How I learned first-hand about being a raving fan

You know the term “raving fan?” It’s something all dental offices (and all businesses for that matter) are trying to find and create. We all want “raving fans” for whatever we’re doing, whether it’s supporting a cause, cheering for a team, or promoting a business. Recently, I received a first-hand lesson in what it takes to create a raving fan.

My daughter, Julia, turned 12 on Feb. 1, and I’m the type of dad that would rather spend money to create a memory than spend money on something that’s going to sit on a shelf. The two of us have half-season tickets to the NBA’s Oklahoma City Thunder, meaning that 21 times this season, my daughter and I make the 90-minute drive from Tulsa to Oklahoma City to cheer on the Thunder. Yes, we’re fans.

When I purchased our half-season tickets, I worked with my contact from the Thunder named Mino Solomon. He’s been a guy who has been a real resource for me throughout the season if I had questions about anything ranging from parking to a possible birthday party. Yes, I had the idea to hold my daughter’s birthday party when we had tickets on Feb. 2 for the Thunder to play the Atlanta Hawks. Mino and I talked for a couple of weeks before Julia’s birthday about what I could to help her celebrate her birthday with the Thunder. Could we rent a suite? Could the mascot pay Julia a visit in our seats? Nothing seemed to be the right fit, so I planned to just take a friend along for Julia to hang with while dear old Dad sat a few rows back.

The day of the game Mino called me and asked me if Julia and her friend would like to be part of the High-Five Tunnel and could give the Thunder players a high-five as they entered the court. Are you kidding me? Julia’s favorite player is Jeff Green, a forward for the Thunder (and a guy who plays the same position as my daughter does on her team) so I have been trying to figure out a way for my daughter to meet Green. Mino was about to at least let her touch his hand … and I had a feeling she wouldn’t wash that hand for a while.

I broke the news to Julia and her friend Hailey on the way to Oklahoma City that they would be in the tunnel before the game, and the word “excited” couldn’t describe the ride down the Oklahoma City. We got to the Ford Center, the girls got their instructions, and soon enough, there they were, giving their high fives as the Thunder came out of the locker room. The smile on my daughter’s face was priceless.

When they left the court, Mino met us and told us he had one more birthday surprise for Julia. He proceeded to pull out courtside seats for the two girls. Their mouths dropped, and my jaw hit the floor as well. We ended up having dinner in the club dining room before the girls headed to their courtside seats. And don’t worry about me … Mino found a single ticket for me in one of the terrace suites. I didn’t complain one bit.

At halftime, a happy 12^th birthday message flashed on the Jumbotron for Julia, the topping on what was a perfect night at the Ford Center in my daughter’s eyes. And yes, the Thunder beat Atlanta.

On the way back home, the girls talked about the night and told me stories of what it was like to sit courtside. It was Hailey’s first trip to a Thunder game and the Ford Center, and you don’t need to wonder if she’s a Thunder fan for life now.

I thought to myself that if I had the budget, this is exactly what I would’ve done for Julia’s birthday. I told that to Mino the next day in an e-mail. His out-of-the-blue kindness and generosity is certainly something Julia, Hailey, or me will ever forget.

Mino created raving fans out of us that night … and it wasn’t because I spend a ton of money with the Thunder. My half-season tickets are in the upper deck, so there are certainly a lot of people who spend more money than me. Mino took the opportunity to make an impact, and his actions did exactly that.

What can you do in your practice to take the extra step to make a patient feel special? What can you do to go “above and beyond” in a patient’s mind? What can you do to create “raving fans?”

To read an article on creating “raving fans,” click here.