed customer expectations.This means going above and beyond the standard expectations of a dental visit, and actively seeking out ways to improve the overall experience for patients. What’s preventing companies from ensuring top-notch customer service? It's common to have too much on one's plate, and customer service can often be overlooked in the midst of other pressing matters. As a business, it can be difficult to keep track of all the issues that arise, leading to a tendency to view customer requests as a single, overwhelming problem. However, by implementing some dental practice software we use at Zen, you can develop a strategy for consistently providing excellent customer service. We reached out to a few of our dedicated employees who work closely with clients to make them feel special on a daily basis. We are thrilled to share our knowledge and advice with dental practices and other businesses that aim to achieve exceptional customer satisfaction. What does customer experience mean to ZenSupplies? ZenSupplies places a high priority on the customer experience, and it has become a key factor in differentiating ourselves from the competitors. While the growth is important, we focus on treating our customers as individuals, not just numbers. To achieve this, we tend to foster a sense of warmth and familiarity with the customers at every touchpoint, especially in the digital age where the majority of client interactions occur in web based dental software. We take the time to understand each customer's specific needs and preferences, and tailor our product and services to meet those needs. When it comes to building a strong customer support team, it's important to carefully consider the internal HR processes that are put in place to identify, hire, onboard, and train the right people for the job. At Zen, for example, we recognized that having a team made up of individuals with prior experience in the dental field would be key to providing excellent customer care. JILLIAN, CUSTOMER SUCCESS SPECIALIST: "Creating a positive and long-lasting relationship with patients is crucial for any dental clinic. As competition in the industry continues to rise, it's important to understand that having the latest technology and equipment may not be enough to retain customers. It's essential to show patients that the clinic truly cares about their dental health and overall well-being. Here are a few best practices for improving customer service in a dental office: - Never take patient relationships for granted: Regular patients are the foundation of any dental clinic. It's essential to make them feel valued and appreciated at all times. - Empower your staff with positive attitudes: A dental clinic's staff is the face of the business and their attitude towards patients can make or break the customer experience. It's essential to make sure staff members are trained in excellent customer service and are invested in the clinic's philosophy of providing top-notch service. - Remember that small gestures can make a big impact: In today's fast-paced world, small gestures of kindness can go a long way in making patients feel valued. Sending thank you notes or cards can make a big difference in how patients perceive the clinic. By following these best practices and focusing on creating a positive and personalized experience for patients, dental clinics can improve customer satisfaction and build long-lasting relationships with patients." TANYA, CUSTOMER OPERATIONS MANAGER: "Effective communication is a key aspect of providing a positive customer experience in any business, including dentistry. In a dental office setting, it is important to have multiple communication channels available for patients to use, such as phone, email, and online portals or chats. This allows patients to reach out to the office in the way that is most convenient for them and ensures that their inquiries or concerns are addressed in a timely manner. A dental office that can quickly respond to patients' needs and questions will create a positive customer experience, leading to increased trust and loyalty.Whether it is through phone calls, emails, or online forms, patients want to know that their concerns are being heard and addressed. Patients will appreciate the prompt attention and feel more confident in the office's ability to provide quality care. By utilizing multiple channels and timing them appropriately, dental practices can ensure that patients feel heard and valued." LANA, CUSTOMER SUPPORT SPECIALIST: "It's important to regularly assess your customer service practices to ensure you are meeting the needs of your patients. Here are a few questions to consider when conducting a customer service "checkup": 1) Are patients receiving clear and accurate information about their treatment options and costs? 2) Do you keep things fresh and comfortable in your clinic to maintain patient engagement? 3) Are you regularly seeking feedback from your patients to understand their needs and preferences? 4) Does your staff understand and support your mission of treating patients like royalty to foster loyalty? 5) Do you follow up with patients to assess their level of satisfaction with their visit? 6) Do you have a specific protocol in place for promptly addressing any customer complaints? By conducting a checkup, it helps to establish a benchmark for your customer service, which can be used to track progress over time and measure the effectiveness of any improvements made." The Bottom Line Providing exceptional customer service may not be a new concept, but it is vital for maintaining a thriving business. When it comes to customer loyalty, it is not solely about cost and promotional strategies, but rather how a business handles and treats its clients, particularly those with concerns. By providing multiple channels for customers to reach out, having a knowledgeable and friendly customer service team, being efficient, and listening to customer feedback, a dental clinic can set itself apart from the competition and build long-term customer loyalty. Therefore, ensuring that your customer service is excellent will enable you to stay on top of your business game! Book a demo with the Zen Team here: zensuupplies.com/demo
