VERBAL SKILLS MATTER
WHAT TO SAY TO PATIENTS AND HOW TO SAY IT
Verbal skills are a key factor in helping patients develop a positive impression of the practice. The way things are said can make the difference between gaining a patient's trust and cooperation or irritating and even losing that patient. Business staff members must be trained to handle verbal interactions in ways that gets the message across without seeming in any way rude or demeaning. How a message is said is every bit as important as what is said.
Consider these common scenarios:
- Let patients know that cancellations create a real problem for you. Just the use of the word "cancellation" can give patients the impression that last-minute cancellations are no trouble at all. Use "change in schedule" instead, and make patients understand that a change of schedule is problematic for the dentist and clinical team, as time has been set aside to address that individual's needs, with special setups prepared, lab work arranged, and everything else made ready for that appointment as scheduled. Also, the condition might worsen due to delay. If a cancellation is unavoidable for a patient who cancels frequently, impose a significant delay before rescheduling.
- Never ask a patient a "Yes" or "No" question. Instead, offer a choice between two alternatives, both of which would be acceptable. For example: "Would you like to schedule your appointment on Tuesday, April 9 at 10 a.m. or on Thursday, April 11 at 3 p.m.?" Never ask a patient "When would you like to come?" Such phrases make it seem like the office is not very busy, completely open to the demands of any patient at any time. Morning appointments are often difficult to assign, particularly for school-age children. Early hours are easier to fill if the dentist has advised the patient to return as quickly as possible, as such advice carries more weight in the patient's mind.
- Summarize the completed treatment procedures before stating the fee. Never ask "Do you want to take care of the fee today?" (Notice also that this is just another yes-or-no question.) Once treatment is reviewed, assume that the patient will pay and ask instead, "Will that be cash, check, or credit card?" Then remain silent until the patient takes time to consider the alternatives and answer the question. Over-the-counter collections improve cash flow and are much less expensive to collect than preparing and sending out a statement.
- For callers who do not immediately identify themselves, ask, "When was your last appointment with Dr. Smith?" rather than "Have we seen you before?"
- When making confirmation calls, add the phrase, "Dr. Smith is looking forward to seeing you at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, March 26." Studies show that when the dentist's name is added to the confirmation message, the rate of kept appointments increases.
- When calling about a broken appointment, preferably within ten minutes of the no-show, a note of concern is appropriate and effective in determining the reason: "Mrs. Jones, we were worried when your 11 a.m. appointment time came and went and we didn't see you. Is there a problem we could help with?" Then be quiet and listen. If this is a chronic "breaker", consider delaying reappointment for several weeks.
- Say "reception area" instead of "waiting room".
- Avoid asking the dentist leading questions within a patient's earshot. For example, "There's no charge for today's appointment, is there, Dr. Smith?"
- Do not call the dentist by his or her first name when patients are present. Always use the doctor's title to maintain professionalism.
Be sure to check out our Free Resources for Your Practice for additional insights, information, and practice management tips.
No comments:
Post a Comment