As all business owners are aware, running a successful medical spa can be daunting at times especially if you do not have the right staff in place! In today’s article I want to talk about the position that is often overlooked and undervalued, the receptionist role!
There are four key ingrediencies we look for when searching for the right candidate to fill this position which are attention to detail, relatability, reliability, and passion for industry. It is very important to identify these key factors during the interview process and eliminate unqualified candidates early. Failure to do this can cause your business a tremendous amount of lost revenue over time.
Attention to Detail:
As business owners we cannot afford a receptionist to put in notes under the wrong patient, call or text the wrong patient with the same first name but different last name, or the worst fear – forget to schedule an appointment, attention to detail is a vital attribute to be successful. Within our practice, we ask a lot from our receptionist some tasks include scheduling (Confirming, cancelling, and rescheduling), answering phone calls, texting patients, following up with patients, reviewing the daily schedule, ensuring no conflicts, constantly communicating with our providers, and much more! Although attention to detail is pertinent when it comes to our patients, it is also necessary skill needed to cultivate a smooth business culture because as a result, the practice will run like clockwork and will cause less stress on the business owner.
Relatability:
I hope everyone can agree that the receptionist is essentially the face of the company. It’s the first person each patient interacts with from a new lead to a long-time patient. Essentially, this is the individual you chose to represent your organization so it’s important that they can relate to not only your patient base but your staff and core values as an organization. At the surface we may perceive every new hire to be relatable, but I challenge all business owners to identify those individuals that can adapt to all different types of patients that you market to by asking yourself the following questions:
· Do you think this individual could convert a cold lead into a book (Facebook Lead?)
· Can the receptionist constantly keep the moral of the office high even in tense situations?
· Does your receptionist go above and beyond for that patient, so the patient remembers them when writing a review for your practice?
· Is she capable of relating to the patient’s main concern and providing a solution that entices them to book an appointment?
Reliability:
Reliability is key in all roles within the company but more so in the receptionist position. We rely on our receptionist to open the office and set the tone for the day. The worst thing for any practice is to have the receptionist show up late, not be organized, and slack on daily tasks. We can identify these individuals during the interview process by looking at their education, work ethic, and talking to references. However, we at Chin Up! Aesthetics take it one step further and put all our new hires on a four-week probation period to measure this key attribute. We implement this policy because as business owners we cannot afford to spend time on unreliable employees, especially during the growth phase of the company’s life cycle.
Passion for Industry:
Every business owner, weather you are in aesthetics or not, struggles with churn. We do our best to avoid this by focusing on potential candidates that have a true passion for the industry we are in and the services we provide. That is why passion is weighed heavier than the rest of the traits because these individuals are not only less likely to leave the organization but take ownership of their role and will help you build a better practice over time. More importantly, the receptionist will naturally provide a superior experience for our entire patient base.
Conclusion:
I wrote this article to really encourage business owners to not settle for anything less then the best when it comes to your receptionist. Find way’s to encourage qualified candidates to apply for the receptionist role and put in place incentives to properly motivate them to help you grow your company.
