As they say, you never get a second chance to make a first impression. This is especially true when it comes to your medical practice. Your front office maintains patient flow, handles accounting, schedules appointments, verifies insurance, answers the phone, and much more. Most importantly, these are the first faces your patients will see during every visit. Maintaining a roster of top-notch front staff is key in keeping an office running smoothly, patients happy and driving revenue. Below are five tips that will set up your front office for success.
Professional manner.
Being professional goes beyond greeting people as they walk through the door. Train your office staff to be courteous, knowledgeable, and helpful upon initial contact with patients. A positive and helpful attitude can go far when dealing with sick or frustrated people. Ensure your staff is aware of all office expectations and priorities. The front office should be willing to go above and beyond for each and every patient whether it’s by phone, email, or in person. In addition to a professional attitude, maintaining an acceptable appearance and clean waiting room also makes a huge impact. Implementing these habits will drive your practice and make sure that your office stands out among many other choices.
Ensure consistency.
Make sure that your front office is consistent. Whether it’s with patients, physicians or other employees, continuity is key. Develop a script for frequently asked questions within your office. This helps things move in a timely manner and ensures people are receiving quality and consistent answers.
Implement checklists.
When you have a busy medical practice, it is easy to overlook important issues. While checklists may seem old-fashioned, it is important that they are applied and followed. In order for your staff to stay on top of their responsibilities, develop a daily checklist that includes details of required tasks to avoid misinterpretation. This will ensure there is a balanced workload for each staff member and will increase productivity.
Steady communication.
Front office staff needs to be in constant communication with each other as well as medical staff. Communication among the practice helps in reducing errors, completing tasks, and handling potential conflicts before they arise. In addition, your staff needs to be in constant communication with their patients. This helps reduce the number of no-shows, cancelled appointments, and grievances.
Financial policies.
It is essential that your front office is well-informed about the practice’s financial policies in order to explain them clearly to patients. All front office staff members should address financing options when patients call to make appointments and upon first visits. Doing this ahead of time prevents confusion and assists in keeping the office flowing smoothly.
To keep your patients happy and returning, the front office is key to your practice’s success. The front office is the “face” of your practice and it is crucial that the employees are well-trained, knowledgeable and happy. Patient loyalty is built on first impressions so by having a successful front office, you’ll achieve a successful medical practice!
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