How to maximize patient satisfaction in your practice

When people think about the most important parts of the dental practice, they often think about the skill of the dentist, the abilities of the dental equipment, and the speed of the dental hygienist to get the patients turned over quickly; however, a growing patient practice is also very important. To make this happen, a dental practice has to have an effective marketing campaign. To make this marketing campaign effective, they need to have a face of the practice that can reliably leave a good first impression on everyone who walks through the door. This is the job of the front desk receptionist.

The front desk receptionist is more than a secretary who fields phone calls. In fact, they are the first face that patients and business partners see when they walk through the door. Because they are the first person people to see, they also leave the first impression regarding the quality of the dental practice. This means their etiquette can go a long way toward landing an important business deal and growing a patient base. Everyone should remember a few facts about front desk etiquette when hiring a front desk receptionist because this is a form of dental marketing.

How Should a Front Desk Receptionist Dress?

While appearance may not be important for phone calls, it is very important for everyone who walks through the door. Before even addressing how front office staff should act, it is important that they dress in a way that is professional and welcoming.

A receptionist who appears too buttoned up might give off an unfriendly feeling towards patients who are likely nervous about their upcoming dental appointment. On the other hand, a receptionist who dresses too casually could give patients the feeling that the practice is too laid back and isn’t attentive enough to the needs of their patients. For this reason, dentists must enforce the dress code in the office.

Ensure that the front office staff uses solid personal hygiene and that they look like a professional every day they walk through the door. Female receptionists should not wear clothes that are too revealing, and male receptionists should not wear shorts. It is also important that receptionists cover up tattoos. While this is a personal choice, many people dislike extensive tattoos. This is not a good reason for patients to leave the practice. The appearance of a front desk receptionist is important.

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Front Desk Receptionists Should Answer Phone Calls Appropriately

Before addressing face-to-face conversations, it is important to start with front desk etiquette over the phone. First, the receptionist should answer phone calls quickly. While front desk receptionists are occasionally pulled away from the desk, they should not let the phone ring endlessly. The first impression left by callers must be that the practice values the time of people who are calling on the other side. Answering phone calls quickly is important. Next, it is not uncommon for receptionists to hit the “hold” button while handling a face-to-face conversation.

While this is sometimes necessary, it is vital that the receptionist not forget that someone is waiting on hold. Take them off of hold and handle their question as quickly as possible. If the practice is always busy and people are left on hold continuously, it might be beneficial to hire a second receptionist. Finally, answer phone calls with enthusiasm. Let the caller know that their time is important to the receptionist. Do not chew gum or eat while over the phone. The sound of chewing is magnified over the phone, which can discourage many people from scheduling an appointment.

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Work with Receptionists on How to Deal With Certain Customers

Face-to-face conversations are arguably the most important part of the receptionist’s job and a part of dental marketing. While most customers are pleasant people who will treat the receptionist respectfully, a few will always come in anxious or aggravated. It is not uncommon for an angry customer to come in who is upset with some part of the practice. It is important to teach the receptionist about ways to calm down angry customers using phrases such as “I’m sorry this happened to you” or “Let me see how I can fix this.” Do not make false promises; however, let the caller know that the practice cares and show some emotion to help them calm down. Sometimes, patients will come in anxious about their upcoming treatment.

Teach the receptionist ways to address their anxiety by giving them pamphlets that they can use to read and educate themselves about their upcoming treatment. This is a great way to alleviate some of their fears. Finally, ensure the receptionist knows when to ask for a dentist in the back. There are some questions that the receptionist is not qualified to answer. Do not let the receptionist give out false information if they receive a question that is above their head.

Receptionists Handle Electronic Communication

With the use of practice information being found online and on websites for dentists. More and more dental practices are handling patient correspondence by email because many patients do not have time to take a phone call or cannot understand the person on the other end of the line.

Email is a vital form of dental marketing communication and front desk receptionists must also be skilled in email communication. Remember to start every email with “Dear,” “Mr.” or “Mrs.” Do not start an email with “Hey,” as this is far too casual for professional correspondence. Remember to close every email professionally, such as “Sincerely.” The email should be written in a professional manner using proper grammar. Finally, preach to the front desk receptionist that the emails should be returned promptly. Part of front desk etiquette involves ensuring people know the practice cares about their needs. Responding to emails quickly and efficiently is important. Also, don’t forget that email used for patient communication must be a HIPAA-Compliant email account and not a personal email address.

A Front Desk Receptionist Should Handle Social Media Campaigns Appropriately

One popular dental marketing idea is the front desk receptionist handling social media campaigns. Dental marketing strategies have evolved, and social media is a great way to communicate with patients about deals and new hires in practice; however, ensure that the front desk receptionist is putting appropriate information on the platform. It is important to remember that social media is a professional form of communication when it is tied to a business. It is important to use proper etiquette to avoid offending people.

