Has Your Front Desk Been Taken Over by a Porn Site?

05.29.2008 

Recently I was using a client’s computer and noticed that it was running really slow. On a hunch, I installed anti-spyware software.

Spyware, for those of you who don’t know, is computer software that is installed secretly on your computer to intercept or take partial control over your computer without your OK.

Commonly this is done when you or one of your staff download something from a web site. The download could be something as innocent as a solitaire game. The key point is that something was downloaded to your computer by you or one of your staff.

What happens then is that hidden in that download can be computer code that, among other things, records every key stroke made by anyone using your computer. User names, passwords and email addresses can easily be gotten. What can be done with such information is obvious and very dangerous. It needs no further explanation.

What you might not know is that the information can also be used to send tens of thousands of pieces of SPAM though your computer.

If you don’t already have anti-spyware software installed do a Google search and get yourself a free 30 day trial of one. Personally I would password protect your computer to only allow internet access to the vital business related web sites your practice must use to do business.

So if your computer seems to be running slower that it should be, it may just be because your front desk has been taken over by a porn site!

The Economy

05.23.2008 

The state of the economy is on most dentists' minds lately. Makes me wonder why some dentists also have trouble during a booming economy. Oh well, that's a story for another day. Now I'm not saying a worsening economy doesn't impact your practice - it does. But just like the weather and the time of the year you can't control the economy. Speaking of the time of the year have you ever had patients say:

November: "With the holidays coming up I'll need to get back to you after the first of the year."
February: "I'm still paying off the Christmas bills."
April: "I need to pay my taxes first."
June: "Sorry but I just booked a trip to Disneyland."
September: "The roof needs replacement and I'm still paying off the summer vacation."
November: "With the holidays coming up I'll need to get back to you after the first of the year."

Urrrrrr!

Now back to the economy: Since you can't control it, don't worry about it. Put your attention on what you can control. And what you can control is how well trained you and your staff are. The more the economy impacts a practice, the more important it is that you and your staff become expert at doing your jobs.

It's not a matter of working harder and harder and using more and more effort. It's a matter of learning the correct procedures and techniques.

And for the patient who always has an excuse for not proceeding with their treatment? The answer to the problem is simple. You must create value for the treatment with the patient. You're competing against holidays, vacations and new tires for the car. If the patient doesn't place value on the treatment then you may as well "forget about it".

If you don't know how to easily create value for the treatment the answer to that is also simple: take our free practice analysis here.

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