Your Practice Needs an Office Manager
By Kevin Henry
As the managing editor for Dental Economics, one of the things I see from dental offices around the country is that practices are constantly trying to figure out how to differentiate themselves from the practice down the street. Is it a new sign out front? Is it a bigger TV and more beverage choices in the reception area? Is it the newest technological advance in dentistry that can be incorporated into the practice?
Everyone is always looking for a hook to reach patients, whether they are new patients, ones who haven't been in the practice for some time, or those who are consistent, valued customers. One thing that is often overlooked in a dental practice that can make a huge difference in the patient's mind is simple and genuine interaction between the team and the individual sitting in the chair.
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Sounds simple, right? Absolutely ... so why isn't it being done in so many practices? Much of that has to do with the "roller skate" routine that so many dentists fall into over time. Run to this operatory, scoot over to this operatory, and make an appearance in the hygiene department before running back to Operatory 1. It's a hectic way of life that causes many problems within the practice.
Dentists get very little training on business in dental school (one of the primary reasons why Dental Economics has been such a mainstay in the dentist's library for decades), so suddenly having to run the practice and everything that goes with it can be overwhelming at times. That's where an office manager comes into the picture.
Why is it important to have an office manager in your practice?
- An office manager handles the business for you.
- An office manager lets you establish relationships.
- An office manager provides an advocate for you within the practice.
But what really is an office manager? Is it just a title or a promotion for someone from the back office who seems better with numbers than instruments? Not at all. The office manager is someone who is a skilled businessperson and can look at a balance sheet the same way that he or she could if they were working at any business. An office manager is not someone who just answers the phones and tells people to have a seat in the reception area. Many dental practices have "office managers" who can do that, but are they really managing the office or just managing the phone?
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