The Front Desk – Your Practice's Most Impactful Role
- Mar 10
- 4 min read
Updated: May 7
Written by Quintin Gunn, Chief Strategic Officer
As CSO at Help My Medical Practice, Quintin draws on 25+ years in healthcare consulting and practice growth to help underperforming medical practices become patient-focused, profitable, and operationally efficient.
The front desk is often the first, and most powerful touchpoint in a patient’s journey with your practice. From shaping first impressions to turning inquiries into booked consultations, this role plays a critical part in building trust, communicating value, and driving practice growth.
Here's why the least paid person can have the biggest impact on the practice:
1. The critical first impression
Often, the person answering the phone provides the very first impression of your practice. You only get one chance to make a first impression, so make it count.
Being friendly, polite, and caring reassures people they have called the right place for treatments and service, and that they will be well cared for when they come for their initial consultation or treatment. If your tone is flat, monotone, unconcerned, or dismissive, you can expect that the prospect will seek service or treatment elsewhere, or delay their decision until later. As the old saying goes, put your best foot forward.
2. Connecting with prospects: Make a friend
When making calls to prospects, have fun and make a friend. People buy from people they like.
Act like you're calling a family member or a close friend that you haven't heard from in a while. Identify yourself, confirm that it's a good time to talk, and then identify what made them send their request in the first place. What issue or concern are they trying to solve? Once you know, tell them a little bit about the treatment and how it works to address their need.
3. Highlighting doctor credentials and reviews
It is critical to highlight the doctor’s skills and credentials in the initial call. Ask the prospect if they have looked at the doctor’s reviews and patient testimonials. If not, take them online and show a few.
Have you read the reviews yourself? If not, you should. It's nice to know what people are saying about your doctor and the practice.
This helps build credibility and confidence that the patient prospect made the right decision in choosing your office for service.
4. Scheduling the consult
Thereafter, confirm what day they'd like to schedule a consult with "The Best Doctor" to learn more about the treatment or procedure. Usually, giving two date options ensures that they will pick one. Always state you're setting aside this special consulting time for them to have one-on-one time with the doctor. His goal will be to truly understand their needs and goals.
The role of booking consults for the practice is critical to practice income. It's urgent that the front desk person recognizes the seriousness of their role, it's part of how salaries get paid.
5. This is not insurance: Value-based communication
The way you treat the prospect is critical to the outcome of the calls you receive or make to new prospects. Insurance is referral-based and is paid through company benefits. We are asking people to spend their hard-earned money in a tight economy. So you've got to give them a reason to do so by highlighting the skills of your doctor, the value and benefit of the treatment option, as well as the wonderful practice environment they will find upon arrival.
Reassure them that this is the best decision and best place they can come to have a procedure performed. This is all based on the things identified above.
6. Log all calls: Understanding buying patterns
All calls made and received need to be logged. Why did they not schedule the consult? Is there a good time to follow up on their decision if a consult was not booked? Be specific and slightly persistent, your goal is to help and get the consult booked.
Additionally, the purpose of this is to determine buying patterns so as to address and overcome objections going forward.
Was it price? What did they expect a procedure like this would cost? If so, did you make them aware of your patient financing options?
Was it location? Do you have an out-of-town package? Can you offer a gas card if they are willing to drive for the consult and procedure?
Was the product not what they expected? What were they looking for?
Is it timing that needs to be determined? Try to book in the next 30 or 45 days? Exactly why did they not book the consult?
7. Follow Up, Follow Up, Follow Up!
Although many prospects may not book on the initial contact, by following up you lay the groundwork to get them on the schedule in the future. Your mission is to help them achieve their goals and satisfy the reason for their call or email.
Obviously, the reason for their call or email is that the office provides something they want, like, or need. Your role is to identify what that is, answer their questions, and fulfill the request or desire by booking the consult.
All reasons for decline need to be documented. Without that, you don't learn how to overcome that objection, and marketing can't know how to adjust the offer.
With all that being said, if you apply these few strong recommendations, not only will you book more consults, but you'll have more fun in the role of the front desk or patient care coordinator. In most cases, there is a bonus program that acts as a motivator.
If you have any additional questions about best practices or how to generate more qualified leads using social media, we are here to help, and you can reach us at the number below!
Read more from Quintin Gunn
Quintin Gunn, Chief Strategic Officer
Started at Mojo Interactive in 2000 as a marketeer for the American Academy of Ophthalmology, AACS, ASPS, Boston BioLife, and AACD. Helped in the Development of "Locate a Doc" and TrainNowMD, along with developing marketing lead generation strategies. Expanded into 34+ medical specialties. Founded Social Media Solutions for Doctors (2016).