Those that navigate through 2020 and keep their head above the water deserve huge respect. It’s been a year of really testing everyone’s patience and in order to have some sense of stability, we all had to shift and rebalance our priorities. For most, it was rediscovering family time, for some it was learning a new skill, and for some, sadly, it was learning to live through the loss of loved ones. It’s been an incredibly tough year! Please don’t mind me trying to look at all of it from a positive lens. We are all learning to live in a new environment, but we get to define what this new environment means. We get to fix something that was broken. We get to reassess our priorities and choose a new direction. For leaders and business owners, COVID is really testing our leadership skills and resilience. We are given an opportunity to reassess priorities and perhaps look at what we are building from a new light. Nothing is perfect and nothing is 100% predictable. Sometimes doing our best is all we can control, and letting yourself know that, is a great way forward. Our team is the most important asset we have, and during this time we get an opportunity to be the leaders people want to follow. COVID has given us that opportunity to be humans again, to start a meeting with “How is everyone doing”; “Is your family ok?”; that rare opportunity to look at the person as a human and not “Dental Assistant” or “Hygienist”, but a person with problems, anxiety, and stress. Not everything needs to be solved with dollars, metrics, KPIs, and promotions that are “well earned”. The most human thing is to care and have sympathy. And if one is in the position to help, then let’s genuinely help. We get a unique chance to build an “Island of Stability'', where, perhaps, your practice or business (even if it’s virtual, as ZenSupplies), can be the place where the team feels supported and has certainty. We are also given a unique opportunity to fix something that was broken, on a personal level. COVID and lockdowns have forced us to reassess people around us and ask ourselves the questions that Viktor Frankl, in his book “Man’s Search for a Meaning” calls the most existential question for a human being. And this question is “Who needs me?”. From my personal experience, reconnecting with family and fixing broken relationships has been the most difficult and yet the most fulfilling experience of my life. And it all started with “Who needs me?”. I genuinely hope we learn from 2020 instead of “going through”. I hope we take something, fix something, become something, evolve into something better, and allow people, who we love, to need us even more! Thanksgiving Holiday, in my opinion, is one of the most important family holidays. Hopefully, for many of us, this year will look much different, more enriched with family and joy. We are grateful to every single office and team member! From all of us at Zen, Happy Thanksgiving! Tiger P.S. on the picture is my dad, who I rarely talk about.
Just like many things in this world, work life balance is a complex subject, perhaps with the wrong term/title that forces people to search for answers in the wrong place. What is balance? According to the Oxford dictionary, it’s a condition in which different elements are equal or in the correct proportions. Meaning Your Work and Your Life, magically, need to be equal and in correct proportions! I have so many questions! What are the proportions? Who determines them? Should work be as important as life or vice versa? Should these proportions stay the same for the rest of your life? Even if we look at the basic math, taking averages it’s already not very equal: 168 Hours in a week 40 hours - WORK 56 Hours - Sleep 72 Hours - Life Seventy two hours for life, that is double of work hours, assuming, at least for the purpose of this conversation, sleep is recharging ability to live and work. If we already have such inequality by pure numbers, why is there so much conversation today on work life balance? I would also assume that most people refer to Life part of the “work-life balance” conversation, that time is running out and at the current pace there is not enough life in the equation. Just like anybody else, I ask myself this question, especially as I’m getting older the time is running at the faster pace each year, “What is work life balance?” Let’s look at it by breaking it into 10 year span terms: “Redbull” 20s In my 20s I wanted to work all the time, weekends, evenings, all the time. I would take 40 Work hours, add 72 Life hours and even try to cut off a few hours from sleep. I was driven. I wanted to prove to myself and my family that I could make it! There was no balance. However, there was happiness. It made me happy that I was pursuing what I wanted. I was building my own company and even when I wasn’t I would drive around rich neighborhoods of Chicago, “working” on my goals, imagining living in one of those mansions! If I had a choice to do all over again, not in a chance I would do anything differently! I call it the “red bull decade”. You can survive on 4 hours of sleep, 2 cups of coffee each hour and a redbull. I’m not advising it, but it’s an option for a particular goal or personal ambition. Even if one is not pursuing ambitious goals to change the world, it’s still important to give it your best in the 20s to mess things up, make mistakes, own up to it and try to correct things. The learning experience is enormously important and the more you gain the more value one can create for future self. It’s more important to give it your best, try a career, business, side project, etsy store, etc. Push yourself to work a little harder and see what happens. Ironically it’s also the best time to go all in on Life and experience things before family. Visit new countries, travel and explore yourself through the uncomfortable setting of being in a different country with a different language. Take unpaid leave for 1 or 3 months and just go. I would call it retreat with your future self as you get a chance to face your fears and look back. Ask yourself “Is the direction I chose is truly mine?” By the way, if your employer is mad and/or not supportive, you are part of the wrong company! When you consider “leap of faith” decisions in your 20s the brain will try to tell you “that’s impossible?” or “how are you going to pay for it?”, don’t listen, get creative and just do it. This is the time in your life to train the brain - "If there is a will there's a way! Don’t miss this important opportunity!" Golden 30s This is my territory at the moment. When I turned 30 I could feel something was