How many times have you heard someone in your practice say “That’s not my job!” or “I did it last time!! YOU do it this time”? Nomi Waters, over at NomiWaters.com has a great blog that discusses the aspect of renting or owning your job. Be sure to check it out!

Employees who truly have sense of TEAM don’t think along the lines of ME – Their thought process is “What is best for the practice? What is best for my doc?”. They might get a little miffed once in a while that everything seems to fall on them, and usually when you have an employee with a true sense of team, these things DO seem to land in their laps most often. Time to take control I say! Don’t let a good employee slip away because of lack of systems!

Do you employ time clock punchers or TEAM members?

Having clearly defined job descriptions and expectations outlined for each position in your office will enable your team members to take ownership of their positions. (If they don’t step up even after supplying them with the tools to succeed, it might be time to help them succeed elsewhere!)

Who’s got your back? By this I mean, who is the orchestrator of your office in all things running smoothly? Who is ensuring that you are able to do your beautiful dentistry and not have to go stomping up to the front desk to see why Mr. Smith isn’t here yet, or ask if the two hygiene holes in the afternoon have been filled…. This is information that should be supplied to you without asking………… be taken care of without prodding………

Why is room 3 still a mess from this mornings crown prep? Who is going to tear it down and for goodness sakes, why is the reception area a disaster after Mrs. Jones had her 3 kids in here this morning, and it’s now 2 o’clock and it still looks like a cyclone went through?

I don’t think a doc should ever, ever, EVER have to ask or worry about these things. They should be done, done by the first person who sees it, or better yet by the person who has these expectations outlined in their job description.

Holes in the schedule? Two front desk peeps saying “I’m not doing it, I filled the last one” or thinking, (without communicating) that the other will just take care of it, and then nothing ever gets done…………Unacceptable.

Every time you sit down for a crown prep, you find that something is missing off your set-up tray without fail? Ok, so now you are frustrated, ticked off, have to wait for them to go get it (quickly we hope) and just put you even more behind ……….. While you are waiting you happen to glance over at the schedule and see those hygiene holes for this afternoon are still empty, and that no appointments for tomorrow have even been confirmed yet…………. Now your anxiety is amping up even a bit more when the front desk peeps their head in and asks you if they can go to lunch a bit early today…………. Susie the assistant is in a bad mood because the other assistant isn’t tearing down room 4 for the next patient, she’s over gossiping with the front desk about the hygienist… The hygienist is now ticked off because she is running behind because no one informed her at the morning huddle that Mrs. Miller was having gum issues, needed to take an unexpected FMX and you are late for your hygiene check because you haven’t even started your crown prep yet! For Gosh sake! All you want to do is prep this crown! You want to do your beautiful dentistry and not have to deal with this crap!

Let me say it again. Systems my friend.

I find a lack of sense of urgency and a ME attitude as such a sign of disrespect to the doc….. and to the rest of the team. A lack of sense of urgency to me means that the employee feels pretty darn comfortable in their job and their minimal efforts. No one has ever told them different and so they do the least amount possible. The team member has a job because THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT NEED TO BE DONE to support the practice in reaching its goals………….. If they are not willing to step up, WHY ARE THEY THERE? And if they have a bad attitude on top of it all, oy vay! Why do you torture yourself? You are in the driver seat to right your ship – A plan of action, SOP manuals and clearly outlined expectations.

Lack of systems = Lack of success.

If a team member comes in on any given day and gives, lets say a 60% effort in their job and supporting the rest of the team and expediting patient care, would it be fair then that you pay them only 60% of their wage for the day? Heck no! They’d have a heart attack!!

Now I am not saying to kick all employees to the curb, not at all. Team members need direction. They need to know, and clearly understand your expectations of them within their positions – (SOP manuals anyone?) If these expectations are written down don’t you think it will be much easier to know who is meeting/exceeding your expectations or to help hold each team member accountable in reorganizing their efforts and overcoming their challenges? How can anyone meet your expectations if they don’t know what they are?

Without a sense of urgency, desire loses its value.

Here’s to NO MORE CHAOS in your day, an orchestrated system for everything dental and peace in your gut knowing that your team has your back!

To quote one of my favorite dental guru’s, Howard Farran, (www.DentalTown.com) “To eliminate cancellations and fails you might as well pick up the earth and throw it into the sun”.  I LOVE this! Everyone is looking for the magic pill that will cure this ill of dental practices everywhere…………

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but there is no magic pill, no quick fix, no one system that is ever going to eliminate cancellations and no-shows. None. The only thing you can do takes hard work; Have the best systems in place, follow them consistently and be prepared with a backup should a cancellation or no-show happen!! You know, that never-ending Perpetual State of Preparedness that I always talk about!!

Here are a few things to consider when streamlining your systems to make sure that your practice has everything in line to make the most of the challenging opportunity a hole in the schedule provides:

Relationships – Does your practice just “schedule appointments” or do you “build relationships”? Relationships WORK – relationships are an avenue for two-way respect – If you are “just scheduling appointments” the patients will have the mentality that “its JUST a cleaning” – When your whole team works on building that relationship with each patient, it becomes an educational opportunity which will leave the patient desiring the treatment they need and keeping their word with their appointments. Who wants to disappoint someone else that they have a good, trust based relationship with?  I don’t want to disappoint someone or make them think I’m a schmuck! You must create a value for them, a WIIFM (whats in it for me?) and appreciate them keeping their appointments. Tell them “THANK YOU for coming in today – we always enjoy seeing you and appreciate your time and effort you are dedicating to your oral health”.

