Sally,

Dear Tracy,

My first recommendation is that you get a signed document or return email giving you the permission to use their likeness and testimonial. Below is an example, however, contacting your attorney for the proper legal wording is advised.

Regarding questions, I think it can be as simple as – How was your experience with Dr. xxxxx and the team? or Why did you choose Dr. xxx? Why do you call Dr. XXX “your dentist”?

Here is a sample permission:

Hi xxxxxx,
Please accept once again my deepest thanks for allowing xxxxxxxx
to use your picture and testimonial in our marketing efforts. I have attached the testimonial as it will appear. The plans are to have your comment and picture along with six other patients who have also give us permission, posted on our web-site under testimonials.

I do need your permission to use your picture and comments in our materials. Would you be so kind as to respond to this email giving your permission to use your testimonial and/ or picture.

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to call me xxxxxxx. Thank you again for helping xxxxxx and as always if I can help you, don’t hesitate to call me.

Warm regards,

Tracy, hope this helps.
Sally

Hi Sally,

I have used information from McKenzie Management for the last 20 years and think it is the absolute best! Are there any articles on how to handle the patient that won’t leave? The patient who “hangs out” at the front desk telling you about their wedding, flower garden, etc. No amount of “dismissing” can convince this patient to go.
Are there any articles on the parent who is allowing their child to literally destroy office property? How do you ask them to get the child under control or remove the child from the office without offending the parent? Thank you very much.
Katherine

No Katherine. I can’t remember in 10 years of writing that I have addressed that issue. Other than to address the design of the office. If the “receptionist” is sitting facing the check in-counter and the reception room, patients will have a tendency to start talking and won’t talk as much if your body language is not turned towards them but at check out. Another thought is to wear a handsfree headset for the telephone and have another employee who sees this going on, call the office and you just put your finger up to them and mouth, “talk to you later” and answer the telephone and engage in some conversation about an appointment. Or, I would just interrupt the chatty patient, stand up and say, “Dr. just buzzed me. I have to go. Listen have a great wedding. See you next time.” and go to the back till she leaves.

Regarding the child, I would ask the parent to a private area of the office so that other patients can’t hear and tell them that their child is being too disruptive to our other patients and can you please get your child to not do xx or take him/her outside. Some patients obviously just don’t get it and you have to smile, touch them on the arm and tell it like it is with kindness.

Have a great day,
Sally

Hi Sally,
Do you have any articles in your archives concerning tardy employees? I’m looking for the best way to penalize staff members that just don’t seem to get it….other than termination(at least for now).

Thanks for any insight.
Dr. New Mexico

Dear NM,

You need to start documenting the tardiness on an employee performance notice and have the employee sign it and it goes into their file. Tardiness is one of the check box areas. Also below is an excerpt from an article that Dr. Nancy Haller (clinical psychologist and Leadership Coach for McKenzie Management) wrote regarding that particular feedback.

An excellent model for giving feedback is called S-B-I, an acronym for Situation-Behavior-Impact. When you use this model, you provide information so that the recipient knows whether they are ‘on track’ or need to modify their behavior because it is not effective.

Delivering quality developmental feedback will take preparation on your part. Plan your words and your delivery. The more you build effective feedback on specific actions, the more your employees will benefit from your improved leadership in this area.

The fact that you have an employee(s) who is tardy shows insubordination and disrespect for you as their boss. It honestly becomes infectious as the other employees see you doing nothing. Docking the employees paycheck for the time they are late is an option as well as the written performance reviews and 3 warnings and then give them the day off with pay to think about whether or not they want to work there and if they come the next day and say no, then they are terminated.

Hope this helps.
Sally