Training Your Front Desk Staff: 5 Helpful Tips

Your front desk staff is the face of your medical practice. They are the first point of contact for patients and often set the tone for the entire visit. It’s important to make sure you are properly training staff to provide the best possible patient experience.

We’ve put a list together of things that we think that whether you’re an urgent care, primary care, or in the medical industry that you want to make sure that you touch upon with your front desk staff. By following these tips, you can help set your front desk staff up for success and ensure a great patient experience!

 

5 tips to help your training front desk staff:

1. Make sure they are friendly and welcoming. Patients should feel like they are being greeted by a friend, not a robot. This sounds pretty simple and like something that should just be understood but when people are in your ear, you have an angry patient standing in front of you, or you have 50 files that you have to get loaded into your CRM system, making sure that you smile and say “Hi, We will be with you in just a moment,” can go a long way with making patients feel acknowledged.
2. Teach them to be patient. Sometimes patients can be difficult or have a lot of questions which as we mentioned earlier, can get pretty overwhelming. It’s important that your front desk staff is patient and takes the time to listen to your patients and their concerns. It’s more likely they’ll end up having a more positive experience if they feel like they’re fully heard by your staff.
3. Train them on the phone. Oftentimes, patients will call with questions or make appointments. It’s important that your front desk staff is professional and polite on the phone. Talking to your staff about smiling when they answer the phone can make a huge difference! Even though you are not face-to-face, you can always tell someone’s tone over the phone, and taking the time to remember to smile before answering can completely shift the tone.
4. Teach them about your practice. Patients should feel like they are in good hands when they visit your clinic. Making sure your front desk staff is knowledgeable about your services and can answer any questions patients may have is important.
5. Set up a system. Patients should feel like they are moving through your medical practice efficiently. Make sure your front desk staff is familiar with your systems and knows how to properly check patients in and out without any added issues.

Conclusion

Want to learn more on how to set up proper training for your front desk staff up for success? Listen to Episode 16 of our podcast Walk-Ins Welcome! Walk-Ins Welcome is here to help you change the way you’re marketing your medical practice. With helpful tips, inspiring stories + interviews, and insight into the world of digital marketing, you’re sure to listen and feel motivated every week.

Improving Your SEO and Digital Marketing can be complicated, but it doesn’t have to be. We believe in data-driven, mobile-first, and lead-generating marketing without the fluff or vanity metrics. Schedule a call with a member of our team to learn more about how we can help you triple your revenue and provide an exceptional patient experience for your medical practice.