different. I was different. More content with what I have, less materialistic possession and on the mission for what I know I want. I wasn’t guessing, I invested in my 20s to explore, wander around, work really hard on the wrong things, businesses and a relationship. In my 30s I understood the difference between arrogance and confidence. I learned the value of being honest, telling how you feel and practicing the “if it’s important do it now” mentality. I was 33 years young when I took my first real vacation, with close friends, on a yacht hopping popular Greece islands. I enjoyed every minute of “Life” time and towards the end of the trip I couldn’t wait to get back to Work life. My energy was restored and I knew in order to see more in life I needed to continue working hard to create life opportunities again. This sounds simple and basic, and it really is. In order to create quality Life moments I need to create resources to allow life moments. Resources are created by bringing value to this world in the form of ideas, hard work, and being able to execute on the ideas. We can’t exactly predict the outcomes in dollar amounts or what our efforts are going to be worth, but at least we can give it our best try! In the 30s you start choosing friends, dropping negative friendships, discovering hobbies, establishing a personal health program that includes diet, working out, and choosing your one favorite activity. Many start running marathons, triathlons, Ironman, etc. It’s important to pick the camp and learn all you can about it. It also provides a certain “escape” from day to day activity. I recently learned, from an Interview Tim Ferriss did with Mark Zuckurberg, that running is a great physical activity but it doesn’t help to zone out from day to day activities. Ideally you need to find sports that take up ALL of your attention. I picked hockey! When I play and practice, 3-4 hours a week, I’m fully present. There is no phone, no smart watch, nothing. Even if my wife is watching the game I rarely notice her. I’m fully in the game. Otherwise I’ll get run over or hit by a bigger guy into the boards (survival element). Most importantly you start re-evaluating close family as it becomes more and more important to stay close with the loved ones and create your own island of stability -your own family! This era is full of investments into your current self but more importantly into your future self. Most people start settling into “Well that’s how it is”, “This is what life is”. I recently started hearing “Who would play hockey at my age?” or “It’s too late to start the business” or even worse “Who do you think you are?”. This is really sad and I can’t help but think that I’m so lucky that I made a lot of time investments in my 20s to remove even the possibility of these thoughts entering into my universe! So it’s hard to imagine equal distribution of work and life up until this point. It always tilts and swings in different directions with an effort to live a full life and work really hard to provide yourself an opportunity to have great life moments in the future. Maybe things start to change in the 40s? Wise 40s I’m not there yet, but I hear from those who are there that it’s awesome to be 40! You are wise, experienced and accumulated a great deal of resources. I do feel most people start tilting towards life and experiencing things that they simply didn’t have time nor the resources to explore prior. One downside of the 40s that I do hear is that your inner circle is closing down. Meaning the number of people you interact with is getting smaller and one has to make a lot of effort to meet new people and maintain existing relationships. I really don’t know anybody in their 40s who thinks about the subject of Work Life Balance, however it seems to me most double down on trying to squeeze the most out of the productive phase of life and build a great future. Most importantly I noticed people are very clear on what “great future” means to them. The saying of “climbing the wrong ladder” becomes a lot more obvious and you still have time to swap the “ladder”. Again this is not my area of expertise and all I can do is observe people and so far it looks promising! Fruitful 50s I have no place contemplating work life balance ideas in my 50s, my gut tells me you are ripping the benefits of all the hard work. One of my fears since I was a kid is what my life would look like when I’m at the retirement age. I care less about driving a nice car today vs when I’m 60. I try to imagine myself being a dad or grandad who buys a nice car for cash and can easily take the entire family on a trip to Italy for a month. Perhaps having a clear vision of what the “end” looks like brings the whole work life balance idea to an actual balance. Balance of time, goals, ambition and where you currently are is what makes sense to me. I know what my life would look like in my 50s/60s and for that I want to work my tail off today. That makes me happy and focused. It also helps me choose the right friends who are like minded and on the same mission. There was a hint of that in 2018 on a yacht in Greece with one my close friend Ivan, who I knew since we both immigrated to the US in 2005 with no money and no friends. We had a great time conversing over life since we immigrated and what the future could look like. Imagine the same place and same people when we are in our 50s and 60s, the conversations we will have? I can’t wait 🙂 So much is ahead of us and a better term for what I see as work life balance is Work Life Zen (or harmony, as Jeff Bezos famously coined the phrase). Definition of Harmony - the quality of forming a pleasing and consistent whole (according to Oxford Dictionary)