Information – Make sure that you have all updated communication information for the patient – also find out which method of communication (and number) they prefer to be reached at during the hours of 8-5 – put this in the alert or patient information note box. I cannot tell you how exasperating it is to try to confirm someone when all 3 numbers on file are incorrect, or when you try a work number and you get screamed at for calling them at work. Communication is KEY!

Confirmation system  – When do you start calling? Do you follow-up with electronic confirmations that are sent out? Do you strive for 100% confirmations every day? Do you consistently do book review watching for the habitual offenders and calling them a week in advance? If you have tried multiple times to confirm an appointment, left messages, sent emails/texts and you still haven’t heard from the patient, do you give them one more call (day prior) and let them know if they don’t confirm their appointment by noon today you will need to remove their appointment from the schedule and have them call back at their convenience to reschedule?  At this point, they pretty much aren’t coming, so get them off the schedule so you can get someone else on!! Waiting with bated breath, crossed fingers and toes, hoping that a patient is going to show up is NO way to run a practice.

Here’s what we have seen work well in other offices:

Expectations: Clearly define your expectations. Everyone says “oh, don’t talk about cancelling or rescheduling  – It gives them ideas”…….. Whatever. Talk about that elephant in the room! Lay out your expectations. This should begin with the new patient information. You require 48 hours for appointment changes, SAY IT – If you don’t receive the courtesy of a 48 hour notice, TELL THEM what will happen. Period. How on earth can you expect them to meet your expectations if you avoid telling them what your expectations are???? You say 2^nd late cancel you’re getting a fee, then do it. If you waive the fee, you make sure the patient knows what a favor you are doing for them, THIS time only and mark their record accordingly. Let them know how you confirm appointments, when you confirm appointments and that you expect all reserved appointments to be confirmed. Define it. Say it. Expect it. In return for their cooperation, you will meet their expectations by appreciating their time as well.

Pre-appointing – No one should leave your office without their next appointment card. Ever. If they are going to have a co-pay, go ahead and jot in down on the upper corner of the card. Don’t make a grand gesture of it or hand it over to them and say “this is your co-pay!!!!”- just do it. Hand them the card, let them know that’s the estimate of their co-pay and jokingly remind them to put the card on their fridge. Or better yet ask them if they would like to go ahead and enter the appointment in their smart phone – you’ll wait while they do!

Reminder cards – 3-4 weeks prior to the appointments, send out reminder cards. Not only reminder cards, but have the verbage on there asking the patient to call and verify their appointment day/time (HIGHLIGHT this request!!) When the patients call from the cards, you thank them for calling to verify, ask if they would need a courtesy call a few days prior or if you can mark the appointment confirmed now? If they need to reschedule, great, you now have weeks to fill the hole. Don’t put anything negative on these cards like “we require 48 hours notice for cancellations”…. They should already know that, and we want this card to be positive! We are looking forward to seeing you!!

Book review – among all the other opportunity you are searching for when doing this, one week out look at next week’s schedule. Habitual offenders should be *marked somehow – If there is one on the schedule CALL THEM right away. If they don’t confirm one week prior to their appointment, you leave the message that you’re removing them from the schedule.

Electronic confirmations – Send them out one week prior – call habitual offenders though immediately!– call anyone who hasn’t confirmed 3 days prior to appointment if no electronic confirmation.

Phone confirmations – Don’t be afraid to use every number on file – If you must leave a message, we recommend that you always state your name, where you are calling from, THEN ask them to return your call at (office number) when they receive your message as you need to obtain a confirmation for their upcoming reserved appointment time – then right before you hang up, remind them again of the “confirmation number” you need them to call. Again, day prior if there is no confirmation you leave the “remove from schedule message”. (important to state your phone number right after your introduction because we find once they hear “dentist office” they don’t listen to the rest of your message anyways!!)

Short call lists – Now, you are going to end up removing some patients from the schedule. It’s going to happen. As long as you are prepared to deal with it, then all is well. Having multiple, viable short call lists to call from to help fill last-minute holes

• People who want in sooner, or a more specific appointment should be noted appropriately on the ASAP so you can find this information with minimal searching/clicks – Every patient that is scheduled out further than 2-3 weeks should be asked if they would like to be contacted to come in sooner if their desired day/time opens up. Be sure to record this on the appointment notes to be able to effectively use this system!
  
• Use your phone log (you DO have one of these right?) You know, the log that you write down all calls and messages? Great for fills/follow-up!
• Unscheduled list – the list that has everyone’s appointments who have cancelled but not yet rescheduled? HINT*** every time someone cancels an appointment, insert a dateline, include a note of why they cancelled and when you will follow-up then “break” the appointment. NEVER delete unless they aren’t coming back to your office.
• Past due recare list
• Last but not least, pulling people forward from future dates – look a week out to see who might be scheduled at the same day of the week/time of the day – but of course be sure if they have insurance they are within their covered time period.

