There are innumerous management mistakes made by health professionals, it is worth knowing some tips on how not to make them
Many professionals who work in the field of oral health, and without realizing it, they end up making mistakes in the management of their offices, often for lack of knowledge and planning.
There are some basic rules that must be followed for the oral health professional who aspire to be successful not only in the treatments, but in the management of a clinic or oral surgery.
See the tips:
1 – Friendly staff
It is proven that the customer’s first contact – either in person or over the phone, can interfere with his or her mood. If they comes across as a friendly, polite person and realise that the professional who is attending them is really thinking about helping to resolve their problem, they will feel welcomed and satisfied. Knowing how to deal with different people and personalities are fundamental. Therefore, spare no effort in investing in humanized care and training of your employees.
2 – Professional delays x patients
The delay of any professional is quite harmful, both for them and for the patient who is waiting for them. It is important to take into account that everyone has different commitments, so in case of unforeseen circumstances, carry out emergency measures, such as direct connection to the patient, sending SMS or even message in WhatsApp, if applicable.
As for the patients, a proactive way to minimise forgetfulness or delays on their part is by sending reminders in advance – which can be either via SMS or via WhatsApp, the more practical the better. That way, they will remember that he has a marked appointment, and if they can not go, they will let you know in advance.
3 – Not knowing the financial health of the office
In office management, if you do not know how much you spend, you will not know how much you should charge. Therefore, in addition to being surrounded by professionals specialized in the financial and accounting area, it is important that you are aware of the revenues and expenses in order to optimize your earnings and reduce your costs. In a medical clinic, where time is divided between patients and so many other tasks, controlling the financial budget becomes a competitive differential of the most importance.
4 – Do not set clear goals
When you draw a goal, you can project where you want to be in a certain time frame. With that in mind, it is only natural that the entire team is mobilized to take action to fulfill them. Create goals according to the responsibility and competence of each member of the office. Everything has to be well rounded and explained to generate a complete understanding of the importance of reaching the goals by the employees, including mentioning that the growth of the company is fundamental and necessary to keep the office open, hence to keep their jobs .
5 – Stop investing in media
It often happens that the professional already has a good client portfolio, but when opening his clinic, can not increase that number. One reason for this is the lack of investment in marketing. Attracting more patients is essential for the growth of the clinic, after all, they are responsible for the progress of the business.
For other people to know your office, it is imperative that you worry about making an appropriate disclosure for it, which can even be done at low cost and using the internet with the creation of an institutional website, a page on facebook and a profile on instagram, for example. But, do not forget, apart from divulging, it is important to keep customers loyal, as word of mouth is an essential part of the healthcare business. Make sure you listen to patient satisfaction and refine your audience feedback.
6- Do not invest in Office Management Software
Technology is a reality today, and so office management software is a great way to organize and manage everything that is related to the office and its processes. Besides being easy and intuitive to learn to use, they have a series of functionalities that facilitate the work of the team and the professional, such as: patient registration; organization of agendas; scheduling of appointments and medical records. In addition, the systems are integrated and the entire cash flow is centralized on a single platform. As a result, it is much easier to compare information, check incoming and outgoing data, and do a thorough financial analysis. All this agility and ease of data management has a positive impact on the decision-making process involving the clinic’s growth potential and profitability.