Case study on Dental spa

1. CASE : DENTAL SPA TREATMENT
Which one of the three new service requirements
would a dental spa least likely pass : service
experience fit, operational fit or financial impact?
Why?
“Dental spa” services included a warm paraffin hand treatment
during dental cleaning or dental treatment, aimed at putting the
client at ease and make the entire dental process more bearable,
minimising pain.
The dental clinics planned to provide comfort to the patients
beyond the normal services.
The three general factors that determine the development the new
dental spa service are :

2.  SERVICE EXPERIENCE FIT : Calming music, comfortable chairs
and flat screen TVs mounted on the ceiling with sound from the
noise-cancelling headphones that block unpleasant dental
noises were the measures taken to make the few moments
spent at the clinic, easy-going and comfortable for the patients.
This ambience was the current service experience of the
patients so far. A new service such as a warm paraffin hand
treatment service would enhance this experience and the
patients might warmly welcome it.
 OPERATIONAL FIT : This new service of warm paraffin hand
treatment or other spa services like foot scrubs, pedicures
require proper operational support to be executed. Such
services require professional skills and knowledge about the
treatment as well as the method of treatment. Hiring
professionals wouldn’t be a problem.
 FINANCIAL IMPACT :However, the spa services would be costly
to the customers who avail of them. Why would they choose to
avail of spa services in a dental clinic rather than a proper
beauty spa? They would also come as quite expensive to the
clinics as to provide good services, they would have to hire
good professionals who would be expensive. If customers do
not feel the importance of spa services in a dental clinic then
the clinics would actually have to incur lossess.
Thus Financial Impact is a factor which a dental spa would least
likely to pass.
What are some of the main areas of complexity
and divergence in this kind of operation relative
to the standard dental clinic ?

3. A useful way of analyzing the operational fit for this new dental
spa service is by specifying the complexity and divergenceof
the proposed service relative to the basic service of a dental
clinic.
Complexity is the number of steps involved in a service and
possible actions that can be taken at each step.
Divergence is the number of ways a customer/service provider
interaction can vary at each step according to the needs and
abilities of each.
Main areas of complexity and divergence :
COMPLEXITY :
Customers would be asked if they are interested in
special spa treatment.
If yes, then various packages of different prices will be
offered
Will they want the spa after or before the dental
treatment
If they want, then different professionals would have to
be employed for the spa treatment
Will dental+spa packages be introduced at special price?
DIVERGENCE :
If no, then they can raise the price just for the dental
treatment. If yes, then dental treatment can be offered
at a reduced price.
Customer feedback is very important to know their
levels of satisfaction with the dental treatment along
with spa services.