Welcome back to ZenOne podcast. Today I'm visiting one of my favorite offices in Waco Texas, Acre Wood Dental and the team, Dr. Ben Johnson, Allison, Meghan and Dan Johnson. We discuss projects Dr. Johnson completed during COVID, managing during tough times, culture and leadership. We cover so many great topics on desire, what makes one pursue perfection and continue to grow professionally. Dr. Johnson shares a story of a personal failure and steps he took to overcome. As Winston Churchill was working to form the United Nations after WWII, he famously said, “Never let a good crisis go to waste”. In our context never let a great challenge go wasted without a growth [embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RHo-RnL650[/embedyt] At about 32 minutes into the conversation we change gears from personal growth and business to family and fundamentals of the successful marriage. Show notes and timestamps 14:00 - Changing Practice Management Software 16:40 - How Dr. Jonson evaluates new software options for the office 19:30 - Desire to Grow and add more practices. How to identify strengths and what is the max 24:00 - Daily Routine for peak performance 25:00 - Lights go off but we continue recording 26:15 - Are you born with desire and ambition 30:00 - Steps to overcome failures 32:40 - "How much do you share with your wife?" 40:30 - We mention Dr. Tom Novak (Beacon Dentistry) and his relationship advice To learn more about Dr. Johnson's incredible story, please watch this video: https://youtu.be/Hr6y0SSuv1o Website: https://www.acrewooddental.com/
Dr. Tom has incredible story of growing up in Chicago ,having paper routes at 9 years old and growing up in the family of 6. After completing dental school, Tom joined the Navy for 5 years and then spent some time in Seattle making $31,000 a year before landing in Weatherford Texas. He recently expanded to a new building, from 2200 SF 7 ops space to a 4000 SF 12 ops stand alone building. Dr. Novak shares his life wisdom on running a practice, raising kids and building incredible family. [embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9-tOG_2rE0[/embedyt] Timestamps: 2:00 - from 1963 7 ops space to a stand alone building with 12 ops and awesome team 5:40 - drive and ambition 6:55 - 10251 days story 8:50 - You have now idea what to do in parenting 13:30 - Best parenting advice 21:20 - Family is a unified front 24:30 - “The goals, I don’t think if I have any….” 26:10 - How to be happy with what you have 28:10 - Simple but Powerful life advice: “Savings has always been the Payment” 30:20 - “Is this a lot of money, son?” To learn more about Dr. Tom Novak biography: https://youtu.be/egNCFjQh4yQ To learn more about Beacon Dentistry: www.beacondentistry.com
Questions about testing dental waterlines are all over social and print media. Terms like DUWLs, CFUs, and LPSs are in the literature but what does that alphabet soup mean and what is a dental office supposed to do about it? The good news is, is it isn’t as hard at pronouncing words like Pseudomonas Aeruginosa (which is something could be hanging out in your dental unit waterline, DUWL, right now). So let’s get you on a path to clean waterlines and keep you off the latest news cycle. It’s really a simple 5 step process to make sure waterlines are in the clear. 1. Shock: First you have to shock all your dental unit waterlines. When I say all, I mean ALL! Even the ones you don’t use--actually, especially the ones use--they are the most likely to have built up biofilm due to the stagnant nature of the line. You can use a diluted bleach solution or a prepared shock solution. There are many articles and videos online for the exact instructions on how to shock based on the method you choose. 2. Test: After you shock you need to determine if your lines contain less than 500 colony forming units (CFUs). There are a few options out there for testing. You can do it yourself with an in-office test such as ProEdge Dental’s QuickPass or Aquasafe water test kits. They are both easy to use. The QuickPass has a 48-72 hours incubation period, while the Aquasafe requires 7 days. Or you can outsource and send samples out to a lab. Once again, when you test you have to test ALL of your lines. So that could mean water samples from 3-7 lines per operatory--don’t forget your ultrasonic scaler, it has a waterline too. If you don’t pass the test, go back to step one and shock again. 3. Treat: Now that you have determined your lines are safe, let’s keep them that way. You can treat them daily with a tablet-like BluTab or you can install a straw into your unit water reservoir that is replaced yearly. Do not be fooled by a well-meaning rep that tells you the tabs or straw are all you need to do. Unfortunately, if you aren’t doing step four the biofilm will build right back up. 4. Maintainance: Daily maintenance is key to keeping your lines free of CFUs. At the end of each workday, the lines need to be dried so that water doesn’t sit stagnate overnight or over the weekend. Standing water is a biofilms dream. Just think of a vase of flowers, after that water sits for days a film grows on top of the water and on the sides of the vase that is hard to remove. That’s a biofilm. So imagine your tiny dental waterline tubing and water sitting in it for any period of time. Here’s an example of a daily waterline routine: Fill the unit reservoir with tap water (note distilled water will not keep you safer, in fact, it has no chlorine so you are more likely to build up biofilm) Put in Blu Tab if using and reattach water bottle Turn unit on Run all lines for at least 30 seconds Between Patients Run all lines that enter the patient’s mouth for 20-30 seconds Turn unit off Drain water from the unit reservoir, dry Straw if using, and reattach bottle Turn unit back on and run all the lines until they are dry Turn unit off "If your ultrasonic scaler has a separate water source be sure to complete all the steps above with it." 5. Re-Test: It is key to re-test your waterlines to be sure that regrowth has not occurred. OSAP recommends that you re-test monthly at the beginning of implementing your waterline maintenance routine. If monitoring results show your water quality is acceptable for 2 consecutive months then you can move to quarterly testing. If a unit fails then you start the cycle all over again with step one and shock your lines. It is key to also be sure you are keeping records of your efforts. Dental Board inspectors are consistently asking for this documentation to ensure you are compliant. ProEdge.com has a free handy checklist you can download (link below). Or you can create your own. Just be sure you are keeping track! While this may seem like one more thing to add to our already busy routine it’s a key step to ensure you are providing a safe environment for your patients. I have had dentists push back at the cost of the tests or the time it takes to establish yet another protocol. But just imagine if your mother, grandmother, child or even you, were in that chair, wouldn’t you want to know those lines are safe? ~Amanda Hill, RDH, BSDH Disclaimer: This article is the sole opinion and research of the writer and doesn't reflect the opinions of ZenSupplies. Resources: More references on this subject: https://osapjdics.scholasticahq.com/article/5075-dental-unit-water-quality-organization-for-safety-asepsis-and-prevention-white-paper-and-recommendations-2018 Waterline testing Log: https://proedgedental.