Boosting Patient Satisfaction

Communicating clearly with patients may not be the easiest task for many medical personnel.  They are focused on the care of the patient and their path to continued health. Medical personnel who do not focus on clear communication and the patient’s satisfaction with their care may be compromising their business and its growth though.

Utilize Patient Feedback

In 2013, the Medical Group Management Association conducted a research project to understand patient satisfaction’s impact on medical practices fully.  They found that 80 percent of the best-performing practices utilized some form of patient satisfaction feedback.  These could be surveys or web forms that allow patients to express satisfaction or dissatisfaction.  Having staff quickly follow up on that feedback greatly increased the satisfaction of patients.  It also allowed medical practitioners to improve their service delivery.

While this has been a voluntary practice in medical marketing, it is becoming more of a common process in the field.  Health insurance companies and government health insurance directives now rely on patient satisfaction responses to evaluate a practice’s performance.  Practices that employ surveys evaluating patient satisfaction may be ahead of the curve.  Granted, these efforts can take valuable staff time, but the result is beneficial for the overall business.

Surveys and feedback through a website can do more for a business than simply refining how the business operates.  Many dental websites have noted that they have found that it lets the patient know that the staff truly cares for their welfare and wants to serve them better.  It also creates a stronger connection and dialogue that is often absent in many medical environments today.  While patient feedback can improve performance in practice, it can also create lasting relationships between a caregiver and the client.  Finally, satisfied clients are more likely to refer their friends and family to a physician.  It has been noted that clients who are engaged with a medical practice will generally refer at least 18 people to the practice.  This is a valuable reason to expend the staff time it takes to garner patient feedback and follow up on it.

Give Your Patients Options

The request for patient satisfaction can and should take several forms.  Not everyone is comfortable using online tools, so practices that use a comment card and a follow-up email or web form will have greater success getting the feedback they are looking for.  It should be noted that any email communication should be limited as people as asked for feedback for almost every business they interact with.

Feedback Program

Before starting a feedback program, medical practices should clearly plan out how the information they receive will be used.  Understanding which staff person will be responsible for following up on feedback will streamline the entire process.  Also, it is important to clearly define how the information will be reported to the physician or dentist and on what schedule.  For instance, dental marketing strategies allow dentists to make important decisions about the overall practice.  Included in the planning process is deciding what questions need to be asked.  Surveys that include only general, open-ended questions will garner few responses and likely elicit less valuable information. 

When crafting a survey, it is better to include a mix of response types, such as ratings, and a final open-ended question that allows the client to add any additional information that they feel is important for the medical practice to know.  The topics that can be covered are far ranging and specific to each practice.  Many practices ask about the ease of appointment scheduling, wait times, time spent with the physician, and asking if the patient would refer the practice to a friend. 

These are general areas.  Each staff member must decide what is most important for them to understand to improve service delivery.  It is essential that surveys or requests for feedback be kept short and simple.  Questions should target all aspects of the patient experience but be kept to a minimum to maximize the number of people agreeing to respond.  If dissatisfied patients are not followed up with, they will go to another practice.  They will also share their experience with their friends and relatives, thus preventing the practice from reaching those potential clients.

Ask the Right Questions

If a physician or dentist suspects that there are problem areas or staff members within their practice, they can insert more specific questions to draw out information that will allow them to improve their practice.  These questions can address issues such as client care, customer service, and wait times.  At times, simply asking, “What do we do better to improve your experience” can allow patients the freedom to point to areas that would make their visits easier.  Concluding a survey with this type of open-ended question can give medical professionals insight into aspects of their practice that they may not have previously considered.

Many practices with medical websites find that response rates may be fairly low, but the information they do glean is high quality.  In designing a customer satisfaction program, the practitioner must decide when to take decisive action on a problematic area.  Many strive for a 20 percent response rate from clients.  The use of multiple survey methods helps them achieve that.  For smaller, more specialized practices, this response rate may be lower.  However, when a physician sees repeated comments on a particular issue within a set time frame, this can give them the motive to take action to take corrective steps.

When staff notices a trend in patient comments, they should become a topic of staff meetings.  The inclusion of staff allows for a more objective view of the feedback.  Staff can also give creative solutions to improve performance because they interact more closely with patients daily.  Also, staff members in different roles will have diverse perspectives on the improvements that will most impact the improvement of the practice.  This level of staff interaction also engages them in the decision-making process and cements their commitment to overall improvement.

If a customer satisfaction survey program is planned well, it can significantly impact the development of a successful practice.  Medical practitioners dedicated to improving their service delivery to their clients can gain valuable insights by including multiple feedback opportunities for patients.  Not only does it engage the patient, it also lets them know that the staff truly cares about their experience in the office.