Methodology
The study set the goal to assess the potential of the introduction of elective services, such as teeth whitening, botox injections, and veneers, to increase the revenue of DeClerck Family Dental. To achieve this goal, the study has determined the following objectives: (1) to test the influence of a limited time special for custom-fit bleaching trays on sales volume; (2) to test the effect of a point-based incentive program for botox injections on the sales of this service; (3) to test the impact of communication with customers about their smiles on customers’ openness to discussing veneers. To attain the stated goal and objectives, the proposed research is to be a descriptive, cross-sectional study using a quantitative data collection method. A sample survey will be used for collecting data, and the participants will be drawn from the dental practice’s current customers.
Research Design
This study will utilize a quantitative research design by applying a sample survey. Quantitative research aims at obtaining quantified data and is appropriate for studies, the purpose of which is to produce results that can be projected at the overall target population (Queirós et al., 2017). Since this study is designed to assess whether the chosen elective services will be in demand among the dentistry’s customers, thus increasing its revenue, it aims at collecting results that could be generalized. Therefore, a quantitative research design is appropriate for the given study.
A sample survey, which is a particular method of quantitative research, offers specific advantages to this study. First, it allows for recruiting members of a particular population of interest; secondly, it enables researchers to use a probability sampling plan, which provides an opportunity for generalizing the obtained results (Brown et al., 2017). Surveys can be conducted via face-to-face interviews, phone conversations, mail, and the Internet (Gürbüz, 2017). Internet surveys are cost-effective, allow for showing pictures and fast data collection, and free from the pollster’s attitudes, but are unavailable for people without Internet literacy (Gürbüz, 2017). It is unlikely that customers of DeClerck Family Dental are illiterate regarding the Internet use; therefore, administering a sample survey via the Internet is a suggested data collection method for this research.
A sample survey will be conducted in the form of a questionnaire with multiple-choice questions to be rated by a Likert scale. It is recommended that the questionnaire should not include reversed items (items containing negative particles) because they can be misinterpreted by respondents (Cabooter et al., 2016). The primary data that will be collected through a questionnaire will include customer attitudes to elective services, intentions, and motivation. The results derived from these data will show whether customers plan to use elective services and what motivates them to apply for cosmetic dentistry.
Sampling
The target population for this study will be customers of DeClerck Family Dental. Exclusion criteria will be patient conditions under which cosmetic dentistry procedures are not recommended, e.g., pregnancy, breastfeeding, or age under 18. The sampling frame will include a list of patients who meet the inclusion criteria, as well as patients’ contact information. The study will utilize a probability sampling procedure to draw participants from the target population. In a probability sampling, each member of the target population has a chance of becoming a study participant, which allows for objective sampling and generalizable results (Brown et al., 2017). The sample size should be large enough to be representative of the target population, but it is also necessary to consider the cost-effectiveness of the study.
References
Brown, T. J., Suter, T. A., & Churchill, G. A. (2017). Basic marketing research (9th ed.). Cengage Learning.
Cabooter, E., Weijters, B., Geuens, M., & Vermeir, I. (2016). Scale format effects on response option interpretation and use. Journal of Business Research, 69(7), 2574-2584.
Gürbüz, S. (2017). Survey as a quantitative research method. In B. O. Aydin & E. Sahin (Eds.), Research methods and techniques in public relations and advertising (pp. 141-161). Peter Lang Publishing.
Queirós, A., Faria, D., & Almeida, F. (2017). Strengths and limitations of qualitative and quantitative research methods. European Journal of Education Studies, 3(9), 369-387.