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/QuickPass-Log_5.2019_V3.pdf Some of the ABBREVIATIONS as a reference: ADA - American Dental Association ANSI - American National Standards Institute AWWA - American Water Works Association CDC - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CFU/mL - Colony forming units per milliliter DFU - Directions for use (see also IFU) DHCP - Dental health-care personnel DUWL - Dental unit waterline EPA - US Environmental Protection Agency FDA - US Food and Drug Administration HAI - Healthcare-associated infections HPC - Heterotrophic plate count IC - Infection control (or infection prevention and control)
Some people might say it is crazy; we say it is a great adventure, and we like crazy. We, Tiger, Liz, and Erika, have now set sail on a burgundy colored, rented Jeep, headed south, while our Minsk-team is working to keep everything afloat. We have a seven-day trip planned (as much as planning is possible) and our Jeep is going to take us close to 5,000 miles, on a course through Oklahoma, Texas, Colorado, and Idaho. So why are we doing this? Zen is a quickly growing company and we want to be a part of every growing aspect. We do not have a little store, where local customers come and go on a regular basis and give us daily opportunities to interact. Instead we have a web of customers stretching all over the country, but we still love the interactions. Interaction is a big part of Zen and we enjoy meeting, chatting, training, and visiting our clients, no matter if they are located in Chicago, Dallas, or Boise. Phone conversations are not bad, but nothing beats meeting a person face to face. We want to get to know our clients, see their offices, and be able to spend some time with them. We do not want to be a robot voice, a company without real people behind it, and we also do not want our clients to only be a voice and a name listed in our software. Meeting our clients for the first time is always exciting, and as we say at Zen, we always go for the hug. We have 9 stops planned on our trip and those stops are the only thing set in stone for this week; the rest will be an adventure. Will we stay at a hotel? Will we stop by Target and buy a tent? Nobody knows. It does not matter, we are simply too excited to meet our clients and see their offices, and the rest will solve itself. Other than that, our only expectations are to see a variety of different, beautiful landscapes along the way. So here we are, crossing the border between Missouri and Oklahoma, on our way to Reflections Dental Care in Oklahoma City. This will be our first stop before continuing to Dallas. From there, we will go to Houston and then up to Colorado and Vail, before reaching our final destination in Boise. We will meet clients for interviews, for training purposes, and for the joy of being able to stop by and see how they are doing in general. Being as involved in the inventory process as we are, it is natural for us to be interested in seeing dental offices and how they are dealing with their inventories. There is always something we can learn, and hopefully we can help with ideas and inspiration as well on our visits. A business is never one-sided; while we help our clients to grow, they certainly help us to grow. Our clients are our inspiration and motivation and that is why we are on this trip. We want to get to know our clients and to get faces behind the voices on the phone. O, keep an eye out for us, because the Zen Team is on a tour and we are excited to meet as many people as we can!
Recently, we’ve been pounding on why having a smart inventory management system like ZenSupplies is so important for dental practices, and just how much money there is to be saved simply by having access to real-time price comparisons. And while that’s certainly all well and good, today we want to talk about the things you can do with your savings. Sure it’s great to put the money you save with us away, or pay off your building’s mortgage a little quicker, or buy that shiny new tech you’ve had your eye on for so long. But there’s a problem with those things: they aren’t going to help drive revenue for your practice. When allocating your savings, it’s absolutely critical that you invest in things that will continue to grow your practice and attract new patients. That being said, here are five things your practice can invest its savings in, if you’re not already. And if you haven’t worked with us yet, well, then consider these as ideas for the future! These days, simply having a well-made sign that says your name and “D.D.S.” next to it isn’t enough to draw in new patients. It’s the practices who have the strongest web presences and engage their patients and target audiences the most who grow. This doesn’t mean you have to hire some fancy ad agency to build you a “cross-channel marketing campaign” or even hire a marketing employee. No, it’s actually a lot more simple than that. Put shortly, social media has made marketing easy and affordable for just about everyone. Simply by having a social media web presence where you actively engage, entertain or educate your audience (2 - 3 posts a week), you’ll spread your practice’s name. And if you do it really well, you’ll even start attract some new patients. We recommend focusing on Facebook and Instagram exclusively, to start. Consider Facebook the place you promote deals and discounts, or share patient stories, or insightful articles. They key here is quality of content - only share or write things you would read yourself. Conversely, look at Instagram as the place to tell your own story, giving viewers a window into you and your staff’s personalities and daily lives (community events, sponsorships, office culture, employee highlights, etc.). But because Instagram is a platform with very little, if any self-promotion, it’s important you avoid promoting on it at all costs. This will serve as an immediate off for any potential followers. If you do want to promote your practice, or a current promotion you’re running, or perhaps your new website, do so on Facebook where it’s far