Phone availability – You ever notice patients like to leave messages to cancel? Usually on a day when you are out right? If you are closed on Friday with only your answering machine/voice mail greeting these callers, what do you walk into on Mondays?  Voice mail/answering machines don’t intercept cancellations, reschedule (keeping them on the schedule somewhere!), schedule new patients or anything else. Actually, they just make more work for you! I do not believe you need to have late night or weekend coverage – especially when you provide 40 hours of availability during the week. Also on your VM message let patients know that if they are calling to discuss an appointment that is scheduled within the next 48 hours, they need to call the dr himself or an offsite number as you don’t accept cancellations on this line…. reminding them though that you do need 48 hours notice for any appointment change………. encouraging them to call.

So here you have it. Donkey’s aren’t going to fly anytime soon but at least you can put yourself in the Perpetual State of Preparedness and protect your schedule!

Here’s to 100% confirmations in 2012!!

MB

 ”If you like getting what you are getting, keep doing what you are doing!”

I personally do not believe that you need to have someone answering the phone until 9 pm at night nor on Saturdays or Sundays. But when your office actually only offers 26 hours a week phone availability, you need to start thinking about what opportunity you are missing out on with the uncovered 14 hours!! THAT is alot of phone time (and opportunity) missed.

The practices that I have talked with who scramble to have someone take a cell phone home after hours or have hired an answering service for the weekends have been sorely disappointed. The employees get ticked off that they are chained to a cell phone.

Adjusting your phone hours a bit is something I am totally in for! Start answering at 7 am and answer until 6pm? Heck yeah! That is taking advantage of the opportunity that will roll in from working patients for sure! Be sure that your patients know, that you TOOT YOUR OWN HORN – We  support our patients by being available to speak with you Monday through Friday from 7 am to 6pm………..

Here are the 5 top reasons to offer 40 hours a week phone availability:

1) You’ll be available to directly welcome new patients. True story: My niece was looking for a new dentist in Chicago – After research she found one that she was pretty comfortable with and called. During the day. Got voice mail.  Left a message that her family would like to become new patients and could someone give her a return call? Waited. For two days. NO CALL. Called AGAIN. Went to voicemail AGAIN. She left another message. Waited. For two days. No return call. She was so upset she posted on their facebook wall (which someone had been making posts on the whole 4 day time period!!) that they just missed out on 4 new patients! Noone ever acknowledged her post or did she ever hear from anyone in that office. That is an epic failure of patient service.

2) Your available to intercept attempted cancellations. How many times have you checked messages after lunch or after your days off to find it loaded with cancellations and schedule change requests? Now these calls have to be returned, appointments cancelled and not rescheduled because they aren’t answering their phones. Do you know how much of a time suck this is? And how many patients get lost in the shuffle because of inappropriate notes for follow-up? Or never get rescheduled because someone just deleted them off the schedule with no follow-up? Now, by being available, you can intercept these calls, get the patients to stay on the schedule somewhere or encourage them to keep the appointment they currently have. Believe it or not, you are missing out on loads of production because of this system failure.

3) You are able to assist a patient in need NOW. When a patient in need calls they want to talk to someone NOW. They are in pain, scared, frustrated and then they get the voice mail that says you’ll be back in 4 days? Even if dr is not in, the patient will get the TLC they need. The emergencies can be routed appropriately assuring the patient that we care, we are here for them and are ready to take care of them. By taking all the pertinent information the dr can be contacted via text or call and RX’s can even be called in – ALL without the dr having to step foot in the office and the patient is happy with being taken care of.

4) You’ll be able to fill holes NOW instead of when you get back. How many of you have Thursday afternoons and Fridays off? Or Wednesdays off? When you come back into the office (with no phone coverage) you have a bazillion messages to return, a ton of cancellations and now your entire day just got blown to smithereens? And there are still 4 or 5 patients who haven’t been confirmed, so you’ll be waiting with baited breath and a knot in your stomach wondering if they will show? By offering appropriate phone coverage, the cancelling patients will be kept on the schedule somewhere (right??!) and your lists can be actively worked to fill these holes and keep your schedule full. Short call lists are mad genius, and any office that doesn’t have one is missing out on some big opportunity! Also, patient appointments can be confirmed, verbally if need be, but none-the-less you can come back to a FULL/CONFIRMED day after being out for 4 days. Just how would all of this feel to you???

5) Your time, opportunity, production and collections will all be maximized. You won’t miss out on the call where a patient wants to make a credit card payment over the phone, a patient finally bit the bullet and was calling to schedule that crown that they have been avoiding (SCHEDULING IS BASED ON EMOTION!!!)but they got the voice mail so that was their excuse for not scheduling , you’ll never again have a list of 20 messages to return on a Monday morning especially when you are scrambling to fill the four holes that were just created by patients who left messages to cancel….

I am sure you are getting the picture by now, right?

I write of this with experience. We support our offices daily in making the most of these opportunities. We answer every single phone call with the intent of building a relationship – not just scheduling an appointment.

