Missed calls from prospective patients aren’t missed opportunities! Curious how to leverage them? Read on!

A missed call from a prospective patient shows their interest in your practice and services. At MVP Mailhouse we are all about better tracking, better analytics, and better results for you! This is why we provide missed call tracking as an additional lead generation tool that produces a list of potential new patients. 

By calling them back promptly and gently inquiring about their concerns, you show that you care about them and their needs and are willing to invest time and effort in them. During that call, make sure to apply the following for the best chance of turning the missed caller into a new patient:

1. SOLVE THE PROBLEM

• Express empathy with the caller’s concerns, pain, or situation.  
• Explain procedures in easy-to-understand terms. Don’t diagnose. 
• Clearly explain any offers the caller asks about and explain how to use them. 
• Be prepared to answer insurance acceptance and out-of-network questions. 
• Effectively overcome patient objections to insurance, fees, and other issues.
• Do not provide pricing over the phone if at all possible. Schedule a consultation. 

2. CLOSING/SCHEDULING

• Always ask if the caller wants to schedule an appointment.
• Highlight eligible benefits of the office or offers to get the caller to schedule an appointment.
• Use the ‘pairing technique’ for setting appointments by giving the caller two time options to help them make an appointment decision faster.  
• Set expectations for the first appointment, but try to keep it brief (length of visit, forms to bring, ID/cards needed, reschedule/cancellation policies, etc.).
• Always add the ‘referral source’ of the caller to your practice management software. 
• Establish confirmation and communication preference (email, text, phone).
• Before hanging up ask if there is anyone else you can schedule. 
• Ask the caller if they have any additional questions. 
• Restate the date and time of appointment and thank them for calling. 

3. NO DECISION FOLLOW UP

• Ask for the caller’s phone number or email address and ask permission to follow-up. Pencil in a potential appointment for the moment and give them time to research insurance, time off, etc. Then call them back to confirm.

Prioritizing missed calls and follow ups is a very simple but powerful way to maximize the results you are getting from your marketing. Make sure your team is well-equipped and has the bandwidth to spend part of their day on these opportunities.

Your front office is a huge part of your dental practice. They control your schedule and they are the first personal touchpoint that many of your patients will have with your practice. Ensuring that your team is well-trained and well-equipped to handle every type of call is key to your success.

Here are 4 ways to win a caller’s trust and ensure they don’t hang up while on hold:

1. Listen carefully to a caller’s question, restate, clarify, and affirm.

During a call, it’s normal for potential patients to ask questions and request clarifications before trusting your practice and committing to an appointment. Take this opportunity to build their confidence in your practice’s ability to provide excellent and expert service.

Not all callers are created equal, some have less patience than others. If you find that a caller is frustrated, in pain, or in a rush, empathize with them. Keep your cool and stay calm, even if the caller is irritated or rude. Do not interrupt the caller when they are talking, let them finish.

2. Value your caller’s time. 

Whenever you don’t have an answer to a question on hand and have to put a caller on hold to check with the system or other people, you need to ensure that the hold-time is kept to less than a minute. Nobody likes to be kept waiting on the phone. 

When you request a 1-minute hold time, keep that promise and get back to your caller even when you don’t have the answers yet. If one minute has passed, stay on the line with them. Apologize if you missed the one minute mark or cannot give the answers right away. Ask them to stay on the line. Your presence assures them that they are not being ignored. By giving them your full attention you show your interest in having them as a new patient.

3. If you have to put them on hold, politely ask for permission. 

Politely explain why you cannot give answers right away and have to put them on hold (i.e. only the dentist knows the detailed procedure, you will need to contact the insurance company, etc.). Once they hear your reasons, they are more likely to understand. Be patient with them to ensure they stay on the line. 

4. If you don’t have the answer, give an estimate.

If you couldn’t find out the correct answers within the one-minute hold time, give an estimated price range, how long the procedure would take, or common details regarding their insurance. If the dentist is the only one who will have the complete details of the caller’s inquiry, escalate the call, or arrange a call back with the dentist. Finally, in the case you can’t give any answer right away, ask if you can call them back and ask for a callback number. Specify when you will return their call and make sure to call on said date.

Providing a great patient experience starts well before a patient ever walks through the doors of your practice. Make sure your front office is providing great customer service at every customer touchpoint, and can start building loyalty with your patients as soon as they reach out.