Two tips from the trenches

Submitted by Dr. Edward Lowe

Tip 1: Patients waiting
When I go into the operatory after my patient has waited for me to come in, instead of going into the operatory apologizing and saying, "I’m sorry I kept you waiting," I say, "Thank you for waiting for me.” Almost always the patient says, “Oh that's okay,” or “No problem."

Tip 2: Late patients
Let's say your hygiene patient is late and he or she is usually on time. Instead of saying, "You're late for your appointment. The hygienist may not be able to finish with you today," say "Gosh, we were so worried about you. Thank goodness you're here. We’ll do our best to complete as much of your hygiene appointment as we can with the time remaining. Will that work for you?"

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