The hidden costs of not having a reliable front desk team in dental offices

They put the "front" in the front office (and also in prices). But what happens when the little office at the entrance contains someone not 100% suitable for the job? What happens when virtual help comes at hand?

A dental practice's front desk is its first impression. The practice has hidden costs that occur when the front desk is not running up to par. There are even more costs when you throw in the hiring problems that have become common in the past few years.

The actual cost of in-house staff

In one of our last publications about the cost of in-house vs. virtual dental assistants, we commented that the cost of an in-house staff member can be as high as $3,840 per month if you receive it. This can also include: 

• Expenses such as equipment and training.
• Training costs and potential turnover.
• Benefits, holidays, days off, and several other factors.

There could be more hidden costs. Bringing new staff to the dental practice, especially for the front office, can be costly and time-consuming. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average hiring cost can range from $3,000 to $5,000. Although an in-house employee is an excellent alternative to face-to-face service, administrative and customer service work can become a significant expense.

The above figure is only a reference, but it could be worse depending on the type of dental office. That's when many choose a dental virtual assistant instead.

Dental virtual assistants: a solution from Reach?

A dental virtual assistant (VA) might solve your dental office front desk issues. VAs have emerged as a solution and have even been touted as a way for some offices to achieve a more favorable bottom line. 

VAs can call patients to remind them of an upcoming appointment, reschedule patients for follow-up treatments or checkups, and call patients for follow-ups that no office employee has time to do. In addition, remote workers can offer flexibility and scalability that not every traditional front desk employee can provide.

At Reach, we have an arsenal of virtual assistants. These multilingual VAs have been trained as part-time or full-time collaborators.

Schedule a call with us! For only $1950, hire a remote worker for your dental office!