Running a successful dental office is every dentist's dream. However, sometimes it can be daunting, especially with patients calling to inquire about your services. It is essential to ensure your patients receive the best treatment and are comfortable visiting your office even with a busy schedule. You want to balance treating your patients, making them understand your practice's policies, among other things. Communication is key to ensuring you do not burn out and that your patients are treated with the dignity they deserve. Hiring the services of a professional answering service will offer you the following benefits:
You will never miss a patient's call
With an answering service, you will never miss a patient's call, which may come through when you are with another patient or when you are away. Answering services provide 24/7 answering services, including the time you are away from your office on holidays or after office working hours. When you do not answer a patient's call right away, it may lead to patient dissatisfaction, and they end up taking their business elsewhere.
Your Calls Are Handled in a Professional Manner
When your patients make a call, they will have a professional agent answer and handle the call with respect and caring. You will find that most of the time, when a patient calls your office, they may be experiencing a lot of pain. With an answering service provider, your patient will have someone who cares about answering their questions no matter how trivial they might appear.
Reduce Patients Waiting Time
One of the reasons patients hate visiting a dental office is the anxiety that comes with the visit. When a patient spends their time waiting for a dentist to attend to them or answer their questions, their anxiety level rises, the more they wait. With an answering service, you will reduce this anxiety level in patients when they can have their questions answered without setting foot in your practice.
Receive excellent Service for a Fraction of the Cost
When you hire an answering service provider, you will receive excellent service at a fraction of the total cost. An ideal scenario is to have a receptionist handle all your calls, schedule appointments, and take care of your administrative tasks. This ideal receptionist should also be available always, be it on holidays, after work hours, and never takes breaks, leave, or any other time off. With an answering service, you will enjoy the benefits of an ideal receptionist without paying extra for them. Their agents are trained to handle patients professionally at all times, plus they understand your business.
You will Receive Your Messages Promptly
When an answering service agent receives your calls, they forward the information they collect to your office to the right staff member. The agents will deliver your messages via a messaging app, or online portal, depending on your preference.
Your Patients’ Satisfaction is Prioritized
One of the most critical factors in growing your business is ensuring your patients receive the best care while under your hands. This care will lead to patient satisfaction, which in turn will increase your revenue. When your patients are aware that they can always reach you at any time, whether over the holidays, after work hours, and schedule an appointment, it will boost their confidence level in your service delivery.
Eliminate the inability to Trust that a Patient has on a Dentist
You will find that most patients avoid visiting a dentist's office due to their inability to trust the dentist. They are afraid of what awaits them at the office, and with an answering service, their agents will talk with your patients, explaining what to expect while at your office. When a patient is armed with the necessary information about their expectations while at your office, their anxiety level goes down and increases their ability to trust you as a dentist.
Your patient will avoid Boredom while visiting your office
A patient can be bored easily while waiting for their turn at your office, and this is brought about by the silence found in a dental office. When a patient imagines coming into your office, to that oppressive silence, broken only by your staff hurrying out as they carry out their duties and reading outdated dental magazines. Most patients will avoid visiting dental offices until it is too late or until they have to see you. With a dental answering service, your patient will avoid paying unnecessary visits to your office as they will have their questions answered by the trained agents.
Help Reduce a Patient's Anxiety Level
Most people hate visiting a dentist due to the fear of the procedures, the anxiety of the visit, and the pain one will have to undergo. An answering service agent will talk with your patient about their fears and explain what to expect, which will reduce the patient's anxiety. With most patients, you will find that all they need is for someone to answer their questions and understand their fears and pain. A trained agent will do all these, leaving your patients feeling appreciated and cared for. When an agent talks to your patient about how they are feeling, and their expectations, it helps the patient to relax and at the same time offers them the help they require.
Patients will enjoy a step-by-step Rundown of the procedure
Sometimes the fear of the unknown can hold a patient from making a necessary appointment at your office. When they call your office and receive an agent who understands how your practice is run, the agent can explain the step-by-step procedures, reducing a patient's anxiety significantly. When your patients are aware of what to expect, they will be more forthcoming about their dental conditions, plus they are already prepared for the treatment procedures. An explanation of what to expect during a dental appointment will relax your patient, and when you are dealing with a calm patient, the process will flow smoothly, leaving you and your patient satisfied.
