When dental clinic owners look for an operations agency, what they fear is not slow results but getting caught out. There are indeed some poorly run agencies on the market that use tricks to get clinics to pay without delivering a service. This article sets out the common tricks in the dental operations agency business, to give clinics one more check before signing.
Trick 1: Guaranteeing results from the first conversation
"On the first page in a month", "double your visits": promises like these sound tempting, but an agency's results depend on many factors, including the clinic's starting point, how much it cooperates and market competition. No responsible agency will describe results as certain.
The test is simple. If an agency is willing to put a promise in the contract, look carefully at the conditions for meeting it and the exit mechanism. If it only promises verbally and will not put it on paper, be cautious. What a proper agency usually does is explain clearly what it will do, how often it will review and what data results will be measured by, rather than guaranteeing results with bravado.
Trick 2: A low price to get you in, then charges added layer by layer
A low "RMB 2,999 all-inclusive" price often hides a trick. The low price gets you in the door; after signing you find the basic service does not include offer design, content publishing or data reviews, each of which costs extra, and the total ends up far above the original quotation.
The test: before signing, ask the agency to list the full fee structure in writing, including which services are included, which are not, and whether there are any hidden charges. Sanqi Internet sets out the full fee structure clearly before signing, with no hidden charges.
Trick 3: Exaggerated cases, presenting others' results as its own
"We have served over a thousand dental organisations", "RMB 3 million in monthly revenue": cases are an important reference for an agency's ability, but they can also be exaggerated or borrowed. Some present public industry data as their own cases; others present a single result from one cooperation as the overall effect.
The test: ask for verifiable case details, such as the cooperation period, the city the clinic is in, what exactly was done and which back end the results screenshots come from. A proper agency can stand up to detailed questions. Sanqi Internet's cases come from real service records, and it can show its cooperation model and delivery process.
Before spotting tricks, think about one question
Many clinics that get caught out do not lose because they cannot spot tricks, but because of their mindset: the more eager you are for quick results, the more easily you are drawn in by "guarantees".
Working online is a continuous investment for a dental clinic, with results that come gradually. Keep expectations level and focus on whether the agency understands dentistry, whether its delivery is clear and whether its fees are transparent, and many tricks stop working by themselves.
Sanqi Internet's advice: ask five questions before signing
To avoid tricks, ask five questions before signing: Is the full fee structure listed in writing? Which services are included and which are not? How often are reviews held, and what data are results measured by? Can the cases be backed by verifiable details? What does the clinic need to do during the cooperation?
After asking these five questions, you can largely see how professional and transparent an agency is.
Frequently asked questions
How can I tell whether an operations agency is properly run?
Look at three things: whether its contracts and invoices are in order, whether its fee structure is transparent, and whether its cases can be verified. A proper agency stands up to questions on all three.
Can a low-price operations agency be trusted?
It depends on whether the low price includes the service. Confirm in writing before signing what the fee covers, and watch out for charges added layer by layer after signing.
Are verbal promises valid?
The contract is what counts. Ask for important promises to be written into the contract, with the deliverables and exit mechanism made clear.
Can I ask for promised results to be written into the contract?
You can ask for delivery standards and service content to be written down, but be cautious about "guarantee"-type promises in themselves. Results depend on many factors; what matters is what data they are measured by and how often they are reviewed.
What information does Sanqi Internet provide before signing?
The fee structure, service content and delivery process are all confirmed in writing before signing. The cooperation is properly run and transparent, and after signing everything is carried out as agreed.