When a New Patient calls...

ONE SENTENCE SUMMARY

Details every new patient should be aware of when booking their first appointment to help set their expectations when they arrive to the office.

BEST CASE SCENARIO IF WE ARE 100% CONFIDENT

Patients understand what the goal of their appointment is, how long they will be in office, who they will be seeing, approximate cost, payment expected on day of service, where we are located, and, how to complete office forms ahead of time. They are informed and aware creating a positive first impression by being transparent.

WORST CASE SCENARIO IF SOME OF US ARE NOT

Patient arrive late or to the wrong office. Patient expectations are not met, they do not book back and leave a negative google review. They approach the front desk following their appointment expect us to take certain government insurance policies or take assignment because their last office did. Staff and patients are both put in an uncomfortable position that could have easily been avoided.

WHAT DOES 100% CONFIDENT MEAN?

Each new patient call is provided these 5 details:

1. Appointment details (time and provider)

2. Appointment expectations (what the goal of the appointment is that we are booking)

3. Estimated cost of appointment

4. Office payment policy/expectations

5. Office location (with close by landmarks for verification)

Details to obtain on the phone

Personal contact information:

• First and last name

• Phone number

• Email (let the patient know you will email them office paperwork to complete prior to save them time in the office)

The following is the Ancaster basic NP email template that is customized with the patients name and appointment information. Of course any other part can be customized as well depending on your conversation. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1DaTfsVUZGYRwV2Qw6uxJ_vsysbAGLgCWFwxfvsHEmkw/edit

• CC (it’s important relay the patients CC in the appointment notes for the assistant/doctor to set them up for success. This allows us to start the appointment on the right foot)

Let’s run through a few NP call scenarios

RING RING

Good morning - Smiling Dental, Stacey speaking how can I help you?

Hi, I’m new to the area and looking for a dentist – are you accepting new patients?

Absolutely! When’s the last time you were in to see a dentist?

It’s been just over a year now.

Are you currently having and pain or discomfort?

No, just looking to get back on track with my 6 month cleanings.

OK perfect! It sounds like you’ve been going regularly in the past so would recommend combining your complete exam and cleaning to save you a trip. You would be here for about an hour and a half total. We would update your x-rays, make a map of your mouth in our computer as a starting point, review your dental goals and give you a plan moving forward, including cost. How does that sounds?

Perfect, I’d prefer to come early morning before work.

Great! I have time with Jess and Dr. Meg on Monday April 11th at 8am. Jess will clean your teeth and help Dr. Meg with your exam.

That will work.

Ok great, let me get some information from you to add you to our system:

First and last name

Phone

Email

Great, I have the time reserved. You can expect the cost to be around $540. Do you have dental insurance?

Yes, through my employer

Perfect! Our office will help to submit to your insurance on your behalf. We ask for payment when you are in the office and your insurance will reimburse yourself directly. If you have direct deposit set up you’ll notice the funds in your account within 2 business days.

Do you know were we are located?

Yes, on Wilson St right?

Yes, we are on Wilson St W in the Longos plaza, right beside Cobs bread. I’ll email you our office paperwork to complete prior to your visit to save you time in the office. They are all webforms, so you can complete them online. Do you have any questions?

RING RING

Good morning - Smiling Dental, Stacey speaking how can I help you?

Hi, I’m having issues with a tooth – I was hoping I could get in to see a dentist

I’m sorry to hear that, can you tell me a bit about the tooth that’s bothering you?

A molar broke last night, its really sharp and quite painful.

Where about is it in your mouth? Were you able to sleep last night? Have you taken any pain mediation? Has it helped? (remember this is key info we can pass on to help set our team mates up to success)

Let get you in to have this tooth evaluated. We’ll take an x-rays and discuss your options and provide you cost estimates as well. Our primary focus will be to get you out of pain. Dr. Meg has time today at 10:30 would that work for you

Yes, that will work.

Ok great, let me get some information from you to add you to our system:

First and last name

Phone

Email

Great, I have the time reserved. You can expect the cost to be around $150 depending on the x-ray needed. Do you have dental insurance?

Yes, through my employer

Perfect! Our office will help to submit to your insurance on your behalf. We ask for payment when you are in the office and your insurance will reimburse yourself directly. If you have direct deposit set up you’ll notice the funds in your account within 2 business days.

Do you know were we are located?

Yes, on Wilson St right?

