When you think of an audit, do you automatically picture thousands of dollars coming into and going out of your office? Although auditing generally refers to evaluating a company’s financials, the word “audit” can also refer to the way your staff performs certain activities. If you are not currently auditing all facets of your dental practice, call Jennifer Pearce at (817) 975-4576. A single coaching consultation could help you learn if you should put more emphasis on auditing one or more of the following operations.
Overdue Patient Accounts
Every dentist knows that collections are part and parcel of being in the healthcare field. However, collecting on unpaid debts can be challenging. Talk with your office team about your own policies. Are they all following the same formula to recover the money you are owed? Do some of them “draw outside the lines” and create their own strategies? The more you know, the more you can help hone a debt collection system that is strategic and repeatable. Until you perform an audit, though, you may not realize you are missing opportunities to collect early in the process.
Onboarding New Staff
Are you a small dental practice that runs at lightning fast speed? When you recruit new staff members, do you just assume they are being trained properly? Or do you put a Placeholder into the mix while the new person is learning the ropes? This is a commonplace issue across small businesses in every industry. Performing an audit of the way you onboard will help spot gaps in the system. By filling the gaps, you can be sure that your new employees are ready to contribute to the goals of your business.
Phone Conversations
It may sound simple, but the way your staff greets patients and callers over the phone is critical. Find out if your team uses scripts or simply “wings it” during every phone call. You may want to hire a consultant to help you create special scripts to answer questions and give your practice an air of consistency. Patients appreciate knowing what to expect, and scripts can help all employees reflect your preferred atmosphere.
Consultation Conversions
Does it seem as if your consultation conversion rates are inconsistent? Perform an audit on every stage in the consultation process. Where are potential patients losing interest or falling out of the conversion funnel? How can you streamline your process to encourage up to a 98 percent closing percentage? Process audits illustrate trouble spots and red flags that you might never have realized. Close the loops and you will likely see higher conversions.
Role Expectations
Sometimes, employees step outside their roles because it seems necessary at the time. Yet constantly changing staff roles can lead to confusion and even irritation. Perform an audit focused on job descriptions. Have some changed over the years? Which ones should be updated? Are employees making up their own job descriptions in lieu of written ones? When team members know which tasks “belong” to which people, your dental practice can run more effectively.
A Second Pair of Auditing Eyes
If the idea of performing an audit on all these operational areas causes you concern, remember that you can always hire Jennifer Pearce as a second set of eyes. Ms. Pearce would be happy to talk with you about your in-house operational needs and help you conduct a performance audit. Contact us at (817) 975-4576 to arrange for a consultation.
