ALL POSITIONS in your optometric practice are important, but I sometimes think we underestimate the value of front desk staff. They are the gatekeepers of our businesses. All patients encounter the front desk at one point or another, on the phone and in person. Front desk staff holds the immediate ability to create an impression of our businesses, good or bad. In our competitive field, there is little room for bad first impressions.

Front desk personnel must be part educator, part salesperson, part problem solver and part organizer. Are we preparing these employees to do all this, and, specifically, for our industry?

Set out a plan for front desk employee training, and systematically follow through in each area. This could be accomplished with videos, shadowing another employee or research materials. Here is a checklist of what should be included:

1 TELEPHONE ETIQUETTE

1. Answering phones

Provide scripts for the 10 most common occurrences on the phone, including

A. Explaining the eye exam

B. Creating an impression on the phone and, specifically, attitude

C. Telephone basics: taking messages and transferring calls

D. Juggling multiple calls and placing people on hold

2. Booking Appointments

• Detail each type of appointment and the duration of time in which to book each one

• Define an emergency and whether it should it be referred or booked

• Match symptoms with the type of appointment warranted

• Triage questions to ask and then how to book appropriately

• Proactive booking

• Recall and fill missed appointments

2 OVERALL EYE EDUCATION

• Eye anatomy

• Eye diseases, symptoms and treatment

• Contact lens basics and pricing

• Eyewear basics, including brands and products carried

• Terminology (eye health or eye care terms, for example, OD can be optometrist or right eye)

3 OPERATIONS

• Promotions and sales information

• Warranties and repairs

• Answering voicemail and email inquiries

• Dealing with upset patients

READY TO GO!

If you have trained your front desk employees on everything on the above checklist, you are well on your way to a strong first impression for your patients. Well done! OM

MS. CHAREST is the co-founder of 4ECPs, a practice management resource company for eye care professionals. 4ECPs has six divisions, including eye care jobs, marketing, social media, payments, events and training. Visit www.4ecps.com , or email trudi@4ecps.com.