RSP Learning Center Now Open

I'm excited to announce that the Recall System Pro training area is now open and ready for use. You simply go to the training page of this website under the 'Do More' tab. This area of the site requires a username and password so if you do not have one, feel free to call support @ 1-800-651-8603 ext 3 and we'll be happy to set you up with some credentials. In this area there are a series of videos that are great for brushing up on your existing RSP skills or helping new staff learn the ropes.

Let the learning begin!

Final Edits

Hello RSP users. Just an FYI that all of the training videos are now complete and making their way through editing. I anticipate that the Recall System Pro Learning Center will be open for business the first week of March at the latest. It is an area of the website that requires log in credentials so if you'd like a username and password please feel free to reach out to us and we'll get you set up. You will also be able to access the Learning Center right from your toolbar.

Keep your eyes peeled for the formal announcement - it will arrive under system messages on your toolbar.

Managing Short Notice Cancellations

Most Dental Practices require two working days notice to change a scheduled appointment.  When receiving a short notice cancellation (SNC) you must use your discretion related to the patient’s reasons for short notice canceling. In circumstances where it is evident that a SNC is due to a clear emergency situation, tolerance and support of the patient’s situation is important.  Re-schedule the appointment at this time if possible.

In situations where a SNC is due to a patient oversight or a patient not wanting to be “inconvenienced” by the appointment, it is important that the patient is supported to make an effort to keep their appointment and inform them of the practice’s cancellation policy related to the possibility of short notice cancellation / no show of future appointments.  Share with the patient that the advanced notification (2 working days) is the time necessary to provide the appointment to other patients wanting to schedule.  This is the only method by which the practice can provide timely service to all the patients of the practice.

Whenever speaking to patients about the practice’s scheduling policies the purpose is to educate and make the patient aware, with the intent of saving the integrity of the patient’s relationship with the practice. Follow the communication guidelines in Recall System Pro.  It is important not to take the cancellation personally or react negatively towards the patient.

In situations where the patient’s behavior simply reflects disregard or a negligent attitude towards keeping appointments, it is important that the patient is made aware of the cancellation policy, and that future appointments may need to be secured with a credit card number.

Always make a note in the patient’s chart related to any type of SNC or No Show situation. Indicate the date, short notice cancellation & reason given, patient notified of policy, and your initials. This record will help you to deal with the patient appropriately if any future incidences occur.

Training Videos on the Way

I'm excited to announce that by the end of February we will be launching the Recall System Pro Learning Center. There will be more than 20 unique videos that can be used for training new staff / clinics or for furthering your understanding of the software. All videos will also be linked to your Recall System Pro toolbar so if in the moment you are looking to learn a new feature you can watch a short video right from your desktop. Stay tuned!

Not Sure What To Say?

Using the right language when confirming appointments or attempting to schedule patients can build confidence and make a significant difference in results.  Recall System Pro provides instant call scripts - with the push of a button, a coaching window appears with effective dialog that staff can use to boost results.

If you'd like to download a copy of our call scripts for use in your practice click here and select "Recall System Pro Call Scripts".  We have also included some pointers on how to deal with short notice cancellations and other challenging scheduling situations.

Essential Patient Service Requirements

1. Greeting of patients is prompt / professional / warm.
2. Staff are friendly and quick to establish rapport.
3. Practice is clean and well organized at all times.
4. Appointments start on time.
5. Procedures are explained to patients before treatment begins.
6. Patients are comfortable and provided with gentle dental care.
7. Changes in scheduled treatment or treatment plans are explained.
8. Patients do not have to return for unscheduled adjustments.
9. Patients are not kept waiting to be dismissed.
10. Patients are provided with treatment and financial information.
11. Patients do not experience financial surprises.

If you'd like the complete patient service resource sent to you, click here and download "Patient Service Excellence".

Practice Announcements

What's the next feature enhancement to Recall System Pro? Now that surveys and refer a friend have been successfully launched, we are now working on the ability for your practice to send specific announcements to your patients. The package will include themed e-mail templates (Christmas, Customer Appreciation, Halloween etc) and will give you the ability to select a group of patients or select all of your patients and send them an individual message.

You will be able to create, store, view and resend announcements in your dashboard. You can expect this enhancement to be completed in the coming weeks and as usual there will be no charge for the upgrade. Just let us know that you are interested.

Upcoming Webinars

Starting in February, I will be hosting monthly webinars to help existing users of Recall System Pro further their understanding of the software. You will notice shortly a Webinar Page will be added to our website under the 'Do More' tab. This page will be visible by Jan 17/2014.

Please feel free to register at your convenience. There will be no charge to attend and I will get to as many questions as possible per session. I will also have Recall System Pro ready to demo so that I can demonstrate  solutions to your questions in real time. Looking forward to it!

Recall 1,2,3

In our work with dental practices over the years we identified three steps every practice can take to maximize results and the benefits of recall:

1. Pre-appoint 90% of your patients before they leave your practice.

Why?

