Your front office comes back to the clinical area and asks for the third time in 15 minutes when Ms. Barnes will be seated. “She keeps giving us the look and it is uncomfortable”. Trust me, it IS uncomfortable. I myself and gone to the back and told them I am not going back up front until they seat the patient that is waiting, now for 25 minutes.
Sadly, this happens often. Yes, there is the exception that you, the dentist, have a true emergency and the front office should communicate that with any and all patients that are waiting or call those that are upcoming. However, this happens frequently due to scheduling inefficiencies and overcrowding in the schedule.
Here are a few tips to reduce this scenario:
- Know your scheduling times and your patients that may need additional time. If you need 75 minutes of doctor time, schedule the time and allow for the assistant to flip the room.
- Discuss in Morning Huddle where any limited/PA patients that call should be placed. This allows the team to have ownership in keeping the schedule on track.
- Do not add work to a patient in the chair unless it will not make another patient wait.
If you are running behind, let the front office know right away so they can reach out to patients that may be getting ready to leave work to come in. Offer to reschedule and accommodate or let them know that you are running a bit behind due to an emergency and the appointment may be pushed back by 15 minutes (or however long it will be).
Keep in mind that patients get upset when they are on time and you are not. Sometimes it cannot be helped, but that should not be the norm in any dental office. Be courteous of your patients time and they will respect yours!
If your office needs help with Scheduling or Phone Skills and Customer Service training, Dental Concierge Coach can help. Contact us for more information on coaching and innovative team training.
