The telephone in the dental office is the most important tool used throughout the day.  Failure to use this tool with skilled and trained staff members may be detrimental to the success of the dental practice.  Staff should never be too busy to take a patient’s call, or consider the call an inconvenience! 

Staff must be trained in an established telephone protocol and communication style that projects a positive image of the dental office.  In order to facilitate the patient’s call with top-notch professionalism, the office appointment system, messaging system and access to patient information should be readily available to the person answering the phone. 

The telephone should always be answered in a cheerful, pleasant tone.  Good inflection and pronunciation should be practiced for clarity.  Staff should be trained regarding the standard greeting to be used when answering the call as well as have answers readily available to frequently asked questions. 

With this solid foundation, staff will know when a patient’s call should be referred to the dentist for a callback.  In this case, it is very important that staff is trained regarding required information needed.  For instance, the patient’s name, return phone number, date of treatment, type of treatment and chief complaint or concern should be clearly noted on the message for the dentist. 

A knowledgeable, well-trained, and pleasant staff is critical in delivering good patient service, retaining patients and building referrals for new patients.