more customary. You can even “boost” posts by backing them with nominal amounts of money ($1, $3, $5, etc.) to increase their reach! For beginners, My Social Practice is a great resource for free advice and tips on how to best leverage social media. And if you’re feeling extra ambitious, start a blog on your website where each week you share some powerful insider tips you feel strongly about, or an inspiring story of how you helped transform a patient’s smile! The more quality content you share, the better. Interior Remodeling No, we don't mean “remodel your whole office top to bottom through a contractor.” That would be unnecessary and expensive, and probably defeat the purpose of this post. Rather, focus on the look of your reception area and what could be better about it. Is it welcoming in its appearance? Are there comfortable places for patients to sit? Is it a room you would enjoy waiting in? If the answer to any of these questions is “no”, or you have to spend more than a few seconds thinking about it, then your reception area likely needs some updating. When you have a break in your day, or perhaps at the end of one, have someone that knows you well and has a good eye for things - it could be a friend, patient, or perhaps even someone you know with interior design experience - assess your reception area. Ask them what about it is most uninviting, outdated, or deterring. Then, replace or update these things according to your budgetary limits. Whether it’s getting a new waiting sofa at Home Goods, or installing some simple shelves to hold quirky decorations, or giving the room a new, more calming paint color, there are a litany of affordable things you can do to improve the look and feel of your reception area for patients. And if you see this as a fairly non-essential endeavor for your practice, just consider the fact that your reception area is the room where all of your new patients develop their first impressions of your office. Pretty important, if you ask us. Professional Photography We don’t want to assume, but if you’re like most practices, you likely still have a few of those anatomical diagrams of teeth or macro photos of mouths hanging up somewhere in your office. Our advice? Get rid of ALL of them. Pictures like these are huge turn-offs for new patients and are part of the reason why so many people, especially kids, fear going to the dentist. If you have any pictures remotely similar to things like this, get rid of them! Once you’ve done that, hire a professional photographer, or simply exhaust your personal network to find someone with photography skills and experience. Prior to their upcoming appointments, ask 7 - 10 of your patients if they’d be willing to have their picture taken while they’re there. You can even incentivize them with a $5 - $10 gift card for participating. Be thoughtful in which patients you select, considering ones who would be most willing and inclined to smile for these pictures. Make sure you have a few pictures taken of each patient so you’ll have something to choose from (in different rooms, from different angles, with/without you or another employee in the shot, etc.). Then, after selecting your favorites, have them developed as large prints (portrait or landscape), and hang them on your walls. Now, next time your patients walk through your office, they’ll see other smiling patients and not weird diagrams of the human mouth! Much more inviting, right? Team Dinner Attending a seminar dinner, or having a distributor you partner with wine and dine you is one thing, but taking your team out on your own dollar is entirely different. It shows that not only do you care about your practice, but you care about them individually. It doesn’t have to be at the fanciest, most expensive steakhouse in the area, but personally taking your team out to dinner can only bear positive things. Not only will they feel personally appreciated and valued as a member of your team, but it will also contribute to their motivation levels in their work. And as practicing dentist and team leader, maintaining your team’s motivation levels is critical to your practice’s success. But don’t let that be the primary reason you take your team out to dinner - do it because you care about them and want to take the time to connect outside of work. The benefits from doing this will be immediately evident in the morale and camaraderie your team gains from it. Updated Logo This is probably the least essential facet of your practice to reinvest your savings in, but it’s important nonetheless. If you’re like most practices, you probably either don’t have an official logo, or have had the same one for years. If you believe your logo has stood the test of time, and has a strong level of recognition associated with it, then disregard this portion of the post. If you don’t have a logo however, or have one and consider it outdated or visually unenticing, our advice is simple: get a new one. Hire a local graphic designer or conduct the same personal network search you did to find a photographer, and sit down with them one on one. Talk with them about your practice’s values, the sort of qualities you want to exude as a business, and exactly how you want to be perceived by prospective patients. If you’ve contracted a good graphic designer, they’ll come up with something that aligns strongly with your description and conveys what you want to your patients. Once you’ve created your new logo, do things like sharing it on your new social media pages, updating your office’s signage to match it, and maybe even coming up with a new slogan to go along with it! The key here isn’t just to look current, but to imply to your patients, both new and longstanding, that you care about how you’re perceived. Because, as unfortunate as it may be - and as you likely well know - it’s far too easy to judge a book by its cover. _________________________________________________________________________ We hope these tips for reinvesting your savings with ZenSupplies back into your practice were helpful and inspiring! We firmly believe that if you do these things, and do them well, your practice will continue to grow, and you’ll become better equipped to provide your patients with consistent quality care and a more holistically enjoyable patient experience. As always, if you have yet to work with us or don’t know much about ZenSupplies, you can give us a call at 872-225-2ZEN!