We strive to make sure that next day business is full, confirmed and that there are minimal messages to be returned. We process payments, call in RX’s, handle emergencies, schedule appointments and offer the best TLC ever, all with not a single employee even being in your practice.☺

With all this being said, please answer your phones. Set your practice apart from every other practice. Be the ones who always cheerfully answer the phones and your patients become to feel secure in the knowledge that you are always there for them. That my friends, is priceless.

Here’s to the best week ever!

Mary Beth

Please be be sure to check out our new facebook page at facebook/DentalSupportSpecialties.com

Ok. Ok – I got carried away with the Pink Floyd reference……..  Back to reality.

Just what are your patients and potential new patients hearing when they call your office?

Do they hear a clipped, unsmiling, non-welcoming “Dr. So & So’s office!”

or do they hear something friendly, warm and welcoming “It’s a great day at Dr. So & So’s office, this is Mary Beth, how may I help you today?”

First impressions  – you really don’t get a second chance to make one….

Here’s a small challenge for you today. Google dentists in your area – pick up the phone and hit *67 (to block your number so people don’t think you are spying on them even though you are! hee-hee!) and dial a few other offices numbers to get a feel for how they are doing it. Make a mental note of how each greeting made you feel – like you wanted to go meet the people here? Like you were interrupting something more important? Like holy cow that lady was a beeee-atch? Did they make you smile?

Now, after you call a few other practices, call your own. Star *67 your number again and really “listen” to how you are being represented when someone answers your phone. Is this how you want patients and potential new patients to view your practice? Every single thing that goes on in your practice is a direct reflection of YOU – The initial phone call should be knocking the patients socks off, EVERY SINGLE TIME!

You make think this is a silly exercise, however I am here to tell you that this exercise will make you more aware of the happenings within your own practice.

There is nothing that makes me more sad than when I call a practice and the person answering it is showing such a display of being in a hurry, an attitude of “you’re not important to me” and “what do you want” – all within the first 10 seconds of answering the phone. How many times have you called somewhere and the person answering says the practice name so freaking fast you can’t even understand what they just said and can’t catch their name either, if they even say it.

Patient care needs to be amped up over the phone – why? Because although patients can hear it in your voice, they can’t see your face to make the whole connection. It’s better than communicating through email, yet not quite as good as face to face. Do you want somebody faking it? Absolutely not – patients also pick up on that and it is a total turnoff.

Covering phones for one of our great practices, I took a call from a fella who was shopping for implant fees. He told me he was shopping. This gentleman was completely sticker shocked at the price he was quoted at another practice, never even really knew what an implant was until he now was recommended one and was completely overwhelmed. I gave him what I have the luxury of giving him – TIME – I answered his questions as best as I could – calmed him down a bit – and had a wonderful conversation with him. At the end of the conversation, I asked for the appointment for a complimentary smile consult with one of the dr’s. He declined saying he had a list of NINE offices he called and he needed to talk it over with his wife. Hanging up, I was like “dang” because I didn’t appoint, however felt very good about the conversation. (This call was on a Friday) Guess what? He called back first thing on Monday to schedule! He told me he decided on this office because of “your bedside manner” and “the time you took with me”.  He not only met with Dr., but he has accepted treatment that includes bone grafting and implants. All because I took the time.

Is every phone call going to be a super success? Nope. Would your administrative team pass every single phone call test given by some? Nope. However, as long as kindness, patience and friendliness rule you can always say we honestly gave it our best effort. Let’s face it – we have to base the success rate of our phone calls partially on the person calling in…

Do you offer to contact the patients insurance company to get a breakdown of benefits for them? Even on a new patient phone call, if the patient isn’t sure, we always go the extra mile and offer to obtain this information for them. I know, I know – somebody out there is screaming “WHAT??!” when they read this and thinking ” I don’t have time for that”. Well, by NOT offering to support the patient, that is exactly what they are hearing. You don’t have time for them. And if you don’t have time for them at this initial phone call when will you? WOW them from the get go! (we have a great insurance information breakdown sheet to use – if you would like a copy let me know!)

Ok – moving on. Let’s face it peeps. Some of your calls are going to go to voice mail. It is going to happen. (I do believe you need to have a solid 40 hours a week phone coverage to make the most of every opportunity calling in and connect with the patients promptly!)

What happens after they leave a message is what makes or breaks the deal. On your message let the patients know how important their call is, and that you WILL return their call within the next 30 minutes. And you better be ready to back that promise up! My niece, who lives in Chicago, called a practice TWICE leaving a message both times asking someone to call her so she could schedule NEW PATIENT appointments for both she and her husband. No one returned her call. Ever. She wrote on their facebook wall how terrible their customer service is and that they lost out on 2 new patients because somebody couldn’t be troubled to return her calls. And it’s not like she didn’t give them time. She waited 5 business days. Can you say YIKES!?

Opportunity knocks every time your phone rings. Its all in how you answer it.

This message was brought to you, and approved by, Mary Beth Bajornas ☺

PS – Hey, check it out! We have upgraded our business name to Dental Support Specialties! Be sure to watch for more exciting changes to come!

Follow-up. We know how critical the correct follow-up can be in a dental practice. It can make or break treatment case acceptance. It can make or break a new patient scheduling. It can make or break the positive reviews you want your patients to go out and spread to the world. Lets face it…. It can make or break you.

