What should your voice mail message contain? You or your dental receptionist should introduce yourself and then clearly state: a. Your dental practice's hours. b. Instructions for your dental patients in case of an emergency i.e. call your cell, 911 or a covering dentist. c. Let the patient know when they can expect a return call. d. What information the patient should leave i.e. the reason for the call, their name and a good time to call back. The message should be clear, quite friendly and professional. Example: Hello. You’ve reached the dental practice of Dr. Smith. Our regular hours are 9:00am...
Opening your dental practice on nights or on a weekend can be quite productive however considering evening or weekend scheduling is typically a solution to some problem in the practice that can be fixed by upgrading the management of your dental practice. Here are some points to consider: 1. Only do so if your lifestyle can handle it as you may discover ten years later you never had a life outside of dentistry. 2. Expect more problem patients. It seems the more you accommodate people the ruder and more demanding they are. 3. Demand for weeknights or Saturdays is regional. For...
I recently had a discussion with several dental consultants and dentists about what they would recommend or do to send condolences when a patient passes away. One recommended flowers because so many of the attendees would read the note that comes with the flowers so it was a good way "to get your name out there". I personally was offended by that idea and found it self-serving. One of the dentists mentioned a handwritten card because it's more personal and takes more effort. I thought that was very good advice.
Places to look for new dental practice employees: a. dentalpost.com, dentaljobs.com, dentreps.com, and indeed.com b. Dental representatives c. Local Dental Societies d. Your current staff can be of help. They often know others in the area and who might be looking for a job. e. For assistants or hygienists: Call your sub list. Ask if any of them want a full time job. f. For assistants: Check Dental Assisting Programs g. Keep your eyes open! There are good people everywhere including your patients. I recall a client who observed a waitress at a local business who seemed really sharp. He offered to train her....