Budget is one of the main reasons dental practices sign up with Zen. A single place for all distributors provides a better platform to manage the budget. Therefore that's one of the questions we ask and the answer can be anywhere from 2.8-12%. To be honest, when I hear anything more than 7% I tend to think it's primarily due to wrong budget allocations. So I decided to ask my good friend Jake, who is VP of Business Intelligence at Flagship Dental Group and works along the side of Dr. Mark Costes, to help me out on this one. I asked Jake proper allocations, sample form and what targets practices need to look for. Hope you enjoy it. Tiger Savarov: You and I went on this back and forth several times, and I still keep coming back to it, I guess, until, with your help, I want to write a solid piece on my blog about budget allocations and the details of the budget allocations. So I do want to take maybe 10, 12 minutes of your time to go into this because you have so much perspective, you have so many clients coming to you. Tiger Savarov: I'm just going to fire up some questions at you and let's go into the details. Jake Conway: Sure, go ahead. Tiger Savarov: Okay. So, first of all, when people come to you before they join the DSI and mastery group, what are the percentages that you see that people spend on supplies? Jake Conway: Oh, the percentage of the supplies. So once we sift through the missed allocations and get a true percentage, I'd say it's between 6% and 8% on average before they come to us. Tiger Savarov: Okay. We will get to the missed allocations. What do you think drives that 6% to 8%? What's your gut feeling? What's the number one reason? Jake Conway: Just not knowing, just unaware of what they're spending, unaware of their ordering processes, and unaware of their inventory, so just overall general unawareness of those three, I guess, three underlying issues in the practice. Tiger Savarov: And then when you sit down with them, what's the number one thing you tell to do? When you see that high percentage, what would you say that would help them to get pretty quickly to a lower number, at least cut a percent out? Jake Conway: I would say start by looking at what a budget would be. So yeah, we can look at percentages, but what's that dollar amount look like and what are we currently spending per month? *Tiger: Take your last month collections (or as Jake suggested net production) and multiply that by 4%, that’s the dollar amount you are looking to spend per month Jake Conway: Once we find out that dollar amount, then we can start looking at how our ordering processes work to start, who's in charge, how does that work? Is anyone in charge? I guess alongside that is to get a handle on who you're ordering from. So, looking at ways you can shave two, three, five, 10, sometimes 15, 20% off of each item line and kind of start there to see how we can start shaving and kind of get a spreadsheet going or a list of the supplies you're currently ordering, who you're ordering from, and then start the negotiation game there. Tiger Savarov: Got it. So why are you doing budget off of the collections? Because I know you and I and Mark talked about this extensively. Why not productions or net productions? Why do you always go by collections? *Tiger: This is where I have my own point of view. I like to spend what’s on the bank for the last month. I see that net production is a more accurate way to plan for supplies. However, this is just my POV. In the end, we are talking about minor difference. Jake Conway: Sorry, I meant to say ... did I say collection? I meant to say net production. Tiger Savarov: Okay. Jake Conway: I mean, ordering is based on that and, of course, you have ebbs and flows in the collections. So it is based on net production just because that's what's driving the ordering. It's not collection. Tiger Savarov: So now let's look into the missed allocations. What are some missed allocations have you seen? Jake Conway: Oh man, a lot of implant material. We actually have a lab/specialty item line and that's where we allocate implant supplies. I see a lot of like BioHorizon, which is I think along the same lines. Some Ortho lab cases will go into supplies (Invisalign), and equipment as well. Equipment is a big one. If the accountants or CPAs don't know if it's a Henry-Schein order or something like that, even like a chair repair or whatever, a lot of equipment gets snuck into supplies as well, which actually should go in facility equipment. Jake Conway: So between facility equipment, lab, and supplies, there's a lot of misallocation between those three item lines. Tiger Savarov: Okay. Would it be possible if you share how you do the allocations, like a spreadsheet or a screenshot, of what you suggest? Jake Conway: Yeah, I can actually send you a ... I have a 2019 allocation cheat sheet that breaks all that down every category. Tiger Savarov: Awesome, awesome. So under supplies, you're just going to have dental supplies, and then you have a lab bill or the lab line item, and under the lab, you're going to have the implants and ortho and stuff like that, right? Jake Conway: Yes. That will fall into a lab and what we're calling this year labs/specialties. That way we can discern the difference between the two, lab and what true supplies are. Tiger Savarov: Got it. And what are you shooting between ... So what's your goal for supplies when it's properly allocated and what's your goal for the lab/specialty? Jake Conway: Good question. So ultimately, we want to get our supplies to 4.5% or lower and lab, we want to get that to 7% or lower. So between the two, it's 11.5% Tiger Savarov: Okay. Where have you seen people putting CAD/CAM? Jake Conway: Supplies. A lot of times it goes in supplies. I've seen it in office supplies as well, but that should be ... it should be facility equipment. Tiger Savarov: Well, what about the blocks? If we look at the ... like if people are buying ... Jake Conway: Oh, the blocks themselves? Tiger Savarov: Yeah. Jake Conway: Yeah. That usually goes to supplies, which should go into the lab. Tiger Savarov: So that would be lab/specialty? Jake Conway: Correct. Category Sub -Category "Overhead Goal %" Facility & Equipment Rent Facility/ Equipment Repair Equip Lease Storage Real Estate Tax Landscaping Alarms/Fire Protection Building Insurance Cable/Utilities Computer Hardware/Repairs Dental Supplies 4% General Dental Supplies Ortho Supplies Lab Fees/Specialties 7% Implant Materials Crown and Bridge Ortho (Invisilign) Specialty Supplies Tiger Savarov: Okay, got it. So I've talked to some of the offices, probably the last question. I've talked to some of the offices, right, and some of them are very successful, and you and I both know people that run at 2.8%, 2.9%. Obviously, the reallocation plays a huge role, right? Tiger Savarov: They would put