Dental Front Desk Mondays Rock!
Dental front desk Mondays take some planning. Especially if you want a great day. And an even better week. For it’s said that as Mondays go, so goes the rest of the week. Or something like that?! But you get the idea. We set the stage for the dental practice with our front desk Mondays. And although it is often a dreaded day, it doesn’t have to be. We just really need to prioritize and strategize. “Strategize”? Is that a word??
So, what’s the plan? The plan is to start with what’s most important first. And that might be different for everyone. So, I’m going to tell you right now what’s most important to me first! Our priority at the dental front desk is always patient care and our schedule. Each day we must focus first on taking care of our patients and our schedule. Of course, there are other things to consider too. But this is where we must start.
Check Weekend Messages First
Most likely, there are messages from the weekend. And depending on our technology, we may have several places to check. We may have phone messages, text messages, and even email messages. It might be necessary to come into the office earlier on Mondays just to check messages. Because you want to listen to and read these before doing anything else.
There will be schedule changes. Know that going into your Monday. Patients will need to reschedule. And some may need to get in with an emergency. And most likely, there will be a new patient too! So, before the day goes anywhere, make sure you know what you have to work with. It will be so much easier once you know what you’re playing field looks like.
Check with your doc on any weekend messages. Be sure to check with your doc on any weekend activity. Did they have any emergency calls? Or is there anything you need to know? Anyone you might need to contact? And give the doc a run down on any messages you heard or read that will impact the schedule today.
Return Calls and Emails
Be sure to return calls immediately. Don’t leave your patients hanging. This is such a crucial piece of dental office customer service. You want your patients to trust that they can count on you to get back to them quickly. Even if you need some time to work on a schedule issue. Or some other challenge a patient has. We can always reach out to let them know we are working on it for them. And then let them know when they can expect to hear from us.
Mondays are easier with a great schedule template! If your docs schedule is tough on Monday, change your schedule! You are the master of your day’s schedule, after all. If something isn’t working… change it!! Maybe your Monday schedule template needs to be a little different than the rest of the week. Maybe it’s not the best day to have short appointments. Or maybe no tertiary appointments on Mondays. Save a treatment room for emergency care. Whatever you need, make it happen!
Dental Front Desk Mondays Mean Ringing Phones
Dental front desk Mondays are full of activity. And much of that comes through the phones. Don’t let those calls go to voicemail. And answer them all within 3 rings! Maybe you need more help on the phones on Monday mornings. Think about this a little. You don’t want to miss one new patient call. And if you need some additional help with the phones Monday mornings, make it so. Be creative! Utilize your team and cross-train!
Confirm appointments and look out at the week. Today’s schedule is always the most crucial day. However, we want to confirm two days out. And to make sure our week is in good shape. One day at a time if necessary. Remember, the schedule is always our priority. And that’s especially true for Mondays. We want to get our schedule set for the week. And we tackle new projects as the week progresses.
Create An Awareness of Open Appointments
Know what’s up! And be ready. Because patients and potential patients will call. And they will want an appointment. Or need something from you. The faster you can think on your feet, the better for everyone! Know where you have an appointment time in the next couple of days. And if you have a large open time, communicate that with your team. Especially communicate this with your doc. Knowledge is powerful!
Sharpen your skills! There are always tips we can learn. Tools of the trade that come along and make our day better. Nobody knows everything there is to know. But as we cross each other’s paths in life, we can share and grow. And this makes our day better. And enriches our experience. But most importantly, allows us to better care for our patients.
