QUESTION: My front desk team is spending too much time on the phone with patients.  They get involved in long conversations that do not go anywhere.  How do I teach them to cut back on the “chit chat” and get people scheduled! 

ANSWER: Great question!  We all want to provide excellent service and take care of people as best as we can.  Sometimes, we allow callers to dominate conversations because we think we need to answer every question they ask.  Good news here is – we don’t need to do that!  When someone calls your office something has motivated them to call in that moment and we need to find out what they need and get them scheduled.   This is not the time to go into details about insurance plans or how dental insurance operates or a cost comparison of  crown vs an inlay.  This is your chance to build rapport, and help the patient.  The best way to help?  Get them an appointment!  

[mepr-show if=”loggedout”][/mepr-show] [mepr-active memberships=”629,630,37388,37393,37672,37676,37670,37668,37674,44674″ ifallowed=”show” unauth=”message” unauth_message=”Answer hidden, please login or purchase a membership to view.”] When we start answering questions and giving too much information, we get off track.  We lose sight of the goal.  Sometimes this can end with a patient being overwhelmed or just out of time and they do not book an appointment.

We can answer questions when patients come in and we are face to face.  That is a better environment for explanations and patients will have a clearer understanding of the information you are sharing. 

“I am so glad you called Mrs. Smith!  As far as what your insurance plan covers I will be happy to find out when we verify your coverage.  For now, the best way for us to help you is to get you in the schedule to see the doctor and we can answer all of your other questions when you come in for that appointment”. 

Role playing will help your team with better communication![/mepr-active]