By Gary Radz, DDS
November 25, 2013
A successful dental practice is built upon relationships. Certainly the patients’ relationship with the doctor is important, but more often than not it's the dental team that really gets to know the patients and who have the most frequent contact with the patients. The office manager, next to the doctor, is the leader of that team.
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Having an office manager in place for the long term provides the stability many patients are looking for in a dental office. Patients take comfort in knowing that there is a familiar face in the office that they can go to with questions or problems. A good office manager makes it his or her job to get to know their patients, developing and fostering good relationships. This is certainly important from an internal marketing standpoint and it helps in providing better patient care, but it’s also critical if there is ever a problem so that there can be friendly and respectful communication to help resolve any issues the patient may have.
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A long-term office manager also provides the stability that a team and a doctor strive for in the practice. It is important for the team to have that one person they can go to with their day-to-day issues or problems. Having worked with the doctor for a long time, the experienced office manager will have a good idea of how the doctor would expect issues to be addressed and resolved.
With years of experience, the office manager should be able to handle the small issues and keep distractions away from the doctor. The office manager should know the doctor well enough to know his or her practice philosophy: that way the office manager will be able to pick a solution that fits without having to ask the doctor.