To ensure that nothing falls in between the cracks, great systems need to be in place for follow-up. Along with the systems, we need to know who is doing what, and by when.

You come in to the office on Monday morning, after being closed on Friday with no phone coverage, to an answering machine full of cancellations, messages and reschedule requests. Although it may seem a bit archaic, phone logs are really a must in every practice. Record who called, when, what they needed and if follow up/appointment scheduled is complete. This log can also be used as another avenue for short calls.

Here’s a pic of the one we happen to use.

Think about it. Lets say a patient leaves a message that tells you they are cancelling their appointment and they will call back to reschedule. Or that they are sick and can’t make it and they will call back. Is there a note made? Is there a tickler system for follow up so this patient doesn’t get lost? Writing it down on this log can seriously help with follow up. I know I never let a patient get away with telling me they will call me back to reschedule – I mark the note box on the appointment scheduler two weeks out to give them a call.

How about the patients who have just been presented a treatment plan, but offer up the age old “Um, I need to go home and talk to my husband/wife and I’ll let you know”. NOT. I mark the note box on the appointment scheduler for 5 business days out, then give them a call. I begin these calls with introducing myself and say I am following up from their visit with us a few days ago and am wondering what other questions they might have for me? If they say NONE – I say “Wonderful! How well does next Tuesday at 8 am work with your schedule to begin your care?” This will be the make or break part – You’ll find out if they are ready, if finances are an obstacle or if they are fearful – and opens up a great window of opportunity for you to help the patient overcome their obstacles and get the care they need.

Post op calls. Anyone who receives anesthesia or intense care -  a new patient who was fearful – a child’s first visit who was traumatized – anyone who left your practice that day who didn’t leave skipping might warrant a post op call.  A call from the dr. is always best, but even if the dr is not available, the hygienist, assistant, and/or front desk person making the call is better than noone! I have even seen where they hygienist makes the post op calls for all scaling/root planings that they have seen that day. A kind, caring, warm, compassionate phone call asking how well the patient is getting along after their visit today goes a very long way! (PS – I always recorded the patients response to this call in their chart as well)

Simple requests from patients can get lost in the every day madness that consumes a dental practice. It is so important to write these requests down on the phone call log and mark the tickler system. Be sure to follow through with each request in a timely manner, ensuring we are not only meeting the patients needs, but exceeding their expectations by delivering the highest quality of patient care, response time and building reliability status.

Delivering the WOW factor in something that seems so simple as follow up will increase your patient trust, loyalty and referrals.

Initiate a follow up protocol for your practice. Who is going to do what, when, how and by when?

I look at it this way. If your team members are asking each other about patients all the time “Hey when was so&so in, did they call back?” “Did Mrs. Smith schedule for her appt yet?” etc – you get the picture – something is missing. Or if patients are calling and saying “Yeah I have been waiting for a phone call to let me know how much my insurance will pay” Having a patient phone back to follow up on their own request hurts.

There should be appropriate notes made in every single patient chart so someone walking in off the street could give you their current history – including what their next appointments are, why they haven’t scheduled and when is someone going to follow up with them.  See – follow-up and notes go hand in hand! (See the previous blog on ♫Note that♫)

Follow-up friends. You’ll be so glad you did – and it will make a positive impact on production/scheduling and collections. Promise.

Have a marvelous weekend! Here’s to you for the best follow up ever!

MB

Detailed notes are extremely beneficial on many different levels in your practice beginning with everyone on your team being on the same page and speaking the same language to protecting yourself, your practice and the patient.  I learned long ago from a wonderful dentist that “if it’s not in the notes/chart, it never happened”.

I am an advocate for noting everything. Starting with the patient file. I note every patient communication/contact – who I spoke with, what it was about and what the result was. Every patient missed appointment – whether it be a no-show or late cancel, I always record when they called (if) and why the no-show/late cancel.

I note all attempted contacts for recare or undone treatment. What phone I called, who I might have spoken with and what they said.  If follow-up is needed, I note that in the note portion of the scheduler for the appropriate day. Follow-up is the single most often missed opportunity within your practice! Let’s say someone cancels on the VM, saying they will call back next week to schedule. Whats happens if they DON’T call back? Is someone calling them? How do you know? NOTES of course!

I notate the patients preferred method of communication during the hours of 9-5 and their preferred appointment times. If they say NO CALLS/NO EMAILS – set up an alert to be sure we are honoring the patients request. If they say only call my cell, note it!

Confirming an appointment? I always insert a dateline with a note. Patient calls to reschedule an appointment? Insert a dateline and make a note. Anytime you touch a patients appointment a dateline and notation should be made with your initial.

Finances discussed for treatment? MAKE A NOTE! Discuss as a team the most universal place for easiest access by all team members to get to this information quickly!

When a patient calls to schedule an appointment, if appropriate notes are made it is so very easy to make the most of this opportunity! Are they calling to schedule a cleaning and have a next restorative visit recommended? Offer the patient a brilliant appointment for both services – they will love you for valuing their time! (and when you have notes on the financials readily available and can tell them exactly what their portions are, GENIUS!!)

It is so frustrating when you are talking to a patient that spoke to another team member, and there is no record of their conversation anywhere to be found! Yet the patient really thinks you should know what they are talking about. And guess what? YOU SHOULD!

