Jordan Williams, patient co-ordinator at Liverpool’s Tracey Bell clinic, works hard to manage peoples’ expectations in a world where social media can offer unrealistic images of perfection. Tony McDonough reports

For the aesthetic medical and dentistry sector social media is a double-edged sword.

Instagram and Facebook show us a million images of chiselled cheekbones and Hollywood smiles and at one time or other many of us, whether we care to admit it or not, will have said to ourselves “I want to look like that”.

It means that businesses such as Liverpool’s Tracey Bell clinic don’t have much trouble attracting people to their door. But it also sometimes means expectations can be unrealistic.

The job of managing those expectations falls on the shoulders of Jordan Williams, the patient co-ordinator at Tracey Bell, which is based in Mount Street, close to Liverpool’s Anglican Cathedral.

Once a client has had an initial consultation with one of the in-house clinicians, it is Jordan who will explain the process and what they can expect.

Job switch

He joined Tracey Bell more than four years ago having previously worked as a customer care representative for a Peugeot car dealership. On the surface it may seem like a major change but Jordan says there are clear parallels.

“The biggest thing most people will buy in their life is a house, followed by a car and, getting their teeth done is probably not too far behind,” Jordan explained.

“When clients first come to us they will usually have a clear idea about what they want and obviously that is good. But sometimes it may have been something they have seen on television or on social media.

“Images can now be easily manipulated on a mobile phone so people can create images of themselves that don’t match with reality. A big part of my job is to manage expectations about what can actually be achieved.”

People at risk

Tracey Bell runs a clinic in Liverpool and on the Isle of Man and in recent months she has issued warnings about the dangers posed by unscrupulous back-street aesthetic clinics putting the looks and safety of people at risk. She is particularly concerned about Botox and lip filler treatment carried out by poorly-trained practitioners.

However, the good news is that the message now seems to be getting through with more people doing their homework before they commit to treatment.

Jordan added: “Up until last year we had a significant number of people coming to us who had suffered duo to botched treatments. However, the media coverage of the issue seems to be having an effect as the numbers have now fallen.

“People are now taking more care to check out practitioners before they agree to treatment.

“The run-up to Christmas is obviously one of the busiest times of the year for us as people want to look their best for the festive party season. It becomes quieter for a short period after Christmas but then gets really busy again as spring and summer approach.”

Learning curve

Jordan loves working at Tracey Bell and says the team there is “like a family”. He certainly earns his corn and dealing with up to 150 clients a week is not uncommon.

“I’m now used to working in this business and love seeing clients come back. We have people who come to us for treatments every couple of weeks,” he said.

“But there are new treatments to keep up to date with all the time so working here is always a massive learning curve.”