A dental office operates on two critical units that include office management and clinical management. When both these units are working well, you will notice increased productivity. But how do you improve productivity? In this blog, we highlight some of the ways to increase productivity in a dental office:
Improve The Overall Patient Communication
Generally, the first patient interaction will start at the moment when patients call the front desk. Face-to-face interactions come after the phone call. So it is important to train the employees who are staffed at the front-line in customer service. To begin with, they should be active listeners to ensure that they pay attention to what the individual over the phone is talking about. Additionally, also train the employees to improve the experience of the customers through text message. Irrespective of the medium, your staff should be able to handle the communication efficiently.
Follow-Up With The Patients To Reduce No-Shows And Late Arrivals
Dental care depends on practice management as well as effective marketing systems. You will only be able to increase production when patients are available for treatment. But often, patients tend to forget about their appointments, and dental staff need to take a proactive step here. The team at the dental office should follow up with the patients to ensure that they do not miss any appointments. This will ensure that the entire is well-planned and there are slips.
Keep The Waiting Time To The Minimum
The time your patients spend in the waiting room should be reflected positively. Reduced waiting time will help in increasing the patients’ satisfaction and improved experience. The patients’ flow starts the moment they check in with the front desk. As soon as they enter your office, provide them information about the wait time to ensure there are no surprises. Patients will appreciate the up-front communication; instead of them asking them why there is a long wait. Remember, patients’ time in the dental chair is not a big concern, but the time they spend in the waiting room is something to watch out for.
Be Careful About The Patients’ Complaints
When it comes to improving productivity, good communication skills are imperative. Customer feedback will help in pinpointing the areas that you need to improve in your current services. Today patients do not limit their opinions about you during the word of mouth referrals. They share their opinions with others through social media sites. Customer retention in the present competitive scenario is extremely important. Therefore, make sure you get the feedback and provide good customer support.
And Improved Work Setting Can Enhance Productivity
The design of the office impacts the productivity of your employees. So make sure to invest in a well-designed dental office where your staff will enjoy the work. A properly designed office structure will also give a positive impression to the patients walking in.
The Bottom Line
These are some of the simple steps that you can take to improve productivity at your dental office. When you have a well-managed staff and an organized office, you will see a significant shift in productivity.