I often get asked how to word certain emails to patients. Getting the words right when you are sending emails is so important. You want to ensure that the message is correct and you get the outcome you are wanting.
But before I dive in and give advice on how to send a good email, my question is always this:
“Is an email the best way to deliver your message and will it give you the best outcome?”
Often you send an email because it’s easy and quick and you get to avoid any confrontations with patients if you are delivering not so good news.
For example:
You have to contact your patient to reschedule your patient because your dentist is away sick or your dentist has left the practice suddenly, and you are unable to see the patient on their confirmed date to complete treatment and care for them.
I know many of you have had this happen in your practice and lets face it no one likes contacting patients for this reason.
But this is one time when an email just doesn’t cut it.
When you have to reschedule your patients confirmed appointments it can be a bit sticky, especially when you are on the phone and the patient becomes upset and annoyed.
But again this message to your patient must be delivered in person over the phone and not in an email.
An email at the best of times, can feel generic and impersonal and if you are emailing your patient so they will call your office to reschedule their appointment, that just does not make sense.
If you call your patient and cannot get hold them then leave a message regarding their appointment but avoid going into details on the phone message. The aim of your message is to tell your patient just enough so they are driven to call you back to find out what it’s all about.
Once you get hold of your patient then the very first words from your mouth must be an apology, even if the circumstances are through no fault of yours, it is the highest level of professionalism to take responsibility for anything that happens in your business, both positive and negative.
Lately I have personally found taking accountability for your customers satisfaction, lacking in many businesses. I’m not sure why this seems to be so hard for many people but the impact you have on your customers when you take the fall, even if you did nothing wrong, is a positive one and customers respect you for it.
The next thing you should do after you have apologised for changing their appointment, is to direct your patient immediately to the new appointment time. By the way, always presume your patient will be ok to rescedule their appointment.
Most of the time rescheduling your patients appointments will be easy and fast but there may be patients who are disappointed and respond a bit differently not wanting to change their appointment. For these few patients you must stay calm and be ready. Be agreeable with how they are feeling right now and offer a solution. If you see the phone call starting to turn a bit nasty then the best advice I have, is to come off the phone by offering to see what you can do to fix the problem and call them back.
There are no winners when the phone call becomes one of conflict between you and the patient, so coming off the call reduces this immediately.
There is always the opportunity to have another team member call back so you remove yourself from more conflict with the patient, but always have a solution ready.
Even the most unreasonable patients will be more reasonable when you try to meet them half way.
So, even though it seems easier and quicker to send out an email to reschedule your patients appointment, the phone call gives you an opportunity to personally apologise, redirect the patient smoothly to an new appointment and if needed offer solutions for patients who are not so happy.
The outcome is a much more satisfied patient who feels they are important enough for you to make a call to them.
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