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I would like some comments on experiences of practitioiners who use or do not use reception cover. With new front desk packages, I would imagine it is easier to manage without receptioin.

Hi Sean, It is my experience that you cannot beat having a good receptionist (or even a mediocre one...) on the desk in your practice. People generally will take/talk to a person, but not to a machine. Receptionists collect the wonga while you prepare for the next pt. Receptionists make appts and generally keep people happy while you recuparate and/or hide until they've gone. Receptionists make/obtain coffee. Receptionists are someone to whinge to when a pt dosen't turn up. And also someone to blame. In short, they're really useful (and tax-deductable)

It is madness in this day and age to work without a receptionist....

Not only is it unprofessional to answer phonecalls and deal with enquiries whilst consulting a paying patient, but a receptionist allows you to be more productive and spend more time doing what you do best. They pay for themselves 10 times over.

No fancy software or paperless practice can run on its own.

Hi there Lucky, Either you are lucky and don't work Saturdays or you are unlucky and went to work early. Anyway, as you probably can imagine, I agree completely with your sentiments on receptionists. If we say this loudly enough and often enough, then people will believe us. (I think..)

In today economic environment, I find more and more podiatrists not using receptionist (not employing or making redundant), or operating on a much less reception hours. I recently had an experienced podiatrist (>15 years) tell me to practice without reception, after he had made his redundant, and found the result more satisfactory. Several practices in the local area (both physio and podiatry), run practices without receptionist. A full time receptionists with workcover, superannuation, holiday, sick leave, excluding traing, costs approximately 20-25 standard patient consultations per week for 48 weeks. If receptionists are worth their salt they would increase your number of consultations by this each week (at least this would cover costs). Has anyone employed a receptioinist and found the numbers increased by 20-25 standard consultation per week? Equally if a receptionist make you and your practice more professionial, they to can make it look unprofessional. With industrial relations the way it is you can simple dismiss a receptionist if they don't measure up. It is easy to see why general practitioners move to group practices. Individual practices would have difficult supporting a full time receptionist.

Sean
I too cannot see how a receptionist can 'earn their wages'.

The concept of 'professionalism' can be over come by one's present patient listening to how well you accommodate other patients needs?

Personally I cannot see how a receptionist can help me, and I cannot see how I can offer a receptionist a fulfilling position. Coffee and chat, who needs it? :)

And that's without your accurate accounting. :)

Bob

Surely it's down to how much you value your time/stress levels/convienience?

If you can live with the 10-15k pay cut then having a (decent) receptionist is surely a means to a much easier life.

Which equals more time to play golf.

Look at me, not even qualified yet and already trying to think of ways to work as little as possible so I can get a few rounds a week in :)

Hi Huds student,

You have the right idea. Take a look at the top posters on this Forum and you can see what can happen to you if you live here instead of out there and please develop a treatable golfers swing in ten years time. We need the business?

Regards,

Colin.

PS. I'm in to see the shrink next week! All down to the good humour here mixed with sour grapes? (Only kidding if he who must be obeyed is listening!). Long live Admin.?

PPS. By the way when you say, " ......drop in 10 to 15k............" Don't forget the tax inspector, you might get a pleasant surprise!

We have a multi-medical practice with 12 GP'S, 3 Clinical Psychologists, Diabetic Educators, Dietician, 3 Nurses, Neurologist and Podiatrist (me). We have a staff of 9 Receptionists and we still missed up to 4,000 phone calls last month. Call monitoring installed on phone lines to record the number of incoming calls.
Some patients reported it took up to 15 minutes to get through to make an appointment.
This will make the stress levels increase.

In the Utopian world the receptionists do every thing. In the real world we the practitioner - must check patients records daily, cook the books, fill out the vouchers, collect money, write letters to other medical professionals, sterilize equipment, order epuipment, stock the shelves, take the rubbish out, clean the surgery. Start work at 7.30am - go home at 6.00pm
Podiatry is a rewarding profession if you put the hard yards in. Its been 5 years since I have seen a fairway.

Yes receptionists are a tax deduction, but you have to have the patients coming throught the door to pay them. When starting out mum's, sisters and partners make the best receptionists BUT DO NOT abuse their worth.

Good luck with your handicap (Golf NOT Podiatry)


Don Scott

We had a similar problem at our practice until we installed line hunting from Telstra. Now up to 6 people (6 lines) can call the same phone number and never get a busy signal. Our next step as we grow is a full time phone operator to answer all incoming calls and direct them accordingly, thus leaving the reception staff to do their own work.

Regards, Stuart

Stuart,
Thanks for the advice. Will get on to it ASAP

Don Scott

Stuart,

Telstra should have the facility to add voice messages maybe 5-6 rings after the ring tone has been started. We record ours using the best voice from reception. This diverts the call to the specific discipline/reception area and then asks whether you want to make or change a booking or whether you want to leave a message for a particular staff member. It then forwards on to the specific area. Rather than having to pay one person to answer calls ALL day. Try asking them about that.

Another great suggestion - will do

Don Scott

Thanks Gareth

Got a prime minister yet?

No, but seriously, we have looked at automated systems to combine with our PABX but are concerned about the ability of the elderly community (60% of our patients) to cope with it.

We feel that it’s really important to have a voice on the end of the phone who will take the time required to make the patient feel at ease and give them an appointment time that suits them and fits in around the elderly citizen’s trips, lawn bowls and the Fridays that their family might call in on them.

So the full time phone operator will actually make the incoming appointments leaving reception free to process patients. If the phone operator gets overloaded with calls then they divert thought to our admin staff and then finally to reception if the phones are really busy.

Regards
Stuart

For Gawds sake guys, will you all take a Phensic and listen up. It should be obvious to each and every one of us that it is physically impossible to cut skin and answer the dog at the same time. You cannot say to a pt " oh, excuse me, I'll just go into the reception area and spend 5 minutes trying to sort out a call" while you are desparately trying to sort a diagnosis for a pes something in between sorting the HD on the R5 PIPJ etc while already running 5 minutes late due to your 9.00am pt. Apart from this receptionists save all the routine stuff as well etc etc. Why the hell am I saying this?? If your software can take calls and talk to GP's, go for it. If not, ummm?