Whether Tax or Teeth, It’s a Matter of Trust

Although I traded an office in Manhattan for an office at home more than three years ago, I nevertheless continue to make the trek into New York City to see Dr. Jeff – my dentist since the mid-1990s.

With 450 dental offices within reasonable driving distance, it does beg the question of why I continue to shoulder the expense, not to mention the time it takes to travel from my suburban home to 48^th Street and Madison Ave.

One word: Trust.

For lack of a more complicated explanation, I trust Dr. Jeff implicitly. He has always been straightforward if there was a problem or even a potential one brewing and he has never done unnecessary work simply to run up the bill. And should an emergency arise, he would either squeeze me in his daily schedule which is almost always packed tighter than a can of imported sardines, or offer to come in on Saturday.

I’m sure many of you share my feelings of trust with a professional of choice. In fact, I believe that dentists and CPAs are closer kindred spirits than one would initially think. People often choose their dentists by referral, and ditto for their accountants. And there’s the trust factor – while CPAs live by the credo of being their clients’ “most trusted advisor,” I feel the same way about Dr. Jeff with regard to oral issues.

In fact, when a client learns that his CPA is about to enter into a merger, one of the biggest fears often expressed “is the person I know and trust still there?” The same I imagine would pertain to a dentist although dental practice mergers are not as rampant as those in the accounting profession.

But then again I doubt many of you would walk in unannounced to a dental office without a referral. I mean how would you know if he/she was any good without speaking to a current patient first? Would you entrust a stranger to perform a root canal under those circumstances? I think not.

Ditto for a 1040 or an audit. It probably comes as no surprise to anyone that I’ve also had my accountant, Rocco, even longer than I have Dr. Jeff and see no logical reason in the future to change either one. Despite the travel logistics.

And I doubt I’m alone in that respect.