Give the gift of Happiness to your staff with Lighthouse 360

Nearly one year ago, we discussed the importance of auditing your patient communication with the goal of improving your practice year-over-year. But if there’s something we ought to reflect on more at the end of 2019, it’s that patient communication tasks are more than dollars and cents for your staff. Related front-office tasks can actually impact their happiness, according to a recent survey by patient communication software provider Lighthouse 360. 

Every year, Lighthouse 360 gathers the “Best of 2019,” including popular features, content, and news about its award-winning patient communication platform. Their “most revealing statistic” of 2019 is an eye-opener. According to the survey, 80% of Lighthouse 360 clients report that this software improves the “overall happiness of the staff.” Another overwhelming majority of customers, 90%, said Lighthouse 360 increases the practice’s efficiency, and 92% saw increased monthly practice production. This data seems to support the idea that a busier practice can still be a happier practice.

See more current-customer survey stats.

However, this begs the question: what is the root cause of staff unhappiness?

In survey after survey, Lighthouse 360 has heard dental office managers report that the number of tasks they’re being asked to absorb is increasing, but in most cases with no increase in staff.

This was the topic of a recent episode of AADOM Radio: The Podcast for Dental Managers.  Martin Kearns, director of partnerships and events at Lighthouse 360, sat down to discuss key areas in which dental practices can automate some of the key functions of their practice.

According to Kearns, although practices today use some form of patient communication software, a large number are underutilizing the features or don’t realize there are brand-new features that can take more off their plate.

Listen to the episode to learn what you could be doing differently.

It’s important to consider what kinds of tasks might be deflating morale among busy staff members. One of the “downers” could be last-minute cancellations. From the staff’s perspective, they can be frustrating and time-consuming to fill, and from a bottom-line perspective, they can be detrimental to growth. Lighthouse 360’s most downloaded  e-book, “The 7 Secrets to Solve Last-Minute Cancellations,” takes this issue on and discusses the platform’s new Fill-In feature, which can find and fill last-minute openings automatically.  

Download “7 Secrets to Solve Last-Minute Cancellations”

Mobile technology is another helpful tool that can free your staff from the tedium and monotony of registration paperwork.

Based on customer feedback, Lighthouse 360 has designated its Patient FastTrack customization its “most exciting new feature” of 2019. This innovative feature allows dental practices to tailor paperless registration with questions and agreements. It results in less time and effort for the front-office staff and shorter wait times for patients. Lighthouse 360 offers a free demo of this feature.

Another important task that your front-office staff might not have time for is gathering Google Reviews.

Dubbed the “most exciting old feature” of the year, Lighthouse 360’s Google Reviews tools are designed to help practices improve, track, and manage their online reputation. According to the aforementioned survey, practices reported gathering 48% more patient reviews on average using these tools. Prospective customers can request a demo of this feature as well.

When your staff is freed from tedious tasks, they have more time to interact with patients in the office and provide excellent customer care. They might even share a holiday dental joke. 

This one made Lighthouse 360’s “Best of 2019” list:

Q: Why did the Christmas cookie go to the dentist?

A: "He had gingervitis!"