We had local TV station KRON4 at the office today to shoot some patient testimonials. You can see a few clips below. While it may not be clear from those clips, the common thread throughout was the quality of our front office staff. Every testimonial mentioned how great the front office staff is. Often times, the front office staff is paid poorly even though they’re the face of the practice. So we tried something different in our office.
Put your best foot forward with your front office staff
We have three full time staff in the office. Two nurses and a nursing student. Rather than placing one person at the front desk, all three employees sit at the front when they’re not handling other duties in the office.
The idea is that instead of relying on one person to handle the reception area, all three of our smart qualified employees interact with patients from the very first phone call. Since they’re inherently smart and professional, they offer a great first impression. This also leads to continuity throughout the patient’s office experience.
For example, a patient may develop a rapport with whomever answered the phone when they first scheduled. Then there’s a chance that same employee will also bring them back to the exam room for their injections. That same employee may do their CoolSculpting treatment. That same employee may start the patient’s IV if they opt for surgery. Today’s testimonials show that an ongoing relationship from the first call throughout their office journey is important to the patient.
Hiring smart professional people no matter their level of technical expertise or responsibility is expensive. Aside from high hourly wages in San Francisco, employeees must be rewarded with benefits. Healthcare, 401K and parking. Sure it’s a pricy proposition, but this method was proven effective today. Smart employees make for happy patients.
