Technique
Consider the fact that virtually everyone is a caller to a business at one time or another.  As a result, most individuals have experienced the pleasure of speaking with a pleasant and competent individual.  Conversely, most adults have experienced the frustration of attempting to communicate with someone who fails to measure up to this description.  As a caller, it is reasonable to expect the person who answers the telephone to be courteous, organized and helpful.  If those qualities are not part of the caller’s experience, then there is a distinct possibility that a negative opinion will be forged about both the business as well as the person answering the telephone.

The staff in each dental practice should establish and use an agreed upon telephone protocol and communication style which will reflect a positive image for the dental practice when the telephone is answered.  This topic is addressed by Jennifer de St. Georges in an article she wrote about the consideration of factors for success in the dental office.³  The protocol should include the following strategies.

Be Prepared....
A cardinal rule in maximizing effective telephone communication is, "be prepared to receive a call."  Any person in the office who will be answering the telephone must be prepared with the necessary tools (notepads, charts and scheduling book) but even more, the person should be emotionally prepared to answer.

It is essential that the receptionist organize the items that may be needed during a call to avoid delays in the conversation and to avoid sending a message of disorganization in the office to the caller.  The appointment system (computerized or traditional appointment book) must be readily available near the site of the telephone receiver or headset.  Similarly, any office message system, whether it is computerized or consists of paper message pads, should be close at hand and ready to use if needed.  Message system information forms should be formatted to ensure that all critical information is obtained and recorded for future use.  Access to the patient’s computerized, or conventional dental record may also be helpful before initiating a call to a patient regarding an appointment, or his/her past care.

Who and When....
The dental office manual is a good vehicle to document the elements of a telephone protocol.  This includes the identification of who should answer and when the telephone should be answered.

Control of the appointment schedule may be shared by more than one employee and a written telephone protocol will help to delineate the responsibilities of all who participate in the communication and appointment management process.  If the telephone is to be answered by selected employees, then the protocol should include this limitation.

Some protocols call for answering the telephone by the end of the first ring, while others call for answering by the fourth ring.⁴  It has been suggested that conversation with someone in the office should be suspended after a telephone line is opened.⁴

It’s in the Voice....
Webster’s Secretarial Handbook⁴ considers it a necessity that the person answering the telephone use "an alert, pleasant, well-modulated, cordial, cheerful voice…"  It, furthermore, suggests that good basic telephone usage requires "…tact, courtesy and a genuine attempt to help the caller…"  Upon answering, the telephone handset should be properly positioned so that the person can hear the caller in the receiver and so that the caller can, in turn, hear the dental staff member.  For traditional handsets, about one and one-half inches away from the mouth is recommended to maximize the clearity of the voice.  If a telephone headset is used, then the manufacturer’s recommendations should be followed for positioning the headset microphone.  The caller should not miss the first part of the greeting due to extraneous noise or improper telephone positioning.  The person receiving the call should try to avoid asking the caller to repeat their message just because they failed to position the handset properly.

Voice tone or vocal factors include pitch, tone, volume, rhythm, inflection, etc. are a critical part of the message conveyed on the phone.  If the voice is "raised," an emotion of frustration or anger may be communicated.  Increased volume with irregular inflection can project cheerfulness.  Voice pitch can communicate a lot about style and emotions.  Anger and excitement tend to cause a rise in the voice which may communicate frustration and anger.  Low pitched, monotonal speaking patterns may communicate indifference, laziness, or even incompetence.

The voice tone of a person answering the telephone becomes the personality of the office for the caller.  A positive, enthusiastic attitude must shine through when the phone is answered.  Positive language includes the use of such words as "can," "will," "shall," and "certainly."  Energy and expression should be put into the voice.  It is important to interact with a pleasant and "smiling" voice.  More vocal expression is required when communicating over the telephone than when having a personal interaction in order to compensate for the loss of visual contact.  The person answering the telephone should use friendly, positive voice tones consistently to be an effective communicator.  It may actually be helpful to physically sit up and not slouch prior to answering the phone.  Facial expressions and gesturing, as if face to face, often are helpful aids in the infusion of desirable voice tones and non-verbal.  The voice should be made lively and the person must genuinely sound interested in helping the caller.

If the rhythm of the voice is unsteady or too fast, the greeting will be hard to follow or even lost entirely.  Therefore, the rhythm should be comfortably paced and steady.  The timing or pace may communicate important clues.  A long, drawn out pace may project indifference, while a short reply can indicate impatience.  Friendliness is conveyed through voice tone by inflection at the end of statements with a lilt in the voice.  The voice should have clarity so the caller will have no trouble understanding.  The deliberate clarity of the voice is necessary for this communication of a friendly greeting with an offer of help.

Elements
Telephone protocol should include the necessary elements of an answering technique as well as how to handle each type of call.  Examples of desirable answering techniques are listed as follows:

 

Click Here To Navigate Within Article >> ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION TECHNIQUE .....Be Prepared .....Who and When .....It's in the Voice .....Elements MULTIMEDIA FEATURE .....Say it Aloud .....Greeting CONCLUSION REFERENCES