Anyone Can Answer the Phone
My career in dentistry began as a naïve, 16-year-old extern of a dental assisting co-op program through my high school. I quickly realized chairside assisting wasn’t for me. I started answering the phone, making appointments (yes, in a paper book), learning to fill out dental claim forms, and studying the ADA codes. This was in the late ’80s when people were fully staffed, and you weren’t spending hours on hold yelling, “Representative!” I spoke to many helpful representatives while navigating the daunting claim form and trying to understand individual dental plans. This seemed to suit me much better; I enjoyed and stuck with it.
Once the externship ended, I applied for dental front desk positions. I was offered the job at every interview. At first, I thought, “Wow, I’m really good at this! They must see in me what I see in me.” It was great! Then, one doctor said to me, “Anyone can answer phones and make appointments to keep my book filled.” I realized it wasn’t me or my skills getting these job offers. It was the attitude that many dentists (and their teams) had toward the “receptionist” or “front desk girl,” as they often referred to me. It bothered me as I worked hard for my knowledge and the value I knew I added. It was then that I realized that most dentists, at least the ones I met then and even some now, had not been educated in any business, let alone navigation of the complex world of billing and dental plans. Not to mention the importance of that first phone call from a new patient and how it can make or break whether they schedule or keep an appointment in their office.
It became my mission to educate them, at least the ones I chose to partner with. That is how I see it: a partnership. Neither of us can do what we do without the other. The dentist I work with now said during my first interview that the patient’s first conversation with our front office directly affects how his appointments go in the chair. I found him! The dentist who sees my worth! The dentist who understands I’m not just there to answer phones and keep his book filled! If the patient feels listened to and well served during the very first phone call, their attitude and feelings set the dentist up for a smooth appointment. If more dentists understood how vital their front office team—including the office manager—is, they would not hesitate to invest in them and their continuing education.
Throughout my career, I have read stories about embezzlement in the dental office. Mainly by the person who “just answers the phone.” Anyone can do that, right? WRONG! This person must be carefully chosen and highly trained. I hear stories of patients who left other offices because of the administrative teams’ lack of service and/or knowledge. Patients are frustrated that they cannot get correct answers or even help from the team, so they leave. Are the dentists in these practices even aware of this? Probably not.
After being in dentistry as a chairside assistant, a front desk administrator, an insurance coordinator, a patient coordinator, and an office manager for 30+ years, I found AADOM. Is it an asset to my doctor’s practice? Of course, it feels right to have found an organization that recognizes what we have known all along. What we do as office managers can truly make or break a practice.
Our field is changing by the day, and it’s up to us to educate as many dentists and office managers as we can on the importance of what we do because the value it holds directly impacts the health and future of their practices.
About the Author
Sandy Wilkinson is a practice administrator for a dental office in Beverly Hills, MI. Sandy’s career in dentistry has spanned three decades. The past 15 years have been with a boutique practice with unmatched customer service and the highest quality of care. Sandy mentors other practice administrators on how high customer service is essential in private practice and how to achieve it. She received her degree in Management from Central Michigan University and has been a member of AADOM since 2018. Sandy earned her fellowship in 2022 and master’s distinction in 2023. Sandy enjoys spending time with her family and friends when she is not in the office, baking, and relaxing!
