Phone Etiquette For Speaking To New Dental Patients

Because your front office staff is the first interaction your new patient will have with your practice, it’s important that they’re properly trained on phone etiquette. There are a number of reasons a new patient is contacting your office, including:

• They’ve recently moved to your area
• They have a toothache or any other dental problem
• They had a problem at their last dental office and need a new one
• They’ve switched insurance carriers and your practice accepts their new plan

No matter why a new patient has contacted you, good phone etiquette is vital. If they’re impressed by the way your staff handles a phone call, you’re off to a great start!

Phone Etiquette Tips

• Greet the Patient – It’s important that calls are answered promptly and warmly. Make sure your staff has a script so that each call is answered the same. This script should be friendly, welcoming, and direct.
• Be Enthusiastic – Your staff should be enthusiastic and engaging during phone calls. If they sound bored or uninterested, your patient will feel uncomfortable on the phone. It’s a good idea to smile when talking on the phone. It really does make a difference!
• Ask Questions – When speaking with a new patient, it’s important to gather some information. Make sure your staff asks about the reason for the call, as well as information about insurance and how the patient heard about your office. This is a good chance for your staff to begin building a rapport.
• Reminders – After the questions have been answered and the patient has scheduled an appointment, it’s a good idea to have a system in place to remind them of the appointment. This will help to decrease the number of no-shows at your practice.

Properly training your front office staff on the above phone etiquette skills will help your practice be successful. For more tips on bringing in new patients or keeping your current patients loyal, please contact Pro Dental Designs. We can help you properly market your dental practice!