• It's easier to move a scheduled patient than book an unscheduled patient.
• Prevents patients from getting lost in your practice management system.
• Patients will make more of an effort to keep an appointment they have than book an appointment they don't have.

How?

• Ask for a tentative commitment vs. hard commitment.
• Communicate with confidence – use the right language / scripts.
• Reassure patients - you can always move the appointment if necessary.

2. Confirm patients sooner - 90% before their appointment dates.

Why?

• Gives patients more time to keep or move their appointments.
• Gives you more time to confirm appointments and fill openings.
• Significantly reduces cancellations and no shows.

How?

• Start sooner – two weeks in advance.
• Use the right language – stress the importance of reserved appointments.
• Confirming sooner produces a 50% drop in cancellations.

3. Focus on scheduling 90% of your due patients before late and overdue patients.

Why?

• Focus on trying to keep up with everything all at once can be overwhelming.
• Due patients are the most responsive.
• Puts out the right message.

How?

• Schedule designated time to follow up due patients.
• Most practices can find 1 to 2 hours per week.
• Catch up on late patients when you can – over time results accumulate.

If you'd like to download the complete resource, click here and choose "3 Steps Every Practice Can Take".

12 Steps of Effective Staff Meetings

Effective staff meetings can make a significant difference to the performance and productivity of a dental practice.  Staff meetings provide an important forum for problem solving and the improvement of systems that lead to the greater service of patients and enhanced productivity. Here are twelve steps that assist dental teams get the most from their meetings.

1. Meetings Start On Time.

2. Meetings Have A Defined Agenda.

3. Staff Are Prepared For Meetings.

• Status of old business.
• Ready to speak on new business.
• Team members make good use of meetings to accomplish goals.

4.  Meeting Commitments Are Recorded.

• Team members record their own commitments.
• Meeting recorder records all commitments.

5. Meeting Commitments Are Followed Up On - One Meeting To The Next.

• Minimal slippage - commitments falling through the cracks.
• Staff are prepared to recommit on incomplete items.

6. Team Members Stick To The Meeting Agenda & Cover All Items.

• Meeting discussions / conversations - do not wander.
• Agenda items  are covered - no stepping over items.

7. Team Members Get to Bottom Lines In Communications – No Story.

• Bottom lines - what is working and what's not.
• Minimal discussions - unnecessary detail, drama, story.

 8. Team Members Listen To One Another.

• Pay attention - do not allow yourself to be distracted from the agenda.
• Listen to understand – ideas, issues, view point of others.

 9. Team Members Exhibit Effective Problem Solving Skills.

• Problems are understood as signals for the need of correction vs. evolving into blaming and fault finding.
• Team members identify the cause of problems before proceeding with trying to find solutions.
• Team members proceed to find the simplest solutions possible that work for everyone affected by the problem.

10. Team Members Support The Leadership of Meetings.

• Team members understand & support meeting leadership role.
• Team members demonstrate leadership in meetings by actively participating.

11. Meetings Are Productive - Things Get Done.

12. Meetings End On Time.

Resource Page Coming Soon

Often times we receive requests for information that could help practices get their recall systems on track, and we are happy to share it! Very soon you can expect a Resource Page in the footer of our website.

On this page you'll find everything from chart audit manuals and instructions to call coaching scripts. It's all free and available to those who are interested. Of course, all that is available on our resource  page is is built into Recall System Pro but should you be waiting for an install or perhaps undecided - it's a great place to start. And people say there's no such thing as a free lunch.....

Hooray for Surveys!

Well folks, the day has arrived, Recall System Pro now has patient surveys. Included in the bundle are the following features:

• Post visit e-mails are sent to your patients.
• Patient responses are sent to your practice directly and are housed in your dashboard for later viewing/analysis.
• Average ratings by patients on key questions by month.
• Average patients rating of practice by month.

Also included in this release is the ability for your patients to refer a friend or family member to your practice with the click of a button in any of the e-mail communications we send on your behalf. Referral information will also be sent to you directly and housed in your dashboards for future reference.

Did I mention this is included in your subscription price? Nothing like added features at no charge. Call us to activate.

Enhanced Dashboard

We are very excited to announce the launch of our new and improved dashboard. This new design allows practices to monitor the performance of their practices and the key indicators that drive practice success. We give you the ability to trend your performance, discover opportunities to improve and measure the ROI as a result of using Recall System Pro.

There is also a new area which will house all of the patient survey information as well as patient referrals and recommendations. I have to thank our development team for a job well done and I look forward to your comments.

Acknowledge Success

It is very easy to get caught up in focusing on problem areas and what is not working in the day to day delivery of treatment, service and care to patients. For practices that want to achieve high levels of success, it is critically important that you find the time to notice and regularly acknowledge one another for the things that are working in your practice.  Make an effort to notice and report the positives that are going on all around you:

• Great examples of treatment, service and care.
• Patient compliments – how patient responded to treatment, service or care.
• How well a problem situation was handled.
• Extra effort or support provided by team members to one another.
• Great process or system follow through.
• Job well done.
• Completion or finalization of an important project or accomplishment.