Yes, we are on Wilson St W in the Longos plaza, right beside Cobs bread. I’ll email you our office paperwork to complete prior to your visit to save you time in the office. They are all webforms, so you can complete them online. Do you have any questions?

MIKE'S EDITS:

2 goals of the NP call:

1. Make a friend

2. Make an appointment

10 steps of the NP call:

1. Ask for their name and how they heard about us

2. Ask how we can help and reinforce that they made the right decision

3. "Here's how we do it..."

4. Give them 2 appt options

5. Get contact info - name, email, phone

6. See if anyone else in their family needs an appointment

7. Review directions

8. Review financials

9. Get commitment for cancellation

10. Close the call, send email, and fill in dashboard

STEP 1: Ask for their name and how they heard about us

WHY:

• We need to capture their referral source so we can track how well our marketing is working

• Asking where they heard about us is a good icebreaker. It's easy to find something in common to chit chat about. By building a personal connection, we reduce no shows, set ourselves apart from other offices, and set the tone for future visits.

EXAMPLE 1:

PATIENT: Hi - are you accepting new patients?

YOU: Yes we are! Can I ask your name?

PATIENT: My name is Bob.

YOU: Nice to meet you Bob. And how did you hear about us?

PATIENT: I was searching on Google and saw you had lots of good review.

YOU: That's great Bob. That's what most of our patients say. And that's the same way I search for things to, whether it's a restaurant, or hairdresser, or hotel - I look online at their reviews to see what people really think about them. (make chit chat, etc)

EXAMPLE 2:

PATIENT: Hi - how much do you charge for a cleaning?

YOU: I'm happy to help get that info for you. Can I ask your name?

PATIENT: My name is Bob.

YOU: Nice to meet you Bob. And how did you hear about us?

PATIENT: I drove by and saw your sign.

YOU: So you must live in the area? Or do you shop in the plaza? (make chit chat, etc)

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STEP 2: Ask how we can help and reinforce that they made the right decision

WHY:

• The patient is already 90% sold on us - otherwise they wouldn't have picked up the phone to call. Reinforce to them that we do this all the time, they are making the right decision, and they are in good hands.

EXAMPLE 1:

YOU: Ok Bob, so what kind of help are you looking for? Are you having a particular problem? Or are you looking for a consultation about something specific? Or are you looking for a new dentist?

PATIENT: My wife and I and our 2 little girls just moved to the area so we are looking to get some checkups done.

YOU: That's great! We see a lot of families in our practice. Our doctors are amazing with little kids, because it's so important to make the little ones feel comfortable at the dentist and have a really good experience. We have lots of little tricks and fun things we can show your girls so they laugh and have a good time and look forward to visiting again. And for the adults, we can help you with all of your needs too, so your whole family can get all of their dental work done at the same place which is really convenient for you.

EXAMPLE 2:

YOU: Ok Bob, so what kind of help are you looking for? Are you having a particular problem? Or are you looking for a consultation about something specific? Or are you looking for a new dentist?

PATIENT: Yes actually I've got really bad teeth because I haven't seen the dentist in a really long time, so I think I need lots of help.

YOU: Not a problem. A lot of the patients we meet have had bad experiences at the dentist before and that's kept them away for a long time. We deal with that all the time - especially people who are really nervous about getting dental work done, or that have really bad problems. Our dentists are really good at coming up with creative solutions for you, no matter how big or small your problems are. And we promise - no judgment and no lectures . It doesn't matter what happened in the past, all we care about is how to get you back on track so your smile looks and feels the way you want.

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STEP 3: "Here's how we do it..."

WHY:

• Set the tone that we have a process to follow, and we want patients who are ok with how we do things

• Set expectations for their upcoming visit, which gives them an opportunity to speak up if they were expecting something different

• Reinforce to the patient that we do this all the time
  

4 POINTS TO KEEP IN MIND:

• Refer back to their reason for calling - get them to imagine what it will feel like to finally fix their problem

• Brag about the doctors and office

• We do this kind of thing all the time

• No judgment and no lectures - we make it easy for them to get what THEY want

EXAMPLE 1:

YOU: So here's how we do it at our practice. When you come for your first visit, you're going to meet with our hygienist. She's going to take some scans, photos, and x-rays of your teeth, and get your teeth cleaned. You'll also meet with the doctor, who will review any concerns they see in your mouth, and of course answer any questions about anything you're concerned about. If you need any help, we'll make sure you have a clear picture of what's going on, what options you have, and how much it's going to cost.

