Sound like a Smile: The Art of Pleasant Patient Calls

We meet, greet, converse and interact with patients all day long. Sometimes we even get a bit too comfortable with the manner in which we speak with our patients. Every encounter with a patient needs to maintain the utmost of professionalism at all times. In this article, we are going to review different situations when we are speaking with a patient or even a potential patient and the best practices for extracting all the information we need as an office, without sounding uncaring and robotic. 

We will begin with the first time a patient calls the office, through more difficult

conversations, such as handling no-shows, last minute cancellations and the dreaded

insurance discussion. It’s virtually impossible to cover every uncomfortable situation,

however, my objective is to give you tools to use for most occurrences and you can

modify as needed.

The important thing to remember is that we want to create and foster a practice culture

that’s authentic and patient-driven with sensitivity and professionalism. Ultimately we

will develop communication standards that enhance production.

I’d like to first address the ringing telephone. 

How do you feel when the phone rings? There are 4 people standing in front of you, the

Dr is standing behind you and the hygienist just brought up a new treatment plan.

Then the phone rings. You truly want to scream for Calgon to take you away, however,

you only get one chance to make a good first impression. That is especially true when

you are answering the call from a new patient. 

In our society which is quickly becoming intensely impersonal, unhelpful and downright

rude, wouldn’t it be great to stand out with a great attitude?

It begins with the phone call..... your mindset when you answer the phone? 

It is not an interruption – it’s the reason we are here. To be of service to our patients.

When the phone rings, we need to make sure that we sound welcoming. That patient

doesn’t know that we have 4 people standing in front of you, the Dr is standing behind

you and the hygienist just brought up a new treatment plan. Because let’s be real, the

patient doesn’t care. 

As difficult as it may seem with 4 people standing in front of you, the Dr is standing

behind you and the hygienist just brought up a new treatment plan, I challenge you to

have an internal ‘YIPPEE’ mindset. So we talk about conversations, you need to

understand to your feelings about ringing phones. There is never anything as sad as a

business phone that does not ring.

It’s as clear as the smile on your face! We’ve heard this for years, but do you really

know why it’s important to smile when you answer the phone?

A smile can absolutely be heard through the phone. 

Another reason is because if you are smiling, you can’t be in a bad mood.

Let that person on the other end of the line know that you have been waiting all day for

their phone call. They have made your day just by calling your office.

Thank you for calling Dr. Molar’s office. This is Denise. How may I help you?

“I’d like to make an appointment?”

You don’t know if it’s a patient of record or a prospective new patient so we recommend

something like this:

“Wonderful! I can help you with that. May I ask your name?”

“My name is Betty.”

“Betty, when was the last time you were in our office?”

“I have never been to your office. I’ll be a new patient.”

“Welcome, Betty. We are excited that you will be joining our dental family. May I ask

who or what inspired you to call our office today?” (This is another way to ask for the

referral source)

I begin asking questions in a conversational format – not just going through the form.

Remember – we are building a relationship.

You will finish the call by repeating the date and time of the appointment.

“Ok Betty – we have you scheduled in our office at this time on this date. I would like to

ask that you go to our website – DrMolaristhegreatestdentist.com – to fill out your

paperwork. We prefer that you complete the information as soon as possible so we can

get all your dental benefits in our system.

By the way, Betty. Is there anyone else in your family that needs to be scheduled for

appointment in our office?” (possibly scheduling another appointment)

We look forward to seeing you soon.

At this point we will look at all the different types of calls you might receive:

If Betty is calling because of a toothache, the conversation might go something like

this:

I’m so sorry you’re in pain. (I have put on my empathy hat.) 

Where in your mouth does it hurt? Top/Bottom/left/right?

How long has this tooth been bothering you?

Is it throbbing pain or dull?  Does it keep you up at night?

(I’m not trying to diagnose anything, but merely gathering information for my clinical

team, as well as pulling up my schedule to see what is available.)

We have found that it is helpful to have the assistants call out 2 emergency times (on for

the morning and one for the afternoon, each day in the huddle.) Some offices had

standard emergency time every day.

Oh goodness; let’s see when we can get you in – it looks like Dr. Molar can see you at

11:15 or 3:20 today. Which would work better for you?

This is the point you will determine if they are ‘hurtin’ for certain’. 

If it’s a true emergency, they will come in at the time that you offer. Otherwise, find a

time that works for both of your schedules, which might be tomorrow.

Keep in mind that you do not want to kill your clinical team by cramming in an

appointment that really could wait.  

If Betty is calling to see if you accept her insurance, she may ask something like:

Do you take my insurance – or those that have really been doing their research may

ask: Are you in-network with my insurance?

If you are in network with Betty’s plan:

Yes – we are preferred provider with your plan and will assist you in maximizing your

dental benefit reimbursement. We have several patients with your plan. 

May I schedule an appointment for you?

If you not in-network with Betty’s plan:

Several of our patients have the same dental plan as you. We are not a preferred

provider with your plan; however, we will assist you in maximizing your dental benefit

reimbursement. May I schedule an appointment for you?

Notice that I never used the term insurance but rather dental benefits; I also used the

term reimbursement in lieu of payment.  It’s important to keep the terms well defined to

set proper expectations.

You will also have patients that call for prices – it’s important to remember that any

number you give them is what they will remember…. Forever!

If Betty is calling to find out fees for a particular procedure:

What do you charge for a cleaning?

We have different types of cleanings in our office, depending on your oral health needs.

The Dr will also need to have x-rays for proper diagnosis. Have you had any x-rays

taken recently that we could get from your previous dentist?

At this point you can give a range based on answers given.

What do you charge for a Crown? Implant? Fillings?

The fee for a crown will vary based on the specific needs and the materials used. 

May I schedule a consultation for you to meet Dr Molar? Once he determines the

procedure needed, we can provide you with a specific fee for your treatment. 

May I schedule an appointment for you?

If Betty really wants a number – you could always give a range – 

Our crown fees range from $1500 to $2500.

As I stated before, there are a thousand reasons why a patient calls the office. These

are most common for initial calls.

Here are some additional guidelines we suggest for phone etiquette:

• Limit the 'don'ts', 'can'ts', and 'wont's' – these are roadblocks that can end a conversation quickly.

• Timely answering of the phone – how many rings. We have one office that has a 3 ring rule – by the 3 rd ring, someone better pick it up… it might even include the doctor. Determine what your rule is.

• Everyone uses the same greeting; this is a great topic for a team meeting. Role-play is a good way to ensure everyone knows what to say.

• No one likes to be put on hold; if you must do this, keep it as brief as possible.

  You can always get their information and call them back.

  
  

  I’d like to leave you with our Standard Protocols for any call:

• Smile

• Speak slowly and enunciate clearly

• Remain calm and professional at all times.

• Listen fully to the patient’s reason for calling before responding; try not to interrupt. Ask questions to better understand the issue.

• No one likes to be put on hold; if you must do this, keep it as brief as possible.

You can always get their information and call them back.

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Denise Ciardello, Consultant

Denise is co-founder of Global Team Solutions. A professional speaker and published author, her enthusiasm and knowledge about the dental profession has helped many dental teams. She brings experience, insight, and creativity into her management style, along with a sense of humor. In a profession that can cause anxiety in some dental employees.

Denise’s consulting approach is to partner with doctors and team members to help them realize the dream of creating a thriving, successful practice.

Denise can be reached at: denise@gtsgurus.com