Appointment notes – how much should the patient be paying at the time of service (all of the following information should be noted during book review!), are there any family members that are due for treatment, should we be asking this particular patient for a referral? How much insurance benefit is remaining – might that information increase your chances of getting a patient to schedule? Are they eligible for FL, FMX? Are occlusal guards a covered benefit?

WOWZER! I know -  a ton of information however you will notice an increase in productivity and a decrease in error, losing patients and missed opportunity.

Having universal team knowledge and speaking the same language can support your team in their efforts of providing the best patient care ever! Not to mention, fewer patients get lost in the cracks, treatment becomes easier to discuss and calls become easier to make!

Clinical notes that end with the patients next hygiene visit (NHV: 6 mo – pro, bw, ex, fl) and next treatment visit (NTV: 2-3 weeks, crown #2, 1 hour) aid the entire staff in being able to make sure we are getting patients scheduled! There will be no more patients standing at the front desk while the administrative team is trying to track down a clinical person to find out what the patient needs to come back for and when! Dang, that used to drive me batty!

Even if the patient declines treatment, why? Note it! When can we follow-up? Note it.

Notes are just another step in creating the Perpetual State of Preparedness for your practice. They support your whole team in maximizing every opportunity.

Go ahead. Note that!

Yours truly in inspiration and motivation for the most fabulous notes ever!!

MB

Systemize – Bring order to or into; arrange according to a system.

Maximize – To increase or make as great as possible.

I’ve written many times about the importance of systems. SOP manuals. Training. Accountability. Responsibility. Job Descriptions and expectations. I also know that these systems and SOP manuals can be a hefty investment but I am here to tell you how they pay off many, many, many times over.

Priority – Everyone on your team needs to be aware of their positions & expectations and  be able to act on their individual priority in a timely, consistent manner. The patients and the schedule (and keeping it full) are always priority number one. Period.  Yet within each position this means something different; this is where systems come in!

Systems – What areas in your practice are currently defined as challenging? Empty schedule? Past due accounts? Insurance aging backlogged? Never having clean instruments? Room set-ups not correct or completed in a timely manner? Inventory and ordering system more like a fly-by night operation?

Having well-defined SOP manuals for each area of your practice not only streamline main functions of the practice, but assist with accountability and position ownership. Everyone on your team knows what is expected of them, as it is clearly outlined, by when and how each task is to be completed. No more hearing “I didn’t know I was supposed to do that”.

If your schedule is empty – who is responsible for filling it, and how? Are calls being actively made? Tracking of calls and responses? Chart auditing letters done with follow-up calls? How often should these things be done, and how often are they actually being done? Nothing drives me more batty than to hear “there is no one to call” and yet when you pull a past due recare list there are more than 200 names on it! Does it mean you’ll get all 200 of those patients to schedule? No, but it does mean someone is actively taking a role in owning the schedule and their position while protecting your time and money.

If you have insurance or account aging backlog – Why? Shouldn’t there be a system in place where these tasks are attacked on a consistent basis? Shouldn’t there be a system in place to collect the patients portion at the time of service so you don’t have to worry about aging? The list goes on and on but I think you get the point that every task, every expectation needs to be clearly outlined for maximum results and success.

LACK OF SYSTEMS = LACK OF RESULTS

Maximize – When you have your priorities (goals) and systems outlined and in place, it takes the guess-work out of everything! Your team will know, if this happens then this needs to be done. Systems help support your team in maximizing every opportunity that presents itself throughout the day! Book review is HUGE and yet hardly any practices are doing it! How can you make the most of opportunity if you have no idea what is walking in your door today!? Being prepared with the knowledge is the key to success; From knowing what undone treatment a patient has prior to their appointment and having pre-appointment financials prepared to having clearly outlined expectations of which patients you will share your care to share cards with and ask for referrals. It’s all about being prepared!

New employees? What a time saving, training device SOP manuals are!! Step by step directions for every task that their position is accountable for. Genius isn’t it? How can you throw someone into a position and expect magnificent results when they don’t know half the tasks out there?? Are you new employees standing around half the time? It’s because they don’t have a clue, a checklist, expectations to follow! Help them succeed!

Let me ask, would you purchase a thousands of dollar piece of new dental equipment without getting an instruction manual? No right? Why would you invest into hiring a new employee without supplying them with the tools (an instruction manual for their position) needed to succeed?

Need to know how to run a credit card payment? Look it up! Need to know how to set up for a posterior composite filling? The SOP manual has pictures, outlines, everything that your employees need for their success within your practice! SOP manuals are tools for success – for you, your practice and your team members!

The Perpetual State of Preparedness. It’s a great, and profitable place to be!!!

Here’s to you in making the changes you want to see today! One SOP system at a time!

MB

You spend thousands of dollars a year in multiple marketing strategies to get patients to call your office right? Websites, internal marketing, brochures, newsletters, care-to –share cards, mugs, pens, social functions, coaching, signs, etc.

You are spending all this money to attract new patients to your office, keep you connected with existing patients, so why wouldn’t you have someone answering your phones at least 40 hours a week? If you don’t have appropriate daily phone coverage, aren’t you just throwing your money out the window?  (I’m not even talking about after hours coverage – I am talking about normal 40 hour a week business availability to your guests)

Why not advertise “Hey, we want you as a new patient but only call during these hours and never on a Friday and we’ll only see you on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays?” THAT will bring them in.

