It goes without saying that for a dental practice to succeed you need a phenomenal dentist and an outstanding hygienist; but that’s not all. It is crucial to put as much effort into finding the perfect dental team as the reception team.

Your receptionist and front-end staff are critical pieces in the overall success and growth of your dental practice – because they are the very first impression for your patients. The receptionist is the first people they speak to – typically on the phone – and the first people they see when entering your office. Patients are already looking for a reason not to visit a dentist – don’t let your front-end staff give them one

It’s easy to see these positions as simply answering the phone and managing appointments. If that’s how you currently see this position, hopefully by the end of this post you’ll reconsider that thinking.

But how do you hire an exceptional dental receptionist? Don’t fret, we have you covered! Keep on reading to learn how you can improve the experience of every patient in your practice.

What to look for?

Personality

Personality is key when looking for front end staff. It could even be argued that personality matters more than dental experience – but more on that later. Patients aren’t numbers, they are people! So, here is what to look for in your receptionist to help your patients feel more like the people they are.

- Extroverted – not shy

• This may seem like common sense, but you would be surprised at how many people in reception roles are less extroverted and more introverted. You want to make sure that whoever you hire into your receptionist role is outgoing.

- Genuinely enjoy people

• Your receptionist will spend most of their day with people. Therefore, it is vitally important that whoever is in this role genuinely enjoys people.

- Likes to have conversations

• Enjoying the company of other people and actually wanting to learn a little bit about the people they are speaking to go hand in hand. I can love being around my friends all the time, but if I would rather scroll my phone than engage in conversation with them, that will not translate well into being a great receptionist. Small talk helps patients feel like they matter and assists in putting them at ease in your office.

Red flag

- Nervous around people

• You need someone who will be able to have both the pleasant and the sometimes-difficult conversations a dental receptionist needs to have with your patients. Be wary of hiring someone who seems to be nervous around people.

Voice

• The first interaction most new patients have with your practice is on the phone with your receptionist. While your smile is typically the first impression people have, in this case, it’s the voice.

•  While doing a phone pre-screen or first interview with your candidates, spend time listening to how they sound on the phone. Do they have a warm friendly tone?

• Another thing to consider is, while its great your candidate has a warm and bubbly personality in person – does this vibe translate to their phone interactions?

• You could include a role play phone call into your interview process to help ensure your short-listed candidates make the best first impression for you practice.

Dental Experience?

• - 86% of consumers quit doing business with a company because of a bad customer experience (American Express). They don’t leave because your receptionist needs training on dental office specific tools. They leave because your front-end staff didn’t treat them well.
• Filling the receptionist or front-end roles is far more about the person, than dental office experience. The specifics of working in dental can be learned, an inviting and friendly personality cannot.
•  If your candidate can get up to speed in a practical amount of time, you’re in a great position to train them into the dental receptionist you need. An added bonus is they won’t have set ideas of how it’s done somewhere else.
• Look for people who are eager and quick to learn

General Disposition

- Overall, you’re looking for someone who exudes warmth, enthusiasm, and friendliness.

• Ask your candidates how others would describe them. Do they answer with friendly, outgoing, caring? They just might be a great fit! If they answer with quiet, reserved, and introverted – you might want to pass on them.

• Another great question to add to your set of interview questions is: what did they love about their old job? Or what do they dislike? A red flag to be on the lookout for is if the bad far outweighs the good. How they answer this question can give great insight into their general disposition.

Overall, the number one thing to remember when hiring your front-end staff is that they are your practice’s very first impression with your patients. Think about what you want your patients to feel when they think about your dental office and look for those characteristics in your reception staff.

Here at DGS, our passion is helping your dental practice succeed. If you’re looking for help hiring or training front-end staff, contact us here. We would be happy to work with you!

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