Take these scripts and make them work for you!  Dental office voicemail etiquette begins with the understanding that the idea isn’t to let calls easily roll over to voicemail.  Just because you can doesn’t mean you should!  However, you do want to have great voicemail greetings when you do need to use voicemail.

After Hours Message: 

Hello.  Thank you for calling Dr. Brown’s dental office.  Your call is important to us. You have reached us after hours.  Dr. Brown’s office is open for patient care Monday through Thursday 8 -5.  If you are a patient or record and are experiencing a true dental emergency, please call Dr. Brown directly at 888-888.  If you would like to leave a message, please do so after the tone.  We will call you back very soon.

Unavailable Hours:             

Hello.  Thank you for calling Dr. Brown’s dental office.  We are currently assisting another patient and truly appreciate your patience.  Please leave your name and number after the tone and we will call you back within 15 minutes.  Thank you again.     

Lunch Message:                 

Hello.  Thank you for calling Dr. Brown’s dental office.  We have stepped out for our lunch break and will return at 2:00 today.  Please leave your name and number after the tone and we will call you as soon as we return.  Thank you.

Holiday Message:               

Hello.  Thank you for calling Dr. Brown’s dental office.  The office has closed for vacation this week.  We will re-open for patient care on Monday, July 9th.  If you are calling with a true dental emergency.  Dr. Jones is caring for our emergency patients this week.  You can reach her office at 888-8888.  If you would like to leave a message, please do so after the tone, and we will return your call on Monday. 

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Another important part of dental office voicemail etiquette is returning patient calls.  We want to be the best dental office for our patients.  We want to care for them like no one else can care for them.  In order to do this, we really need to shine.  We need to exceed every expectation they might have.

After hour calls should be returned as soon as the office opens.  Once the lights and computers are turned on, the voicemail messages are next.  It’s best to return those calls before patients begin arriving and need attention.  Your patients will come to know that you will always call them as soon as you can.  They will appreciate it.

Patients Want to Feel Our Care for Them

Messages left during business hours should be handled within 15 minutes.  Hopefully, you won’t have too many calls going to voicemail during business hours.  Every now and then it’s going to happen.  There may also be times when the dental front office team member steps away. Everyone needs a little break throughout the day!  Just be sure to return any phone calls within 15 minutes.

If a patient calls because they haven’t heard from you, something is wrong!  This is the worst case scenario.  Write down your messages and call patients back right away.  This will create more trust and dependability with your patients.  They will also stick by the phone knowing that your call is coming soon.