separate items in the lab/specialty separate in supplies, but one of the things that I hear from some of my offices, they say, "Look, I want to put implants as part of the dental supplies because if we start doing implant cases, our collections are going to go up or the net production is going to go up. So we want to make sure that it's in one category so that the budget is there if it goes up and down based on the net production that we're doing for the implants." What's your take on that? Jake Conway: I mean, you could track that in a lab. If you have a big lab spike and overhead in general spikes, there are a few things that could come out of that. Either we're not collecting and collection percentage drops, maybe the treatment of customers is going down, whatever the case may be, but the bottom line is if, if we see a spike in the lab or overhead, then we can look at the different contributing factors to that. So I would say that's a mute point because either way, you can track that. Tiger Savarov: But technically it doesn't matter. As long as they know where they're tracking it, they can put it under supplies, right? Jake Conway: They could, but just know that that's going to obviously fluff the supply category. Speaker 1: Have you seen people, and again, we'll look at your sample. Once you share it, I'll include it in the article. Have you seen people doing these allocations within the supply category? Like they will have dental supplies, and under dental supplies, they'll have a subcategory as they would do in QuickBooks? Jake Conway: Yes, I have seen that often. In fact, so I've had actually some of the clients request in our reporting where we break out implants under lab, so we can track that stuff like implant supplies and so forth, or like Ortho sometimes we'll break out Ortho Sub Category. So I do see that, especially if it's like a big specialty office with GP/Specialty, we will just have like a blended reporting where we do break out like specific item lines out. So we can track those separately, but ultimately it does fit the bottom line of either supplies or lab when it comes to that, so, to answer it in short, yes. Tiger Savarov: Would you suggest startups or the growing private practices to start doing it from the get-go? Jake Conway: I mean it's nice to have that broken out for sure. If, your plan is to be a specialty of multi-specialty office or if you really want to push, you know, big cosmetics or whatever, you know, I would say that it might be a good, a good idea to go ahead and break those up just so you can track that as you grow with it. You know, if it's sort of built in, you can see the impact of not only production collection, but the cost associated with that. Tiger Savarov: Got It. Anything else you would add to this question? What you've seen, anything that I missed that I should've asked you? Jake Conway: I would say to make sure we're tracking on an accrual basis because sometimes that will definitely jack with the numbers month to month. So, accrual, what I mean by that is let's say you get, you know, a lab or dental supply bill, we're going to record that bill when it comes in rather than when we pay it because that's the truth, you know, the true nature and the true performance of the practice itself. Jake Conway: So when you're trying to, you know, for dentist's office, they are trying to nail down their budget. I've worked with your CPA to get accrual basis going on the expenses side and make sure that's in place so you can get a truly accurate representation of the expenses coming in. Tiger Savarov: So meaning you got the bill from your lab April 15th and even though you have been at 30 and you're gonna pay it May 15th, you need to record as the April 15th bill? Jake Conway: Absolutely. That's exactly right. Tiger Savarov: Okay. Awesome. Well, I hope this would be one of the pillars that we don't need to go back and forth on, too because I've been asking you this question probably like 55 times, and I really appreciate you finding the time for me to do it to answer these. You can contact Jake directly for a more detailed template for budget allocations and consulting on your financials - Jake Conway jake@custompracticeanalytics.com
We traveled a long way and our first stop in Texas did not disappoint! We were blown away by the systems put in place at Acre Wood Dental. They got After embracing Zen, this office dropped their supply overhead from 10% in October to 5% in December! (And they are doing it in January) Stay tuned to the blog to see more details on this and other success stories from our AMAZING Zen Family.
Finding Zen is far easier at some times than others. Waking up in the morning, before the sun has crept over the horizon, the world sitting still, a great session of meditation, a great book, or a simply piping hot cup of coffee can bring that wave of calm. When things go wrong, it is much more difficult to see past those challenges to achieve Zen. After driving down from Chicago, narrowly escaping a massive winter storm, Tiger was standing in Austin, Texas. Not only was the capital city a welcome reprieve from the winter cold, but Austin is always lively, bustling with activity. But this was a business trip. With a full agenda already on the books and things to do, there was little time for side-bars. In one instant, all of that changed. A client in San Antonio sent in a routine support request for a back-ordered product. Their Sam’s Club order for patient waters had not arrived and the store nearest to their office was out of the bottles. This meant that very soon they would be out of beverages in their cooler for their patients. Typically, this request would go to customer support and they would work with the distributor to get the issue corrected. They may even inquire from other vendors if we could get purified water there faster. This would have solved the issue in a day or two. Instead, Tiger decided that this office was getting their water TODAY. After all, they are seeing patients . Every patient deserves that same 5-star service. Tiger jumped into action! He dropped everything and headed off to Sam’s. After securing a temporary membership, it was off to the water aisle and then on to San Antonio. This was the delivery of more than water. It was the delivery of a promise. The promise to provide uncompromising levels of support and to do anything in his power to go the extra mile, or a few hundred, for our clients. That commitment, coupled with unwavering work ethic produced a result that was truly impactful. At last! Cold, refreshing water ready for use! The thirsty patients now had purified water chilling in the fridge. The team had peace of mind, knowing that they have a partner committed to their success. Zen was achieved. Want to see the 1st-hand account of Tiger’s journey? 17 Hour Drive to Deliver Water