German dental aligner providers receive poor service ratings

A service study conducted by the German Institute for Service Quality (DISQ) on behalf of ntv has evaluated the consulting performance of major dental aligner providers in Germany. The industry received an average score of 57.4 points, which is considered only sufficient and represents a decline from the 2023 score of 59.8 points.

The study highlighted a significant disparity between digital and direct communication channels. Online services performed best, earning an average of 70.1 points due to intuitive website usability and helpful treatment information. However, email support was identified as the industry's greatest weakness, scoring a deficient 37.1 points.

Key issues identified include a lack of responsiveness, with more than half of all email inquiries remaining unanswered. Telephone consultations were also criticized, as nearly four out of five sessions provided little added value, often offering brief or non-individualized information. Bianca Möller, Managing Director of DISQ, noted that providers frequently redirected customer questions to local partner practices instead of answering them directly, which fails to meet the needs of prospective customers seeking comprehensive information.