Do you wonder how your front office team handles calls? At MDPM Consulting, we’re problem solvers. In some cases, we build a dental website that draws excellent traffic, but something mysterious keeps the dentist’s appointment book from filling up with new patients. We analyze user experience, look at how long visitors remain on various pages of the website, where they enter and where they leave. In most cases, everything seems perfectly aligned for transition – that is, the potential patient has every reason to book an appointment. What’s the stumbling block?
Returning Emails Correctly
Do all of the email forms on your website work? Do the emails funnel to one person? What’s your office’s procedure for returning emails? Digital communication is not going away. In fact, texting is replacing email, in many cases. A dentist should have full confidence that: 1) email forms on the website work; 2) a team member returns emails and texts within 24 hours; 3) all emails and texts that do not transition into new patients are kept on a list for weekly follow up calls until the potential patient responds. Also, email signatures should be consistent throughout the practice. Every team member who might communicate via email needs to include the dental practice logo, website, and phone number in his or her email signature.
Answering the Phone Properly
Do you know how your office phone is answered? Does a recording answer and send callers to various departments? Would a potential patient be put on hold? The service that a potential patient receives on his or her first call has great impact on whether that patient books an appointment. Your telephone receptionist should convey warm, friendliness, in addition to confidence and courtesy – every single time he or she answers your office phone.
Triaging Calls Effectively
When someone calls, how is the call handled: 1) if the caller is a potential patient; 2) if the caller is confirming or changing an appointment; 3) if the caller needs a prescription or post-op instructions; 3) if the caller has payment or insurance questions; 4) if the caller is an insurance company; 5) if the caller is a vendor, contractor, or service provider? Each of these situations should have a procedure in place. In fact, when training administrative personnel, using a script for various situations is a great practice. Though it seems corny, role playing is also an invaluable tool in customer service training.
The Secret Shopper for Dentists
If you’d like to know, from a patient’s perspective, how calls and emails are handled, ask Modern Dental Practice Marketing Consulting about our Patient Communication Report Card. We offer a secret shopper style service, exclusively for dentists. Learn how your front office team answers the phone, handles multiple callers, responds to emails, and transitions potential patients to booked appointments. After receiving a grade, we will work with you and your front office team to implement a solid strategy, including procedures and scripts, to help convert dental website visitors to new patients. Call 972-781-8861 today, or email us at info@moderndentalmarketing.com.