EXAMPLE 2:

YOU: So here's how we do it at our practice. We're going to get a full set of records of your teeth and bone - some scans, photos, and x-rays. And then you'll sit with the doctor to review what you're worried about, what you're trying to fix, what you've been through in the past, what's worked and what hasn't worked for you before, and most importantly what you want your new smile to look and feel like. I can tell you right now that no matter what kind of problems you have, there IS a solution for you. In fact, there's probably a dozen different ways that you can fix this problem. Our doctors are really good at simplifying things and helping you come up with the perfect plan for YOU, which is the best balance of what you want, what you need, and what you can afford.

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STEP 4: Give them 2 appt options

STEP 5: Get contact info - name, email, phone

STEP 6: See if anyone else in their family needs an appointment

STEP 7: Review location info and directions

WHY:

• We want them to book at time that is best for us, so propose those options first.

• If we ask them when they want to come in, they may say a day or time that we don't like, and then we have to negotiate with them.

EXAMPLE:

YOU: Let me check Dr. Schneider's schedule to see how soon we can get you in. I have an opening Tuesday at 8:30 am, or Wednesday at 2 pm. Which works better for you?

PATIENT: Tuesday at 8:30 works fine.

YOU: Perfect! Now can I get your full name, your email, and your phone number?

PATIENT: ........

YOU: And while I have you on the phone, is there anyone else in your family that we can make an appointment for as well?

PATIENT: .......

YOU: Ok do you know where we are located? We are in the Longo's plaza on Wilson St. Do you know where that is? We are right beside the Cobs Bread in that plaza.

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STEP 8: Review financials

WHY:

• Set the tone that we have a process to follow, and we want patients who are ok with how we do things

EXAMPLE 1:

YOU: The cost for your visit will be around $200-$400. Do you have dental insurance?

PATIENT: Yes.

YOU: Perfect! Our office will help to submit to your insurance on your behalf. We ask for payment when you are in the office and your insurance will reimburse yourself directly. If you have direct deposit set up you’ll notice the funds in your account within 2 business days.

EXAMPLE 2:

YOU: This visit is complimentary so there is no charge to you. If you decide to move forward with any treatment, we will make sure you have a clear cost in writing for your approval before getting started so there are no surprises.

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STEP 9: Get commitment for cancellation

WHY:

• Set the tone for how we do things at our office.

• If the patient is going to cancel, hopefully they are more likely to at least let us know ahead of time.

EXAMPLE:

YOU: Oh just one more thing. Can I ask you for a favour?

PATIENT: Sure.

YOU: I know that your schedule is probably really busy. So if your plans change and you can't make it, or if you need to change your appointment, can you please call us ahead of time to let us know? We've saved this time in Dr. Schneider's schedule just for you, so if you can't make it I can open that spot up for someone else. Does that work for you?

PATIENT: Yes, of course I'll call ahead of time.

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STEP 10: Close the call, send email, and fill in dashboard

EXAMPLE:

YOU: Great! I’ll email you our office paperwork to complete prior to your visit to save you time in the office. They are all webforms, so you can complete them online. We will see you on _________. Have a great day!

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WHAT IF...

The patient keeps talking and talking

Politely interrupt, and get the patient back on track with whatever step you are on.

YOU: That's great Mrs. Jones, and I'd love to hear more about that when you come in. But for now let's get that time booked for you so I can save you a spot in the doctor's schedule.

We have Tues 9 am or Thurs 3 pm available right now - which works better for you?

OR YOU: Wow Mrs. Jones, it sure sounds like you've got a lot going on with that. The best thing to do would be to get you in so you can explain all this to the doctor in person.

Can I please get your last name?

Ok let me think about it/check my schedule/get back to you/etc

YOU: Not a problem. When do you think you will know your schedule? Can I give you a call then?

OR

YOU: Not a problem. Can I get your name and email address please? I'd love to send you some information on __________ that I think you will find helpful.

Do you bill my insurance directly?

YOU: Yes! We submit your claim electronically directly to your insurance company, which makes it really fast and easy for you. You take care of your account with us using debit, credit, or cheque, and then you get reimbursed by your insurance company by direct deposit within about 2 business days.

(And then take control and continue with the next step in the conversation.)

Can I get an evening or weekend appointment?

