From technological breakthroughs and workflow enhancements to industry events and new education opportunities, Southern Cross Dental has been in constant evolution for 40 years. However, one thing has remained the utmost priority for Australia’s leading full-service dental lab – its customers.

Southern Cross Dental’s entire service model is built around the customer. From the lab technicians to the Customer Solutions team, delivering an exceptional outcome for the customer is what drives them. And when it comes to measuring its success, the metric valued most highly at Southern Cross Dental is not revenue or profit, but customer satisfaction.

Personalised service
The Customer Solutions team at Southern Cross Dental go out of their way to make things personal. Every call, email and order received is treated with care – regardless of a practice’s size or location. The team is highly trained across the field of dentistry and prosthodontics to ensure that any questions and queries can be swiftly resolved. Their goal is to provide unrivalled end-to-end service, from the planning and manufacturing stages right through to delivery and implementation.

With access to 40 years’ worth of service history and knowledge, members of the team are uniquely positioned to understand the needs of their customers and continually build on their skills and product knowledge to maintain a high standard of service. And while the human element of customer service will remain a core part of Southern Cross Dental’s offering, technology has taken its breadth of service to new heights.

Great service enabled by technology
For an industry where efficiency, accuracy and compliance are crucial, digitising the dentistry workflow was a no-brainer. Southern Cross Dental’s dedicated online portal, MySCD, is the perfect union of technology and human-centred service. The online portal allows dental practitioners to streamline and easily manage the procurement of custom dental solutions. They can place orders, upload scans, track deliveries, settle accounts and monitor rebates all in one place.

MySCD provides transparency throughout the entire process, with built-in customer service support when you need it. The Customer Solutions teams can be reached directly via the portal and will proactively monitor orders and provide updates to ensure that their customers can spend less time tracking orders and more time caring for their patients.

No job too big, no deadline too tight
The team at Southern Cross Dental pride themselves on turnaround times. They understand that behind every urgent order is a patient in need, so they work diligently to provide fast, efficient solutions without sacrificing quality.

On any given day, the Customer Solutions team can be found working closely alongside lab technicians and logistics experts to facilitate a fast turnaround for their customers. In one case, Archan Dhakal and Joanne Izenberg, members of the Sydney-based Customer Solutions team, worked to fulfil an urgent order in record time.

“We received an urgent order from a long-standing customer where the dentist desperately needed their products for a patient,” explains Archan. “We worked extensively with the lab and logistics team to get it out the door as quickly as possible.”

And their efforts didn’t go unnoticed. The customer was thrilled, as was their patient, and they sent a spirited message of thanks for getting their order through so quickly.

In another instance, a dentist from one of Sydney’s leading dental practices dropped into the Sydney-based office to personally thank two team members for their consistently outstanding service. Team members Peter Newman and Patrick Kumar recently provided technical support for a range of premium prosthodontic solutions and ensured the dental practice had all the resources they needed to fulfil their patient’s needs.

Above and beyond
Going above and beyond is standard practice for the team at Southern Cross Dental. Customer Solutions specialist Lindsay Harper recalls working with a customer to resolve a problem with their account. “Once I became aware of the problem, I called around to multiple departments to find a solution,” Lindsay explains. “I liaised with our internal Accounts Team as well as a number of other stakeholders to get the customer’s account back up and running smoothly.”

Lindsay also assisted on a case requiring a customised mouthguard for a boxer competing in the Commonwealth Games – an exciting job that required great attention to detail and a swift turnaround time. Another custom mouthguard order came in for a 12-year-old skateboarding prodigy who was participating in the World Skateboarding Championships. This time, Archan and Joanne facilitated the order and were tasked with applying a specific logo from the skater’s sponsor on the mouthguard. Working to a tight deadline, they were able to deliver the customised solution with time for spare.

Stories like these are always flooding in across the team. And regardless of whether an order is for a burgeoning athlete or an everyday customer, personalised service is guaranteed.

Building lasting relationships
Beyond its exceptional day-to-day customer service, Southern Cross Dental has become renowned for its supportive partnerships with dental practitioners across Australia and New Zealand. Partnering with the lab means more than just great products and support. It unlocks a range of education, growth, and business management tools to help practices thrive over the long term.

Southern Cross Dental has become a go-to source for education and training in various dental specialisations across Australasia. They offer a range of professional development courses, including lectures, seminars, and hands-on workshops, designed to bring dental practitioners up to speed on the latest technological and manufacturing advancements across dentistry and prosthodontics.

Customers can also access a range of resources through the online portal. Video guides, downloadable lab sheets and clinical articles are never in short supply, with new content being uploaded regularly. These complimentary resources equip dental practitioners with detailed product information, how-to’s and case studies to help them provide the best possible service to their patients.

The next decade of customer service
As Southern Cross Dental celebrates its 40th anniversary, the team is looking forward at what the next decade of customer service might look like. As they continue to partner with a growing number of dental practices across the country, efficiency and quality of service remain at the centre of their strategy.

With plans to expand the team on the front lines, up-skill their staff and further enhance their digital workflow through the online portal, Southern Cross Dental is primed and ready to support their customers through another 40 years.