Your front desk is the first impression of your practice. Proper front desk etiquette is very important, yet many practices skip formal training. Here are three things you want to make sure your front desk never says to your patients.
1. Listing the price schedule over the phone
Many patients will shop around before choosing a dental office. Your receptionist should not write-off anyone over the phone simply because they are asking about prices. In fact, the worst thing your receptionist can do is rattle of prices and then hang up. Instead, your staff should redirect the conversation and attempt to understand the patient’s needs. This is an opportunity to reinforce the person’s decision to call your practice and select your office for their needs.
2. Have you ever been here before
Asking this question completely defeats the purpose of your sign-in sheet. More importantly, this question can damage an established relationship. Asking an existing patient if this is their first time in your office can make them feel completely undervalued. It is the front desk’s job to find out if the patient has been there before, of if it’s their first time, and follow procedures accordingly.
3. That’s not a lot of money
Why oh why does staff say this to patients? Proclaiming your opinion on the amount of money a patient has to spend is very inconsiderate. Your staff should show empathy and offer options to any patients who struggle to pay their bill or make a comment about the amount being high. This is an opportunity to offer your financing options, if you have any, to help your clients with their payments.
Most front desk staff know better, yet these mistakes are very common. Be sure to frequently refresh front desk etiquette with your staff. Programs like Appointmentreminders.com can also help you communicate effectively with your patients and standard automated messages take all the work out of common daily tasks.