This can be done in team meetings, at the end of your day or at any time an opportunity presents itself.   A little positive reinforcement can go a long way.

Power Practice is Next

A quick note that, by popular demand, we are now working on our integration with Power Practice. We are expecting an early 2014 launch and will be installing on a first come first serve basis. If you are interested, please do not hesitate to reach out to me directly as I would be happy to put your practice in cue for install. 

Also, a thank you to those that have been patiently waiting as we are becoming compatible with this platform. We are confident that it will be worth the wait :)

Follow Through

Following through with what you say you are going to do builds competence, trust and confidence - in yourself and in your team.  Chronic follow through problems erodes trust and leads to high levels of frustration, upset and resignation.

If you say you are going to do something and you don’t – do not make excuses.  Simply acknowledge any problems that may have occurred and take responsibility for dropping the ball without making yourself wrong.

At that point, either;

1. Recommit to doing what you originally committed to.
2. Negotiate an alternative agreement.
3. Revoke your original commitment.

Constructive Feedback

In order to support team members to succeed in their jobs and grow professionally, it is necessary to:

Ensure that responsibilities and expectations related to job performance are clearly defined.

Provide team members with regular and constructive feedback related to job performance.

In order to provide constructive feedback, your practice must develop a criteria which defines the necessary knowledge, skill and self management requirements that enable both staff members and teams to succeed in the dental workplace. 

The criteria, which you might define as 'Standards of Performance' applies equally to all staff members and is used as the basis for evaluating job performance.  The Standards of Performance provide working definitions of the necessary knowledge, skills and self management requirements to provide for excellence in the treatment, service and care of patients, as well as provide for a healthy and productive work environment. 

In addition to supporting the practice to provide excellence in the treatment, service and care of patients, the standards are intended to provide staff with a framework for self development.  Properly utilized by staff and management, the practices’ Standards of Performance can provide a framework for a structured approach towards realizing personal and professional growth.

Staff Participation in Decision Making

Providing staff with a voice in decision making is essential to realizing the overall goals and objectives of your practice.  This includes acquiring staff input related to:

• The service and care of patients.
• The day to day operations of the practice.
• Improvement initiatives.
• Proposed changes to procedures in clinic or office areas.
• The policies or management systems of the practice.

Acquiring input from staff members who have expert knowledge related to the day to day operations of our practice serves to improve the quality and value of decisions.

Acquiring staff input into decision making also serves to:

• Insure that staff members who are influenced by the outcome of decisions have an opportunity to provide input into the decision making processes.
• Minimize the potential for miscommunication and conflict in the practice resulting from staff not participating in decision making or being informed of decisions.

Along with playing a more active role in decision making comes greater responsibility and job satisfaction.  Staff who participate in decision making inevitably assume greater responsibility related to the implementation of decisions and are able to enjoy that satisfaction that comes along with implementing constructive change.

The Importance of Staff Meetings

Regularly scheduled staff meetings are essential to maintaining the effective day to day operations of a dental practice as well provide for the ongoing development of a dental practice. 

Staff meetings provide an important forum for problem solving and correcting day to day operational problems which are impossible to get in the middle of your day.  The ongoing correction of problem areas is essential to:

• Maintaining high standards of patient treatment, service and care.
• Maintaining high standards of teamwork and communication.

Staff meetings also provide the opportunity to work on the development of practice systems free from day to day operating pressures which is key to developing effective systems.   Developing effective systems also requires that teams follow planning, decision making and change management processes in order to effectively incorporate change.

Presence vs Time

Providing outstanding service and creating valuable relationships with patients does not need to take a lot of time - it requires providing patients with undivided attention when they are in your practice.  Being present to patients in the short time you may be with them.

Service research demonstrates that the smallest of things can make the biggest difference when it comes to patient service satisfaction:

• Patients receiving undivided attention.
• Patients feeling appreciated that they are patients of your practice.
• Patients feeling they are being listened to.
• Staff anticipating and supporting patients to deal with problems or concerns that may occur.

Patients know when there is stress in a practice and if they are not being paid attention to.  They may not be able to voice it but they know when it is occurring.   Patients also know when the opposite is occurring - when your team is paying attention to them and they are wowed by it.

Patients are wowed when they are paid attention to by any team member on a visit.  When patients are paid attention to by each and every team member they come into contact with on a visit - they typically cannot stop talking about your practice for a day or two because of their experience of service excellence.

Systems play an important role in delivering service excellence to patients from two perspectives.  Well defined operating systems keep staff out of stress and better able to pay attention to patients on a day to day basis.  Well defined service systems also ensure your staff are paying attention to the things that matter most to your patients during their visits.