January 2005

The new patient attracting image

by Dr. Peter Fernandez

Part 2: Telephone procedures -- The good and the bad

In part one of this series, you learned how using professionally designed advertising and promotions is your first vital step in developing a new patient attracting image. Now, in part two, I want to open your eyes to the importance of using image‑building telephone procedures to further enhance the new patient attracting image you want to develop and maintain. How your office answers the potential new patient's first telephone call either heightens this image or destroys it.

Let's begin with the simplest but most overlooked and misused telephone procedure ‑‑ the use of your telephone answering machine. With almost 24 years as a chiropractic consultant, I can sadly but confidently say that at least 70% of you are losing new patients simply because of what you say or don't say on your telephone answering machine. This not only robs you and your practice of whatever income those new patients and their referrals would have generated, it wastes whatever advertising or promotional dollars you spent to get them to pick up the phone and call you.

The first rule of thumb when using a telephone answering machine is “DON'T” use it during normal business hours. Always make sure there is a warm, caring voice answering your phone from the time you open in the morning, through the time you close at night, including your lunch hours. If your office has the staff, stagger your CAs' lunch hours in order to have a live person answer the phone, or have your calls forwarded to your cell phone.

I'm amazed at the number of doctors who use their answering machines to say “we are either out of the office or treating other patients at this time.” This message hurts your new patient attracting image by telling the caller that someone else is more important than they are... a message that no one wants to hear.

The following guidelines will turn your telephone answering machine from a liability into the valuable asset it can be to your new patient attracting image:

***  Only use an answering machine before or after office hours.

***  Choose a machine that allows you ample time to record and receive messages.

***  The person recording your messages should have a clear voice and use an audible smile.

***  Messages should be recorded with no background noise or talking.

***  Your message should introduce the person speaking, thank the caller for calling your office, indicate the next time you'll be open and provide an emergency telephone number to the doctor.

***  Your message should encourage the “non‑emergency” caller to leave a message and telephone number so that you can return their call as soon as possible.

***  Record appropriate messages for special occasions, i.e. Thanksgiving, Labor Day, out of the office for professional development seminar, etc.

***  Make sure you use the correct message, i.e. don't have a lunch message running when you're closed for the weekend, etc.

The new patient attracting value of having your telephone personally and correctly answered by a member of your staff (or you if no one else is available), will determine the percentage of new patients that will actually make appointments and come into your office for an exam.

The following telephone answering guidelines will help you increase your new patient “show” percentage:

***  Telephones should be placed conveniently throughout your office so that a staff member can answer calls within the first two rings.

***  Create a “friendly feeling” by using a sincere “happy you called” attitude when answering the telephone no matter how busy you are.

***  Never put a caller on hold until they have given their reason for calling.

***  Never answer the telephone in a fluster or obvious rush. Put a smile on your face, speak confidently and warmly, and give the caller your complete attention. This creates a powerful, new patient attracting impression that says to each caller, “these are friendly and knowledgeable professionals that are here to help me.”

***  If you must put someone on hold, make sure you put the telephone on “hold” and not just put the receiver on the desk. It's also extremely important that you report back to the caller at least once every 30 seconds. This assures callers you have not “abandoned” them and gives them the opportunity to ask for a call back instead of continuing to hold.

***  Don't use “call waiting” on an office telephone. It's highly insulting to a potential or established patient to be put on hold while you answer another call. It sends the caller the message that someone else is more important than they are. “Call waiting” is degrading to the person asked to hold while you answer the other call. This lack of professionalism is not the image you want to project.

***  Provide your CA with a prioritized call list which clearly tells her which calls need to be put through to you immediately, which ones can be returned when you are free, and which calls she can handle.

***  Provide your CA with proper training and effective scripts on handling the most common telephone scenarios.

To deal effectively with callers, your CA will need the following tools:

1. A mirror directly in front of her when she is on the phone. The mirror is called a “smile mirror” and will help remind your CA to smile as she answers the phone and speaks to your regular and potential patients.

2. A “New Patient Analysis” form to keep track of all incoming new patient calls. This form is a quick and easy way for the doctor to see how many new patient telephone calls resulted in appointments, and how many new patients actually showed for their appointments. There is only one reason for 100% of all new patient calls not resulting in kept appointments, and that's in the way your telephone is answered.

3. A telephone log to keep track of outgoing calls and to evaluate the effectiveness of your patient recall program.

4. A message pad that lists date, time, name, nature of call, and phone number of the caller wanting to leave a message.

5. A list of symptoms or events that constitute an emergency, such as back pain, neck pain, slip and fall, serious car accident and injuries. The CA should also have a set of guidelines for what to do if the doctor can't be reached.

6. A list of frequently needed numbers. This will include all the places where the doctor can be contacted, the doctor's cellular telephone number, and the telephone number of the doctor's spouse.

7. An intercom or hold button, so the CA can talk to the doctor without the caller overhearing.

Effective telephone techniques elevate your professional image thereby attracting the greatest number of new patients. It also goes a long way towards promptly and pleasantly solving many of the needs of your new and established patients, making your practice run more efficiently. Considering today's highly competitive health care marketplace, if you're serious about building your practice, you can't afford to treat telephone communication lightly. Give it the importance it deserves.

Lastly, if you have an automated answering system that directs callers to “push 1 to schedule an appointment,” “push 2 if you have a question regarding your account,” etc., you might as well add, “push 3 to have your call transferred to a live person at Dr. Smith's down the street.” These automated answering systems are cold and annoying. They tell your callers that you are an impersonal doctor who obviously does not consider helping patients a top priority. These systems work extremely well in lowering your professional image and keeping new patients away from your practice.

Next time: Part 3 of “New patient attracting image.”

(Dr. Peter G. Fernandez, is a 1961 Logan graduate. His practice with five staff chiropractors and 12 satellite offices, was one of the country's largest all‑referral, high income chiropractic clinics. As a practice consultant for the past 24 years, Dr. Fernandez has taught practice building techniques to nearly 15,000 DCs, and consulted in the opening of approximately 3,000 practices. For more complete details on the successful use of a telephone answering machine, e‑mail him at DrPete@DrFernandez.com, or call 800‑882‑4476. Fernandez Consulting is located at 10733 57th Ave. North, Seminole, FL, 33772. Visit Dr. Fernandez on the web at www.DrFernandez.com).