Chris Mullins

Every Doctor knows getting the phone to ring with the right type patient is no easy task. It's extremely time consuming and very expensive, sometimes as much as a minimum of $500.00. When I listen to mystery calls I am looking for that WOW, grateful, joyful tone that says I appreciate you and your call. It's easy to take your phone calls prospects and patients for granted, but imagine, for a moment, if your phone stops ringing; then what? So when your phone rings you want to WOW that caller. The front office is the face of your practice and everything they do will dictate how that call and ongoing relationship will go with that patient.

Importance of the front desk: To properly reflect your brand on the phone you must focus on communication skills. No matter how busy the receptionist is how they handle the phone projects your professional image and makes a great first impression. The front office is your sales and marketing commercial.

Answering promptly with a smile: Your office is crazy busy, the phone is ringing off the hook. How do you handle this? Breathe, be calm, and use a well prepared script; it will help you to focus on getting the appointment.

Communication: When patients call, two of the most important needs they have are to be LISTENED TO and RESPECTED. When a caller is listened to they become more relaxed and open to setting that appointment.

Behavior that says I'm too busy for you: Putting the caller on hold for a long time, eating or chewing gum while on the phone, talking to someone else and not acknowledging the caller gives them the impression your practice is too busy and they won't get the attention they want and need.

Remember each team member in your business is a sales and marketing tool both on and off the job. What do you want your patient to see?

Micah Before Treatment Micah during treatment

We introduced you to Micah in a previous update. Ashamed of her unsightly smile, Micah didn't feel pretty.  That, however, wasn't even the worst of it.  She was bullied and harassed by her fellow classmates throughout high school and would often cry herself to sleep worrying about the ridicule the next day would bring.  "Other kids constantly pick on me about my teeth and it hurts my feelings. There is nothing that I would like more than to be able to flash a pretty smile at people and have them smile back," commented Micah. She was a bright student with big dreams for her future, but her classmates resorted to cyber bullying, posting their cruel remarks online for everyone to see

Her teacher and mentor at her local Boys & Girls Club had known Micah for several years and knew she needed help, so she reached out to Tomorrow's SMILES^®.

Tomorrow's SMILES, a special program from the National Children's Oral Health Foundation (NCOHF), was designed to help teens like Micah that desperately need dental care. Through this innovative program sponsored by the Patterson Foundation, volunteer dentists provide pro-bono restorative services to promising at-risk teens in their community, restoring their self-esteem and encouraging them to take responsibility for their oral health. Tomorrow's SMILES volunteer dentists also have access to generously donated products from Invisalign^® and Nobel Biocare™ (including Procera^®) to help restore the smiles of pre-screened, promising teens.  

As a Tomorrow's SMILES teen, Micah no longer cries herself to sleep worrying about getting teased the following day. Thanks to the generosity of Dawson Academy dentist, Dr. Keith Calvert, she is currently receiving life-changing dental care, and soon will have a restored smile and renewed confidence.  

Now, Micah faces her days with confidence and hope for her future instead of fear, "Having a pretty smile has made me more confident, happier and more positive about life." She plans to become a teacher and looks forward to sharing her beautiful smile with the children she hopes to teach one day. The teacher who recommended Micah for the program commented, "Thank you seems so inadequate. Tomorrow's SMILES has changed her life." In fact, Micah was just named the Youth of the Year of her Boys & Girls Club!

More About Tomorrow's SMILES... 

Your dental practice is built and organized around patients and their scheduled appointments, so the dental patient appointment scheduling software you choose to manage your schedule considers special attention. When looking for appointment scheduling software doctors and their staff are looking for these key features:

Easy to Understand. The dental practice wants to see a simple organization and display of the day's appointments, which is exactly what Curve Hero delivers. You won't see massive, confusing toolbars and indecipherable buttons.

Simple to Use. Curve Hero helps you find the information you need in very little time-which keeps everyone happy. Training requires less time, and when you can save time you're saving money.

Powerful Scheduling Tools. Just because our dental software may be the easiest in the world to learn and use doesn't mean it isn't loaded with the features you want in patient appointment scheduling software.

Convenient Accessibility. Because Curve Hero's dental patient appointment scheduling software is web-based, patient appointment information can be accessed any time from any location.

HIPAA Ready. Curve Hero can help your dental practice more easily comply with HIPAA regulations than any client/server system.

Our patient appointment scheduling software delivers three key benefits to your office:

1. Simple Functionality Saves Time.
2. Full Accessibility Improves Flexibility.
3. Simplicity Boosts Efficiency.

Of course, we've only introduced you to a handful of the hundreds of impressive features you'll find in our scheduling software. Click here to see a video of our scheduling software features and benefits.