Professional business-to-client communication is essential when managing your dental practice. However, surprise scheduling conflicts can make it challenging to keep up with appointments, phone calls, and quality customer service. Your staff can avoid these problems with practical training and time management tools. 

What Are Some Common Scheduling Conflicts Your Staff May Encounter?

Without a practical scheduling policy, your staff may regularly book overlapping appointments. Overbooking can reduce your staff’s quality of service and discourage clients from booking with your practice in the future. These common schedule conflicts create long waiting room times for patients and force your employees to work harder to keep up with demands.

Scheduling conflicts could also force you to make a difficult decision for your business when a patient needs emergency attention. 

For instance, you could gain a loyal customer by accepting them as an emergency patient. However, doing so will delay everyone else’s appointments. On the other hand, denying an emergency patient can make your practice appear unreliable or unethical to other clients. 

How Does Scheduling Software Keep Patients Happy During Scheduling Conflicts?

Not all scheduling conflicts are avoidable, but it is essential to contact your clients well in advance if you need to make changes to their appointments.

Dental Intelligence Online Scheduling helps your front-office assistants avoid time-consuming phone calls when they need to greet clients by allowing patients to book on their own time. 2-Way Communication is allows your assistants to answer patients’ questions via email and text.  

How Can Automated Waitlists Prevent Lost Time in the Office?

If you schedule appointments with clients months in advance, they could forget about them as the date approaches. Set up automated reminders over the phone to alert patients at least one week before their appointment. Reminders keep patients on time and prevent wasteful gaps in your schedule that other patients could fill.

Creating a waitlist policy can also help your practice save time during last-minute cancellations. This convenience gives your patients the option to see their dentist sooner than expected, improving your customer-business relationship.      

Will Allocating Resources Prevent Scheduling Conflicts?

You can avoid creating your own scheduling conflicts with adequate staff training and attention to resource allocation. Ensure all your dental assistants have access to the same scheduling software and calendars. This way, employees on opposite shifts don't accidentally double-book appointments.

Scanners, fax machines, phones, and computers also help your front office staff save time when printing documents and organizing patient information. Keep an eye on computer updates and schedule them for the end of the day to prevent surprise delays during peak hours. 

Keeping a record of patient data can give your staff an idea of what to expect when scheduling individual clients. Some patients regularly need more attention from their dentists than others during their appointments. Reserving a longer block of time for these patients may help your staff avoid overbooking.

What Should New Staff Consider as They Start Booking?

Newer front office hires may not be aware that the back office staff needs several minutes to wash up, put away equipment, and sanitize their spaces before seeing another patient. Train your staff to allow 10 to 15 minutes between appointments to prevent double booking.

Your new hires should also have the information they need to identify emergency requests and prioritize them accordingly in the schedule. For example, an emergency appointment may be necessary if a patient calls complaining about pain or swelling. However, suppose a patient calls about a chipped tooth. In that case, it may be practical to prioritize their treatment within a few days — reserving unavailable time slots for those with serious health concerns.

Streamlining Your Dental Practice Operations for Patients and Staff

Managing your time more efficiently and communicating with patients during scheduling conflicts will help your practice maintain a positive reputation. Develop your scheduling policy as soon as possible to free up your workforce and accommodate more patients.

At Dental Intelligence, we offer modern software programs to simplify your communications. Our products include Online Scheduling, Virtual Check-In, and more. 

Don’t let scheduling conflicts prevent you from delivering world-class patient care. Schedule a demo today!