The first day on a new job for any employee can seem like trying to get on a moving train so have them "board" on a gradient. Get them apprenticed. Apprenticing is a VITAL missing ingredient in most practices. Don't just throw them in the water to see if they sink or swim. Ideally you have written materials of what is expected. The new employee should be given some time each day to study those materials. The key is to not overwhelm the employee with too much information. Daily and weekly checklists help as well.   Kevin Tighe, Cambridge Dental Consultants, Senior...

During normal business hours it is vital all calls be answered within three rings and that any hold times be minimal. If this not happening, typically the reason is not enough staff or the current staff need to be trained better and/or have better discipline. If you have too many calls coming in for your front desk to handle, you need another person up front or consider hiring reputable dental specific phone overflow service. After hours or weekend calls? Google phone number/voicemail is free. Your office number can be forward to it. The voicemail has ab employee or your voice which...

Discounts can be destructive if not used with proper judgement. There is always the danger of having people focus on price instead of the value of your services. However, keep in mind that "Discount Dentistry" is very different than offering targeted discounts to accomplish a specific goal. The key is to have a good reason to offer the discount to accomplish the targeted need. You just have to be smart about it. Kevin Tighe, Cambridge Dental Consultants, Senior Consultant, got bitten hard by the business and marketing bug during long summer days working at his dad's Madison Avenue ad agency. After joining...

There are many variables in terms of pediatric dental practice scheduling for both new patients and recare. From what the assistants can do, to how long to meet, greet, and seat, to the age of the patients and the income level of the area.  Consider offering a small discount for those who schedule during those hard-to-fill time slots. Pediatric dental practices see so many more patients per day compared to general dentist, so the flow of patients through a pedo practice nice to be very smooth.  Kevin Tighe, Cambridge Dental Consultants, Senior Consultant, got bitten hard by the business and marketing bug during...