A dental receptionist keeps a tally one week. Of every ten calls, three ask about opening hours, parking or how to find the practice. Most of the answers are on the website somewhere, but patients either cannot find them or do not trust them, so they call.
Practical questions are the most routine a dental practice receives. They are also the easiest to take off reception's plate.
The questions that come up
- What are your opening hours?
- Do you have late or weekend appointments?
- Is there parking?
- How do I get there by bus or train?
- Is there step-free access?
- Where do I go when I arrive?
- Are you open over the holidays?
These questions come from new and existing patients, often in the evening, as covered in new patient enquiries that arrive on Sunday evening.
Example conversations
These scripts use information a practice might publish. Your answers should come from your own pages.
Patient: What time do you close on Thursdays? Assistant: On Thursdays the practice is open until 7pm, as shown on the opening hours page. Late appointments are available that evening.
Patient: Is there parking? Assistant: There's a small car park behind the practice, with a disabled space by the entrance. The practical information page also lists a public car park two minutes' walk away.
Patient: Can I get there by bus? Assistant: Yes, the page lists the bus routes that stop on the high street, about a minute's walk from the practice.
Patient: Is there step-free access? Assistant: Yes, the main entrance has a ramp, and the ground floor surgeries are step-free. If you need any other help when you arrive, let reception know when you book.
Patient: Are you open between Christmas and New Year? Assistant: The opening hours page lists holiday hours. For urgent care when the practice is closed, the urgent care page explains what to do.
Why accessibility details matter
Patients with mobility needs, parents with pushchairs and older patients need to know what to expect. "Accessible" is not enough. Say whether there are steps, where the accessible entrance is, whether there is a lift and where the accessible toilet is. Specific details help people decide whether they can visit.
Keeping hours current
Holiday hours, staff training days and temporary changes cause the most confusion. Update the website before each change, and keep urgent care information alongside. An assistant answers from what is published, so accuracy depends on keeping the page current.
The same questions in other businesses
Restaurants get exactly the same questions, as covered in opening hours and parking questions every restaurant gets. The fix is the same: one clear page, linked from everywhere.
Families and children
Parents often ask about parking with a pushchair, or whether there is space to wait with small children. Those questions often come alongside children's appointment enquiries, covered in children's dentistry questions from parents.
Freeing reception time
Every practical question answered online is a call reception does not have to take. That time can go to patients in the practice, or to filling gaps in the diary, as covered in how dental practices fill cancellations with a chatbot.
Answering at any hour
SpideyChat for dental practices answers practical questions from your own pages at any hour and in the patient's language. It captures appointment requests for reception to confirm.
Getting started
Write a practical information page covering hours, holiday hours, parking, transport, accessibility and arrival. Link to it from every page and keep it current. See the options on the features page, or try SpideyChat on your own site.