Published: 31/05/2022

Read time: 5 Minutes

More and more dental practices are reaping the benefits of using remote Treatment Coordinators (TCOs), and here’s why your practice should also be jumping on the bandwagon.

 

If there’s one expression we’re all hearing these days, it’s ‘remote working’. Many of us have learned that our jobs can be conducted from the comfort of our own homes. Thanks to advances in technology, remote working has already been in place for many industries for several years and the dental profession (to a degree) is no exception. If you work for/run a dental practice, you’ll almost certainly be aware of the role of TCOs, regardless of whether you have one in your team.

Pre-pandemic, a lot of practices maintained an in-house TCO service that would primarily deal with patients by taking them into a calm, serene area that reassures those of a nervous disposition as well as answering all the questions more inquisitive patients might have about the treatment.

So, the role of the TCO is a valuable one. But where are we now, with things kind of getting back to normal, but not quite?

Well, now you can employ TCOs – you’ve guessed it – on a remote basis and it’s becoming a more and more popular tactical choice for practice owners and managers.

And here’s the deal: it’s just as effective as an in-house TCO service in terms of liaising with new and existing patients – no potential rapport will be lost just because they won’t see leads face-to-face. The real winner here is the practice….

For anyone not familiar, a TCO’s main responsibilities are as follows:

  • They are the first point of contact for the patient, having friendly, informal yet informative conversations about their needs and requirements.
  • They provide exemplary customer service designed to put the patient at ease and make them feel like they have come to the right practice.
  • They will liaise with the patient and manage the treatment process every step of the way, including the scheduling of appointments, dealing with questions or queries, and organising the financial aspect of the treatment.

Today, we’d like to share with you just some of the benefits of having remote TCOs:

  • By handling any questions or queries from prospective patients they take the pressure off the already-very-busy dentist or receptionist!
  • In contrast to other roles, they have a singular focus on building rapport with and guiding prospective patients through the decision-making process (which treatment(s), what’s involved, costs, payment options and so on
  • Their focus on turning ‘leads’ into patients accelerates the conversion process and delivers higher conversion rates
  • As experts in managing and nurturing leads, they are adept at guiding prospective patients to make the right choices without being pushy or ‘salesy’.

So, why jump on the bandwagon then?

It keeps costs down. These are economically precarious times; more practices are working with remote TCOs on a contractual basis rather than having another in-house/full-time team member on their payroll.

The pandemic has not gone away, it also gives the practice another contact-free option, ensuring a little extra safety for the patients, the TCO, and in-house employees.

 

How does DenGro fit into all of this?

Well, rather nicely. We have a great relationship with a growing number of TCOs because our lead management software makes their jobs, and yours, a lot easier. Here’s how:

  • DenGro is a cloud-based software solution. Wherever the TCO is based they access lead enquiries and get on with their job.
  • No need to worry about what the TCO is doing day to day, you have full visibility of their activity (and how well they’re doing) in the real time reporting dashboard
  • When a TCO is operating like a ‘mini call centre’ they use DenGro to manage the leads for multiple practices
  • DenGro integrates with cloud-based PMS Dentally so no need to be tied by your server

As ever, our aim is to continually improve the connection and communication between practices and their prospective patients (leads). Our dental specific lead management software ensures that your practice converts as many of your leads as possible. If you want to find out more, please book a free demo.