Virtual Dental Office

Are You Losing Patients Before They Step a Foot in the Practice?

4/22/2015

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Dental Office
I was recently in search of a new dentist for my family.  I called one particular office on a Friday and left a message to schedule dental appointments for my family of four.  I did not receive a call back. I was stunned that a dental practice would let four new patients slip through their fingers.

Unfortunately, I believe this likely happens more than practice owners think.  All it takes is a busy front office team member and a lack of communication for these types of issues to happen. Fortunately, there are some proactive steps dental practice owners can take to make sure it isn’t happening in their practice.

It is critical that the doctor understands the front office workload.  There are some front office teams that are so busy that they just physically can’t get everything done. Just because no one is complaining about having too much on their plate, doesn’t mean that patients and tasks are being handled as the owner expects them to be.

The doctor needs to communicate with the team on a regular basis to find out if there are tasks that are being procrastinated due to a heavy workload.  A team member’s first priority should always be serving their patients.  If they do not have the time to focus their energy on the patient, it is time to think about reallocating some of their workload. 

  • Is there another team member that is available to delegate some administrative tasks to?
  • Do you need to consider hiring a part-time person to assist the front office team?  
  • Can you outsource tasks to a virtual team member who can help only when it is needed? 

Helping the front office manage their workload will not only make for a better patient experience, but it will also help employee morale and increase job satisfaction. Dental practices spend a lot of money on marketing to get new patients, but the biggest marketing budgets in the world are not going to have any impact on your business if there is no one there to pick up the phone when they call.


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Clear Expectations Are Essential

9/9/2013

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Recently we hired someone new to clean our home.  During the orientation I walked her through our home  and pointed out what we would like cleaned. 

Over the next few weeks I noticed that some things were not as clean as I expected.  When I discussed this with her, I realized that it was something that I was not clear about at orientation.  I said that I would like the floor scrubbed but I did not give specifics as to what I consider clean.  Her perception and my perception of clean are different.

It reminded me of how often this happens in a dental office.  Sally has been working at the front desk for ten years and moves away.  Jodi is hired and her orientation consists of how to work the phone system and use the dental practice management software.  After a period of time the dentist notices that Jodi isn't smiling when she answers the phone.  They also overheard her reply to patients calling to cancel an appointment, "That's ok, when can you come back?"

Beginning with clear expectations is essential in any employer/employee relationship.  Having an experienced dental office manager can lead the training of new employees, as well as provide written performance reviews will ensure that everyone from the receptionist to the dental hygienists have the tools needed to exceed your expectations.


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