Verbifying “Corporate”
Changing a noun into a verb is something I think should be completely allowable. Grammar police, you should consider words like “corporatize” to be completely valid the moment the word is uttered.
Corporatization Can Be Good or Bad
Two examples I have in mind when I think of corporatization:
- High-end restaurant chains
- Dental offices
High-End Restaurant Chains
Recently, we’ve been going to Seasons 52 for special occasions. I love Wikipedia’s description:
Seasons 52 is an American fresh grill and wine bar developed in 2003. The brand concept is to deliver a casually sophisticated atmosphere, seasonal menu, and offer fresh ingredients to deliver menu items that are naturally lighter.
For the moment, it’s a very well run chain of high-end restaurants. They train their staff extremely well and create quite a comfortable space in which to dine. The wait-staff goes through a pretty intensive training on the menu and how to treat guests. While I think their food would bomb with most high-end restaurant reviewers, it seems to appeal to a very wide audience.
I am afraid it will go the way of Starbucks. Starbucks started out benefitting a lot from corporatization. But it outgrew itself. Now the staff aren’t nearly as well trained or interested in their jobs there. Other decent chains, like PF Changs, Ruths Chris, Bonefish Grill, etc. have also done well (I think).
Overall, corporatization has benefitted Seasons 52 and it seems to be quite a success.
Dental Offices
On the other hand, creating a warehouse environment for dental needs hasn’t really worked for me. Within the last month, I have been to a periodontist, a dentist and an oral surgeon’s office.
The periodontist office is small and owned by the DMD there. It’s well-run and seems to attract an excellent caliber of hygienist and office staff. It’s also very expensive, and doesn’t take my insurance.
The dentist office and the oral surgeon’s office are both examples of corporatized dentistry.
Cons
These dental chains seem to be almost like pop-up practices. They seem to appear overnight in corporate office buildings. The new offices even use cubicles and grouped dentists’ chairs (my oral surgeon had three in one large room).
They should take some lessons from chain restaurants.
- Staff should introduce themselves, their position and what they will be doing before they stick something in your mouth. Just like a restaurant server, who annoyingly states, “My name is Lee and I’ll be your server.” any dental office staff should do something similar. “I’m Tracy and I’m a dental assistant. I’ll be taking x-rays.” I dealt with multiple staff at the two corporate dentistry offices who I had no idea who they were. The dentist should also introduce herself. It’s ridiculous not knowing to whom you’re speaking.
- Dental practices should present a sense of cleanliness. Like the chain restaurants, I NEVER have the feeling that the place is dirty. Visual and olfactory cues should never give you the sense that the dental office isn’t clean. Or better yet, as close to sterile as you can be. The oral surgeon office smelled like a dirty diaper.
- Train your staff. Don’t put staff at your reception desk who aren’t prepared. Make sure your assistants and hygienists seem confident in their ability to do their jobs.
Pros
On a positive note, the equipment in the corporate dentistry offices was more modern. They took x-rays quickly and easily. They appeared directly on the computer screen. The dentists and assistants have direct access to computer records. And they seem really well trained on the computer record system.
All that being said, I really like my new dentist and my new oral surgeon.
I’d be interested how others see corporatizing either restaurants and/or dentistry practices.
Current Knitting
Getting closer and closer and closer to finishing the Tilt Cardigan sleeve.
I’ve finished all the increase rows and now it’s just the shaping at the top of the sleeve. I am SO glad to have this almost finished.
I also did a bit more work on the hand-knit sock in Noro Taio.
I’ve switched from 3×1 rib to plain knitting, so it should go a bit faster.
I’m lucky enough still to have a dentist who runs his own private practice, although since he and I are both elderly that may soon change. My daughter briefly tried a corporate dental practice in our community but soon went in search of a private practice, as the corporate practice she tried seemed primarily bent on upselling during the routine exam and cleaning she’d scheduled. She had no complaints about the premises.
Dentistry has to be the most difficult process to make their consumers comfortable especially with people like me who freeze up just hearing the word dentist.
On another note, the Tilt cardigan is great!