If You Cannot Measure It, You Cannot Manage It: Daily Checklists

Before a new medical aesthetic practice is launched, Acara Partners comes on site to conduct operational, sales, front desk, and other comprehensive training sessions with the entire staff. This is typically a five-day process that ends with a well-prepared, client-ready team. But as time goes on, and days, months, and years pass, teams often forgo additional training. Old staff members leave and new employees join, causing the new staffers to learn their position from untrained employees. This lack of adequate training can quickly lead to a breakdown in customer service and a decline in your overall business.

While there is no substitute for complete employee training, there is a way to ensure that you maintain a certain level of quality and efficiency for your staff. Daily routine checklists provide an easy-to-follow guideline for how to perform a given function. As Colleen Acunzo, Acara Partners’ Senior Business Consultant, always says, “Do the same job as yesterday, but do it better.” As a baseline for job performance, all roles in a practice should be clearly defined and supported by an operational checklist.

Here is a sample checklist for your front desk staff starting their shift:

Arrive 15 minutes before scheduled shift in appropriate work attire, and clock in.

Store personal belongings in appropriate place.

Unlock retail area/cabinets, as needed.

Turn on all lights; adjust lighting levels, as needed.

Turn on computer.

Read the log book and initial all entries.

Adjust music volume, as needed.

Check voice mail messages; respond as soon as possible, as needed.

Perform morning walk-through to confirm cleanliness of retail area; restock product, as needed; reorganize displays, as needed.

Prepare cash drawer according to cash handling procedures.

Review daily schedule and read any patient notes to prepare for the day.

Review all patient charts for the day and ensure all applicable forms are signed and completed.

Review all patient charts for the day and ensure all applicable treatment logs are in the chart.

Review prior day sales totals, top sellers, etc.

Make sure desk is fully stocked, cleaned, and organized based on end-of-day procedures.

Checklists provide an opportunity to leverage accountability, avoid mistakes, and reduce micro-management. All employees should start off with a printed checklist. Over time, the actions will become habits and the checklists may not need daily reference. But they will always be available for accountability checks and to assist if coverage is needed for a specific role. Simply having a defined process will make it easier for you to track an employee’s success, manage their role, and make any necessary corrections should a team member stray from their responsibilities.

Acara Partners wants to ensure that your team follows a consistent process for all of your team members. This consistency will lead to the best possible patient experience every time a client walks through your doors. Contact our team today to discuss implementing all of our standard operating procedures to increase efficiency, client-experience, and sales at your practice.