Dear NCDR and Kool Smiles colleagues:
Our CRS program (which includes CRS’s, CSM’s and CE’s) has played a very important role in building Kool Smiles over the years, and is an important part of our culture. Our CRS colleagues have helped create a dental home for thousands of patients. Unlike many of our competitors, our CRS's have played by the rules, and we appreciate it.
However, regulations and other scrutiny of CRS programs are increasing rapidly: CRS programs are now prohibited or severely restricted in states with nearly half our offices. CRS programs are also under rapidly increasing pressure from muckraking journalists, as well as trial attorneys making bogus claims against us. We expect this scrutiny of CRS programs to expand to other states, as well, and it helps make Kool Smiles an easy target for very damaging attacks on the company, as we've seen in Texas, even though we are "the good guys" in the industry.
So, unfortunately, we've had to make the difficult decision to eliminate the CRS program, effective September 14, with the exception of the four CSM’s in Texas, where we have important ongoing government relations initiatives. CRS's, CSM’s and CE’s will receive a severance package based on years of service, and will have 30 days of transition time.
During the next 30 days, CRS's will transfer their most important local relationships to local OMs. We will generate leads with increased use of efficient traditional and new media. We will also continue to educate our patients through media, social media and local public relations programs, and we are establishing a small local community relations fund for each office. We will provide more details on this over the next couple of weeks.
The CRS program, and the contributions our CRS's have made to the company, are integral parts of our culture, and this is a painful decision, but one that we need to make to help ensure the health and continued growth of the company going forward. I know this is difficult for everyone involved, but I ask you to help make the transition happen professionally, and to remain focused on providing great care to our patients, every day.
Thank you,
Jeff Lane
President
NCDR LLC
CRS = Community Relations Specialist. They drum up new business, basically. They are not anywhere near as aggressive as the 'recruiters' for some other corporate dental chains and they certainly aren't kidnapping kids, but they do go to schools, daycares, etc.
CE = Community Educator. Similar role, but they do more education-oriented stuff like teaching kids about proper dental care...with the motive of getting them to come in to a KS office.
CSM = Community Smile Maker - Basically a CRS by another name.
I think this could be happening, in part, because of the “recruiting-kidnapping” that a few notable dental clinics in Texas are partaking in these days.
