Help wanted: 6 attributes of a SUPERB front office

Anyone who has managed a dental front office knows how hard it can be to find qualified, motivated front-office team members. Applicants typically range from having no previous experience in the dental or customer-service fields to being so overqualified that the only reason they applied was because of the obvious short supply of jobs in the market.

Not that this precludes any of them from getting the position; it just makes it harder to train them or, if they are overqualified, harder to keep them if they find a position that better matches their qualifications.

So what's an office manager to do? How do we find and keep the best dental front-office team members?

Lisa Marie Spradley, FAADOM.

Lisa Marie Spradley, FAADOM.

There are certain skills that a front-office team member must possess, either as a team or individually. These attributes help the front office stay focused on the patient and work together with the rest of the dental team to create the ultimate patient experience at your practice. The goal is to transform the first impression into the best impression.

So, what are these attributes and how do they apply to the dental front office? They are, in a word, SUPERB:

• "S" is for sincerity. The front-office team member must genuinely care about the patient's health and welfare. In an emergency situation, a certain amount of empathy is required, and patients know if the team member answering the call is truly sincere. A kind, caring personality is invaluable when talking to and getting to know our patients. It creates an environment that makes the patient feel safe and welcome and invites them to return to our practice.
• "U" is for über-organized. A must for any front-office team member is organizational skills. The dental front office is full of forms and publications that are used and referenced daily, weekly, and monthly. The ability to produce these forms quickly when needed helps the workday flow easier and with no added stress.
• "P" is for patience. This is not to be confused with patients. Of course we must have patients, but we must also have patience with our patients. Unfortunately, most patients do not know or understand their dental insurance benefits, and they depend on us, the front-office team, to understand and explain those benefits in a way that makes sense to them -- which can be easier said than done sometimes. Always take a deep breath, mentally or physically, and remember that our patients are our raison d'être.
• "E" is for enthusiastic. Dental front-office team members should possess a fair amount of positive energy. They often need to multitask, and this calls for someone who can think quickly and move rapidly from one task to the next. This requires a level of enthusiasm that is necessary to reduce patient wait times and keep pace with the entire dental team.
• "R" is for resilient. Webster's dictionary defines resilient as the ability to withstand or recover quickly from difficult conditions. Schedules change, appointments get canceled, and no-shows happen. How we respond to these situations is what matters. Our ability to fill those last-minute cancellations and work in those unexpected emergencies is what keeps our schedule and our practice not only running but thriving. It is a sign of our resiliency.
• "B" is for bubbly. Our dental front-office team is the first and best impression for the dentist and the entire dental practice. Answering telephone calls with a smile on our face and effervescence in our voice is not just recommended, it is required. As such, we need to be sure that whenever we greet our patients, we are focused completely on them; we need to ensure that we give patients not only an appointment for dental care, but an experience that no other dental provider can duplicate. That experience is a one-on-one relationship with you.

Any combination of these attributes would be a good starting point for the dental front-office team. Be careful, however, because some of these attributes can quickly turn into a detriment if they are too prevalent. For example, while we most certainly want someone who is organized and bubbly, too much of either could interfere with getting the job done in a timely or team-focused manner.

Most important, look for someone who is interested in a career and not just a job. The difference is an amazing shift in mind-set. A job is an 8-to-5 obligation where employees put in their time and leave with no emotional investment. A career is something that we love to do, and it never runs on a time clock.

The dental team is unique in that we do call ourselves a team. We are not employees or associates; we work together ensuring a positive environment for our patients and ourselves. Everyone on the dental team has an important part to play, so be sure to look for those front-office team members who are SUPERBly qualified!

Lisa Marie Spradley, aka the "Front Desk Lady," has been in the dental field for more than 16 years. She is a speaker/trainer at TCB Dental Consulting, where she trains the dental front-office team to focus on the patient and transform the first impression into the best impression. She is a Fellow of the American Association of Dental Office Managers (FAADOM) and an active, lifetime member. Contact Lisa Marie at [email protected].