Your front desk staff can make or break your practice. These five traits can put you on the right track when hiring or training your front desk team.
Posted in Articles on Thursday, May 15, 2025
You may build a reputation as a stellar practitioner, but if your front desk staff doesn’t make a good impression, your skills may not matter. Disenchanted patients may seek care elsewhere.
When hiring front desk staff, think about all the situations they’ll face in your day-to-day practice and what traits they should possess. They are the first people your patients will see when they walk in the door and the last ones before they leave. Impressions matter. Look for the following qualities:
Friendliness
Your front desk employees should truly like people. It’s important to greet each patient with a smile and immediate offer of help. Remember, patients may be nervous about the appointment or even in pain. A positive initial encounter could put them at ease and set the tone for the rest of the appointment.
Patience
Most practices are busy, especially if appointments run behind. Even during the most hectic day, your staff must appear calm. Older patients may require extra time to discuss care or billing. Another patient may not understand the check-in process. It can get frustrating, but employees need to treat each patient kindly and respectfully.
Team Player
It's fine if your staff doesn't want to socialize outside of the practice, but during work hours, they need to work well together. Patients must view them as a cohesive team. Any differences in opinion or conflicts are best handled in a separate meeting when no patients are around.
Organized
The appearance of the front desk area can be just as important as the customer service experience. Workspaces should be tidy without mountains of paperwork. Patient information should not be visible to another patient standing at the desk or in close proximity.
Professional
Your practice can be a welcoming, friendly atmosphere, but front desk employees still need to act professionally at all times. Patients aren’t going to be impressed if staff is scrolling on their phone when they arrive. When calling patients or leaving messages, good phone etiquette is vital.
Every practice has hard days. But if your front desk staff has these qualities, they won’t happen often. Make sure you occasionally talk to staff about your expectations to foster a team approach that everyone – employees and patients – will benefit from.