Handling Common Patient Interactions Optimally

Introduction

Are front office staff handling common phone and in-person interactions with patients in a consistent way? Are they using language that yields the best results for the practice? In this customer service course, dental office staff master the key elements of excellent phone etiquette and learn recommended language and strategies to use in managing routine exchanges with patients.

Benefits to your organization:

• Ensure that reception desk staff are providing a consistently excellent experience for patients
• Equip front desk staff to follow standardized protocols for handling situations such as dental emergencies
• Provide front office staff with protocols for handling late and chronically late patients that preserve good relationships with patients while providing the least amount of disruption to clinic schedules

Who should enroll in this course:

• New dental front office staff
• All front office staff who haven’t received customer service training
• Current and aspiring practice managers
• Individuals who are seeking a new career in dental office reception

Benefits to course participants:

• Develop a clear understanding of how to proceed in routine situations so that you’re not wondering whether you did the right thing or not
• For practice managers, acquire skills and knowledge that will help you document and share with other front office staff protocols for handling common patient interactions

By the end of this course, you should be able to:

• Recognize key elements of excellent phone etiquette
• Identify recommended approaches and phrases to:
  • Schedule appointments
  • Put callers on hold
  • Confirm appointments
  • Handle wait lists
  • Call for recall
  • Handle cancellations
  • Take a message well
• Discuss payment
• Handle record release requests, while complying with regulations
• Handle phone interactions appropriately when you have one patient on the phone and another patient in front of you
• Handle requests for second opinions
• Handle walk-in patients