YOU: Our office hours are Monday to Thursday, 8 am to 5 pm. I understand your schedule is busy and your time is important, so I will look through the schedule and do my very best to find something that works for you.

(And then take control and continue with the next step in the conversation.)

Can you tell me how much an Emerg or NPE will cost?

*Here are the fee ranges you should have memorized:

Emerg:

NPE:

YOU: Yes! Your visit will cost around ________. Since we haven't met before and I can't tell you exactly what you will need, just keep that in mind as a range. If you need any treatment in the future, we'll be sure to give you a clear breakdown of costs and options before you decide what to do.

(And then take control and continue with the next step in the conversation.)

Can you tell me how much a crown costs? (or veneer, or Invisalign, or root canal, or really anything other than Emerg or NPE)

Why is this a tricky question to answer?

- It's impossible to know exactly what kind of solution the patient needs because there are so many variables and type of solutions.

- If we quote too low, when the patient comes in and it ends up being much higher, they will be disappointed. And if we quote too high, the patient might get scared away and never come in, and they never had the chance to learn that it might have been easier or cheaper than they thought.

We have 4 lines of defence when patients ask how much somet

1. Lots of ways, too high/too low

2. Doing homework?

3. Budget in mind?

4. "Starts at..."

1. LOTS OF WAYS, TOO HIGH/TOO LOW

YOU: You know Mrs. Jones, what most people don't realize is that there isn't just one way to do a crown. In fact there are lots of ways to do one. So since we've never met before, it's really not possible for me to give you an accurate quote over the phone, and I'd really hate to quote you way too high or way too low. And sometimes people were told they need a crown, but they didn't realize that there are lots of types of crowns depending on the situation, or maybe there is an even better solution that they didn't know about.

How about we do this: Let's get you in to meet the doctor. She'll look everything over closely and explain all your different options so you can figure out which type of crown is best for you. I know that price is important to you so I'll make sure the doctor knows that.

(And then take control and continue with the next step in the conversation.)

2. DOING HOMEWORK?

PATIENT: Well... I just need an idea of what it costs before coming in for an appointment.

YOU: Not a problem. It sounds like you've been doing your homework. Have you looked online? Do you have some quotes from other offices? Are you comparing some prices?

PATIENT: Yes, I've asked some friends who have done this, and talked to my dentist. I'm just looking for a second opinion.

YOU: Awesome! With something as important as this, it's not a bad idea to get another opinion. What did the other dentist say? What did you think about your visit there?

PATIENT: Well the dentist was just ok, I didn't actually get to talk to him very much. And they quoted me like $8,000 (*doesn't really matter what number they say - we know that all fees are about the same)

YOU: That sounds about right. Like I said before, there isn't just ONE way to do a crowns. There are LOTS of different ways, depending on the situation. But what I can tell you is that we do have really great solutions in that price range, and I can also tell you that price won't be the reason you choose to get your work done here or somewhere else.

(And then take control and continue with the next step in the conversation.)

3. BUDGET IN MIND?

PATIENT: Ok but I just need to know approximately how much this costs so I don't waste your time coming in if I really can't afford it.

YOU: Not a problem, I understand. Like I said before, there isn't just ONE way to do an crown. There might be a DOZEN different ways, depending on the situation, and they all vary in price. Rather than going through the pros and cons and the pricing of a dozen different ways, it would be a lot easier and faster for you if you give me an idea of your budget range.

So Mrs. Jones - I know you told me before that you've had these teeth problems for a long time, so you've probably been thinking a long time about how to fix them. Have you also given some thought to how much you were hoping to spend on a solution?

PATIENT: Well I was hoping to keep it under $2,000 (*any number they say is fine, as long as it's in the thousands and not the hundreds).

YOU: Great! We definitely have some solutions in that range. I'll make sure the doctor knows and she'll show you the different options in that budget range.

(And then take control and continue with the next step in the conversation.)

4. "Starts at"

PATIENT: Well I'm really hoping to get a better idea of pricing. Can't you just tell me the price range I can expect?

YOU: Yes Mrs. Jones, I can help with that. Listen - the best way to do that is to come in person. There's no cost to you and we're only 15 minutes away. And I promise by the time you're done you will have a clear idea of your options and a comparison of pricing for those options.

But I know price is important to you, so to give you a ballpark idea, it's safe to say that pricing starts at around $1,000 and goes up from there.

(And then take control and continue with the next step in the conversation.)