Question: I would like to start a bonus incentive plan for my staff. What is the best bonus plan for an office?

Answer: The best bonus incentive plan varies for each practice. We have taken as many bonus incentive plans away as well as recommending them for practices. If you want to reward your team for their hard work and commitment to the practice, but can‘t justify a raise for them, the best incentive is a monthly incentive based on a percentage of staff salaries to a three month average of collections. This allows a win-win for the doctor and staff. Unfortunately we have found staff become dependent upon the bonus and become de-motivated when it is not achieved. For many teams, spontaneous rewards and recognition are as or even more motivating. Ordering pizza for the late working dental assistant‘s family; bringing Starbucks to the next staff meeting; letting department organize team building activities each quarter are examples of "reward and recognition" that motivate the team.

Question: I bought my practice two years ago and want to take it to the next level. Where should I start?

Answer: First, you need to be clear on what your goals and vision are for the practice. The hours you work, the type of dentistry you provide and even what insurance plans you accept should be reflective of your values and beliefs. This can be shared with the staff and patients in the form of a Mission Statement. Hire team members who share your mission and goals. Adopt an internal and external marketing plan that reflects your vision. After you are clear on the direction and have the right team on board, you can start to implement and change the systems of the practice.

Question: How do we decrease the high cancellation and no show rate in our schedule?

Answer: This is a common problem in many practices, large or small. We recommend 48 hour confirmation calls and reinforcing it with excellent customer service skills. Staff need to be friendly, but firm in dealing with patients who want to change their appointments. Letters reminding patients, who do change their appointment without 48 hours or two business days notice, seem to gently retrain patients. Of course, a patient only gets two chances to "no show" an appointment before we choose whether they can stay in the practice!

Question: Our staff meetings are unproductive and have turned into a "bitch" session. How can we turn this around?

Answer: It sounds like you need to get back to the basics. The purpose of staff meetings is to share information, problem solve and decide upon an action plan to make positive changes in the practice. Our teams meet approximately 2 hours a month with a set agenda, a designed facilitator (not always the doctor) and a recorder for the meeting notes. Each meeting ends with an action plan defining "Who" will do “What” and “When”.

Question: What is a typical overhead for a dental practice?

Answer: A healthy overhead for a general practice should be 52-70% of the gross production. The overhead can be monitored each month and year by the doctor or accountant by tracking the "true" cash flow and trends of the practice. The drudgery of the numbers will set you free!

Question: I am struggling to find the right staff members. What techniques do you recommend in hiring quality staff?

Answer: The best place to find quality staff members is through networking with other offices, your own staff and even your patients. Even if they do need specific training or experience, always hire staff based on their personality not just their experience and skills. You can teach someone dentistry but you can‘t teach them to be detailed oriented or have great customer service skills. Outside of networking, we have found on-line services versus newspaper ads to be more efficient and less costly.