Rocking the Reception Desk: 5 Tips for Your Medical Office Reception Staff

There are so many jobs and positions that don’t get the recognition they deserve. In a medical office, one of those positions is the reception staff. These employees are the face of your practice, and whether a person calls on the phone or walks into the office, your reception staff is responsible for the first impression that the patient forms of your practice. Beyond this, your reception staff is also one of the top deciding factors between whether a person becomes a lifelong patient or runs to your nearest competitor. To help your reception staff be more successful and effective, try these crucial tips from our medical office consultants at McCauley Marketing Services.

Think About the Next Step

Answering phone calls from potential patients is an art that takes training and practice. Explain to your staff that when a patient or potential patient calls with a question, they should always end the call by inviting the patient to take the next step. For instance, if someone calls to ask if you treat a specific condition and the answer is yes, your staff should ask them if they would like to schedule an appointment. The same goes for emails, contact forms from your website, and any other type of communication. In fact, one of the services our medical practice consultants provide is secret shopping: contacting your staff as a potential patient in order to find ways they can improve their communication.

Be Positive

We all have bad days or times when we wish we could shut ourselves away. The challenge of anyone who works with people, including your reception staff, is to strive to stay positive and keep up a friendly smile. Not only is this in your practice’s best interest because it helps you bring in and retain new patients, but it’s in your staff’s best interest as well. Positivity and negativity are both contagious, and customers will mimic their behavior. A reception staff member who acts cheerful and welcoming is more likely to get the same attitude from patients, making their job easier and more pleasant. As a practice manager or owner, keep a watchful eye on your staff’s actions and if necessary, have a conversation with them about how far a smile and a positive attitude can go. Have regular training sessions in customer service.

Find a Way to Be Organized

Not all employers realize how much of a juggling act a reception staff’s job becomes. They tend to have a wide range of tasks on their plate at any given time, and they’re constantly interrupted in the middle of tasks to answer phone calls, speak with incoming patients, or handle issues that arise. With all this going on at the same time, it’s easy for them to miss things or drop the ball. The only way for them to stay on top of everything is to be organized. Whether it’s with specialized software, a pen-and-paper system, or other tools, make sure your staff has what they need to be organized and in control. Keep in mind that different organizational strategies work for different people, so work with them to make sure they find a solution that works.

Take Charge of Internal Marketing

Internal marketing is one of the roles that tends to be forgotten among reception staff. They aren’t just there as a welcoming committee. They’re a valuable part of your business and have a powerful influence on both bringing in new patients and growing those patients’ relationships. This involves internal marketing, following up, and tracking: telling existing patients about upcoming events, new services you’re offering, and treatments or options that they may enjoy. This doesn’t mean they should become pushy salespeople, but a simple flyer and asking, “Have you heard about our new service?” goes a long way. On top of this, your staff needs to follow up with patients after consultations to work toward scheduling their next appointment. Along the way, they need to track how patients are hearing about your practice or your events so you can use that data to determine which marketing campaigns are successful and which aren’t.

Brush Up on Your Legal Limitations

A medical office is a unique type of business. Your patients’ privacy is absolutely vital, both as a legal requirement and as a way to respect their comfort and confidentiality. For this reason, it’s crucial that your reception staff understands HIPAA regulations at every level, including phone calls, emails, and in-person interactions. Hold regular training sessions to refresh your staff on what information they can and cannot divulge to whom, and what types of communication they can use for this information.

As a practice manager or owner, you want to trust your staff to keep up with their jobs and to help your practice be the best it can be. No matter who you hire, though, you can’t expect them to know the job through and through from day one. Their performance hinges not only on them but on the training and ongoing support you provide as well. The tips above are a start, but if you’re in need of a more in-depth look into how your office can be more successful and efficient, schedule a meeting with our medial service consultants at McCauley Marketing Services.