A new patient calls. It’s a Friday. They get an answering machine that says you’ll be back on Tuesday, call back then. What do YOU think the chances are they are going to leave a message, let alone call back?

We support many offices who are off a few days out of the week, but always have phone coverage. Guess what? New patient calls get answered, and new patient appointments are scheduled. Existing patients call to cancel their appointments – no more coming in on Monday mornings to an answering machine full of cancellations that just get cancelled and never followed up on – let’s keep them on the schedule somewhere. Holes are created for the next few business day schedule by these last-minute cancellers who always try to call on the days they know you’re out of the office?  Let’s work those short call and past due recare lists to get those holes filled. A patient finally gets up the nerve to call and schedule that restorative appointment and gets an answering machine – they might not get the nerve again until their next hygiene visit. We get them scheduled, on the books, today.

Marketing dollars, not only spent, but spent wisely with strategic systems in place to make the most of the opportunities they bring, will provide you the best bang for your buck ever!

It doesn’t take big marketing bucks to succeed. But it does take answering the phone to schedule the appointments that your marketing endeavors are aimed at driving the patients to call. You have to take advantage of every opportunity that comes knock, knock, knockin’ on your door!

This thought for the day was brought to you, and approved by, Mary Beth Bajornas ☺
PS – A straggler thought – but necessary. If you don’t have a website for your practice, you don’t exist in over 80% of the households in America looking for a new dentist. Food for thought. If you need a website, be sure to check out DDS.com and get your practice on the map!

He talked a lot about behaviors, missed opportunities, communication skills/styles and something Deb and I were discussing the other day – Office Assassins. (We knew right away who the office assassin was in our banking office at the time – thoughts of her still send crappy shivers up my spine. Ugh) He also called these types of people the “cancer” of the office.Ya know – one bad seed theory. You can have 8 fantastic people in the office, but one bad seed can and will poison/taint the office. Whether they drive customers away, or create inner turmoil amongst the other staff members, you all know the type I am talking about. They rebel against change, have an attitude of “we’ve tried that”, “we’ve been there” and have a complaint against every single person, place and thing in life.

Their negativity is palpable – Customers (patients), change, impossible to embrace opportunity with excitement, and overall despondent about life. Before their feet hit the floor they are already complaining about the day ahead.

Then there are the employees that refuse to accept help or advice for the betterment of customer service and the workplace – we have found these types of employees don’t accept help or advice because if they did, and positive results were to abound, it will set a new, higher bar/standard for them that might make them have to work harder and invest more of themselves and they like things just the way they are. At their speed and level of capability. (We also refer to these people as time clock punchers. They view what they do as just a J.O.B.)

I know of one office where there is a newer hygienist. Their schedule isn’t full at all, as a matter of fact they are struggling.  This hygienist is more than willing and talented enough to pick up the phone and work the past due recare or treatment lists. Front desk gets her panties in a bunch and says “No – no. There’s a story behind each patient and it’s just best if I do it”. Now mind you, the hygienist has YET to hear this woman make one outbound phone call to a patient or ever see her scramble to fill the schedule.  Makes you wonder what she’s been doing…. or NOT doing…. and their schedule remains sparse.

There are a few thoughts that go along with this. If someone has been in the office for such a long time, they start to “own” the patients finances, problems, scheduling issues etc. This is a double-edged sword. It’s great to build such a rapport with the patients, however when you start owning this type of stuff the treatment/financial presentations and acceptance are going to tank. Guaranteed. Sometimes its a great thing to have fresh blood calling on these patients. When detailed notes are made from each and every patient contact, it allows for anyone on your team to step up, and in, to follow up and keep the appointments coming in!

How about the hygienist who does bloody prophy’s all day long? Doesn’t invest in the opportunity to implement a stellar perio program for the benefit of the patients oral health? Or the hygienist who ignored the note that the patients insurance provides for adult FL treatments twice a year and the patient walked out from their hygiene appointment with no FL treatment?4 or 5 mm pockets noted with bleeding (or here’s one for you – a hygienist who doesn’t probe at each appointment!!) and the patient sent along their merry way for the next 6 months?

Do you have production killers in your practice? We encourage you to take a look around your practice. Focus on your most challenging areas. Who has your back ?! What we mean by that is who is watching your production, strategically maneuvering your days to meet production goals, while offering the highest level and standards of patient care to be found?

Once you determine your most challenging areas, then you focus on putting a plan into action.

If your schedule is empty here are a few areas to look at:

1) Recare – current and past due. Run your past due recare report TODAY. (If you don’t know how feel free to call me personally, I will walk you through it!) Find out exactly  how many patients you have NOT seen within the past 18-24 months. The numbers might astound you. If you haven’t seen them, are they going elsewhere? How do you know if you aren’t doing a chart audit? If someone isn’t following up with these patients to get them scheduled? Current – are you making sure that NO patient leaves the practice without their next appointment scheduled? Your pre-appointment rate should be well into the 90th percentile! Last but not least – who is responsible for recare? Do you have a solid recare system? Is it being followed? Again, who has your back??!  (While you are at it, go ahead and run your undone treatment report for the past 12 months. You just might find you have over a million dollars SITTING on your wall)

2) Hygiene – How many scaling and root planings have been done within the past 6 months in your practice? Run a report. How about Fluoride treatments? Are FMX or PANO’s being done every 3-5 years to follow in line with your standard of care? Are patients leaving their hygiene appointments educated enough to seek the quality dental care they need?

