When dentists learn about the concept of a dental answering service, it’s common that they have many questions. For example, if answering service employees aren’t required to show up to the office and learn how the practice operates, how are they supposed to help? How is there service any different than an answering machine? How are they supposed to use the practice’s existing software?
Today we’ll go over how this process works and set expectations for dentists looking to improve their office’s productivity!
If your current dental answering service only answers calls for you and leaves messages, you should definitely take a moment to learn what it should be offering you. While it’s convenient to have extra support when answering patient calls, it’s actually nothing more than a glorified call center. Most of these centers don’t cater to specific industries and will attempt to work with any company that hires them.
When you hear the phrase “dental answering service,” you may assume that it’s only job is to answer calls when your own staff is too busy speaking with patients in the practice. However, it truly is so much more than that. While having a dedicated support staff can catch more calls and take messages as needed, it can also make your patients feel like their part of something bigger when they visit the dentist.
You may have already experienced this at your practice or heard another dentist tell you about an angry patient they had because their dental bill was much higher than expected. When it comes to patients, the absolute worse thing your practice can do is mishandle their money.