The Practice Team

Like any business, it is essential for dental practices to have a hardworking, efficient team of staff in order to make the company a success. The impressions your staff create may make the difference between somebody choosing your practice and becoming a loyal client and losing the client to a different dentist.

An effective team

In order for the practice to perform well, it is important for all members of staff to work together towards the common goals of promoting the business, delivering high standards of patient care and customer service and creating a pleasant environment for both staff and patients.
Every member of staff has the responsibility of performing to the best of their ability, from the front of house to the dentist.
There are various ways to facilitate effective team work, including frequent staff meetings, an effective system of dealing with concerns or worries staff may have and team bonding exercises or events; these can be fun, social events which give everyone the chance to get together out of work and have a bit of fun. Training days and courses are also a good way of ensuring your members of staff have good knowledge about teamwork and different aspects of practice life, ranging from marketing, bookkeeping and administration skills to practical dental skills and learning about new treatments.

Front of house

The front of house team has a very important role when it comes to marketing the practice, as often they are the first point of contact for potential and existing clients. Whether it be answering the telephone, responding to emails or welcoming patients into the surgery, it is important to create a good impression. It is also important for the receptionist to try and encourage people who ring up to enquire about the practice to pursue their initial interest. They can do this by encouraging them to come for a consultation, telling them about offers and incentives and answering any questions the client may have.
In an age where we are used to dealing with computerised systems, waiting for hours on hold on the telephone and keying in hundreds of numbers before we get to actually speak to somebody, the personal touch can be a deal-breaker, so try to ensure you employ personable, friendly reception staff. Many medical and dental practices receive complaints about front of house staff and often these centre on people feeling they have been spoken to who have been rude or abrupt. Many also say they are given the impression that they are wasting the receptionist’s time by asking questions.