Avoidance of Neglectful services
When a patient visits your practice, and the staff seems to be busy elsewhere, the patient can feel neglected and opt to visit another dental practice in the future. Answering services ensure that your patients always feel appreciated and valued as they are attended to promptly. For your practice to thrive, you not only need returning patients, but you will need to have new ones as well. Your patient will be loyal to you when they receive excellent services and are treated with the dignity they deserve. Answering agents have the training necessary to treat your patient with the respect they deserve, and they also handle the patient in a manner that ensures they feel well appreciated.
Offer Appointment Scheduling and make reminder calls
When your patient calls your practice, the dental answering service will take the necessary data and schedule an appointment with the patient. During the call, your patient can choose an appointment time that suits them well, making them feel in control of their lives.
Once the appointment is set, they will then inform your office about the appointment. The answering service will also call your patient back and remind them about their upcoming appointment. This service ensures that you do not have no-shows that may interrupt your daily activities.
With appointment scheduling and reminders, your staff will be more productive, which in turn will increase your revenue. Sometimes a patient can schedule an appointment and forget about it, which may lead to health deterioration instances. Still, appointment reminders ensure that your patient is kept abreast with their appointments.
When your patients enjoy these efficient services, they will ensure to mention your services to their friends. A satisfied patient will always have something positive to say about your practice, which will make you have a good standing in the community.
Offer Pre-registration services
Most patients can skip visiting a dental office due to the dread and anxiety that accompanies such visits. When you add the time they will spend filling out the paperwork at the office, and they may cancel the appointment. Answering services offer patient pre-registration services to patients when they call to book their appointments. All that the patient will do is show up for their appointment and avoid wasting time registering.
Pre-registration also saves time for your office staff, which in turn enhances service delivery at your office. When you are running a practice, and your team is not stressed by administrative work, they tend to deliver quality service and are prone to being kind to your patients. Overworked staff members tend to be rude, which is a sure way of driving their patients away.
Offer Follow-up Services
One of the reasons that many patients hate is going back to a dental office after a procedure is the lack of communication after the said procedure. With an answering service, they will call your patient after their appointment and take note of any point the patient raises. They would enquire about the appointment and the procedures and ask the patient if they were satisfied with the services they received. They will then forward this information to your office for consideration. This step ensures that you receive feedback on your services while the patient is offered a chance to be heard.
When a patient notes that your office has addressed their point of concern, they feel appreciated, which will reflect well on your practice and increase your revenue. A follow-up service gives your patients a platform to talk about their experience at your office, which will significantly boost their loyalty. When you take time and address the issues raised by your patients, it ensures that your patients feel appreciated. A follow-up call also ensures that you improve your service quality while increasing your revenue and community standing as the best dentist in your area.
Help Preserve a Patient's Dignity
With dental patients, sometimes their dental conditions can leave a lot to be desired. Most of these patients are afraid of the lecture they will receive due to their dental condition when they show up at a dental office to book an appointment. Answering services ensure that your patient feels comfortable while making the appointment, without someone looking at them funny or raising their eyebrows at them. The anonymity offered by the answering service helps preserve the patient’s dignity and let them off easily without feeling ashamed due to their dental condition.
A patient will only show up at the office at the appointed time, reducing the time for anxiety to build up. Answering service agents answer the patient's questions before they reach your office, which dramatically lessens their fear and at the same time allows you to concentrate on their treatment and procedures.
Answers after Treatment Questions
A patient may not have a question immediately after a procedure or a treatment session, but some problems may arise later. An answering agent will answer any question the patient might have or connect them with the correct staff member to respond or offer solutions. A patient may also feel rushed at your office and fail to ask a question, but when you have an answering service, they might ask the questions later at their comfort and pace.
Conclusion
An answering service handles your returning and potential patients’ calls, changing how they view your dental practice. Your revenue will increase when you treat your patients with the care and dignity they deserve in your dental practice. When you make your patients a priority and make their time and effort worth it, this effort will reflect your revenue.
Retaining patients is an art that needs to be nurtured well, and a satisfied patient will always come back or send a new business your way. When your patients are satisfied, they will always leave a positive review on your social platform, which is an excellent way to advertise your services. Therefore, ensure that your communication lines are always clear and dedicate your time to delivering exceptional service.