3) Book review – This is the constant monitoring process of the schedule. Being aware of every opportunity and potential challenges and the best way to make the most of all. This is a very time consuming process but it more than pays off every single day! How many days have gone by in your practice where you became aware of an opportunity AFTER the fact? Take control today!

4) Set daily goals – How many past due recare contacts are being made every day within your practice? If it’s none, there’s a problem. Having a solid recare system in place ensures that contacts are continually being made to not only fill your schedule but build your short call list as well. How many patients are on your short call list right now? We like to aim for at least 50.

We’ll have a continuation of this conversation in our next blog, but wanted to give you something to start with. If you find yourself frustrated over an empty schedule, growing insurance and account aging, decrease in treatment case acceptance and low morale you owe it to yourself to assess your situation, determine the most challenging areas and then make the adjustments needed.

Production Killers

• Unmotivated, unenergetic, detached employees (poor patient care)
• Running late
• Not providing 40 hours a week phone availability to your patients/Not answering your phones!
• Failure to fully explain treatment and finance options
• Lack of systems = Lack of success (guaranteed!)

Production Saviors

• Motivated, enthusiastic, warm, friendly, KIND patient care
• Presenting treatment & financial options with finesse, caring and affordability for patients
• Systems for maximum scheduling, collections and production management
• Book Review and being aware of every single opportunity on your schedule today

Start by running those reports. You might be shocked but you’ll be armed with the best knowledge ever to move forward!!

Lack of systems = Lack of success. You can bank on that!

Hoping you run those reports today!

MB

If I trust you, I trust you wholeheartedly and passionately. Unfortunately I can also distrust passionately. That is just me. A bundle of energy and passion. I’ve had a passion for any J.O.B. I have ever had. From making donuts, selling shoes, doing hair, a thumb in greenhouse/flower sales, retail management, and banking – I had a passion for every single job. If I was hired in at a lower level, it was always my thought process to become the boss. Just how I am wired I guess but I have always been excited to start a new day and see what I can make of it.

Back in my banking days, one of my favorite clients was an extremely wealthy business man. He owned multiple businesses, dressed to the T, smelled great, and always had a smile. Every day when he made his (rather large) deposits he would stop in my office to chat for a while – let me know what new items his gift shop had – bring me the newest beanie baby, check on his accounts and offer me almost fatherly advice. I really liked this guy, not for his money, for his wonderful attitude about life. One of the best pieces of advice he ever gave me was “Mary Beth, let me tell you this. To be successful in this life, you must love what you do. And I love what I do”. Thank you Mr. S!!

I created my niche based on my passion for dentistry. My passion for the daily administrative challenges in being the scheduling orchestrator – the patient liaison – the money catcher and the confidant. This passion was (and is) the driving force behind my success. I quit my full-time job as business manager for a dental practice to stay home and care for my daughter who was born 3 1/2 months early and needed her mama more than any dental practice did. Yes, it was quite the shock to our financial system, but we could not put a price on the care and development of our little jujubee. Her therapies became our full-time focus and God love her little heart she blossomed into the wonderful little being that she is. It was a difficult time financially and emotionally as well – our blessings never cease to amaze me and our hard work has more than paid off.

It was within this time that I started thinking “What can I do?” not only to contribute to the family financially, but to DO. I have always been a doer. Gotta have a plan. I enjoy coming up with ideas, plans, strategies and seeing what I can do with them. I do not have the type of personality that allows me to settle for anything. Once I master something, I want more.

With the support and encouragement of my wonderful mentor, Coach Ron Arndt, I began my virtual assisting company designed to support dental practices. My passion for my work and new ideas grew (and still grows! ) every day. I slowly built up a client base, which increased my passion and excitement for more possibilities! My passion and dedication are reflected in all that I do. I put my stamp of PASSION on every thing I touch – whether it’s a blog, patient phone calls, calling insurance companies – I love it all because it makes a difference and positive impact on the lives of those I care about!

The purpose of this musing today is to ask you where your passion lies? What are you passionate about? Do you wake up in the morning excited to get to the practice to see what we can accomplish and create today? Or wake up with dread?

If it’s dread, is it because you don’t enjoy what you do? Or because of all the BS that comes with it? You have every opportunity to make your life what you want of it. You have a choice to make today a great day or not so much. Circumstances don’t force you into a corner or a life of despair, YOU DO. Thats what is so great about this life. You can get yourself to a place of YES right now, today!

During a very rough time many years ago I was forced to look at my life and make some big decisions. My thought process led me to look around and ask myself when I reach the end of my life, do I want to look back and think “Huh. That was it?” or do I want to go sliding into my grave saying “WOW! What a ride?”

Me? I am choosing the WOW! What a ride path! How about you?

Find your passion. Live your passion. Have fun and share your soul.

MB