Online Privacy Policy
General Data Protection Regulation Compliant
Updated 3rd April 2024
This privacy policy outlines what information (“PERSONAL DATA”) is collected from you (“SUBSCRIBER”) and how that information is handled by Communicate Excellence LLC (the “COMPANY”).
All is done in accordance with the recent General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
Summary: The COMPANY provides various ways for you to add your personal information to their database. By clicking on “Submit” “Sign-up” “Buy now” “Purchase” and or any other button that has a similar meaning you are providing your explicit consent to be added to the COMPANY’s communication system. The COMPANY may use any reasonable means of communicating with you based on the information you provide. You may opt-out of this at any time by clicking on the “unsubscribe” button included on all emails sent from Communicate Excellence LLC.
(the “COMPANY”) respects the privacy concerns of the users of its website communicateexcellence.com and the services and or goods provided there (the “SITE”).
The COMPANY provides this privacy statement to explain what information is gathered during a visit to the SITE and how such information may be used.
Please also review the Terms of Use in the main menu of this website which also govern your use of this SITE.
USE OF INFORMATION
As a general policy, no personally identifiable information (“PERSONAL DATA”), such as your name, address, or e-mail address, is automatically collected from your visit to the SITE. ANY PERSONAL DATA COLLECTED BY THE SITE MUST BE VOLUNTARILY ENTERED BY THE SUBSCRIBER.
PERSONAL DATA is information that specifically identifies you (name, email address, ship to/bill to address, phone number) and can be used to specifically locate you from within the COMPANY’S database and or filing system.
The SITE’S various mailing lists, downloads, special offers, contests, registration forms, and surveys may request that you give the COMPANY contact information such as your Name, Email, Information submitted at the time of submission will be used by the COMPANY to: Communicate Excellence LLC.
To communicate with you regarding products you have purchased, send you my blogs or to send other interesting and helpful business related info;
Email SUBSCRIBER the requested information from the COMPANY;
Email SUBSCRIBER an occasional newsletter from the COMPANY;
Provide SUBSCRIBER access to the requested content from the COMPANY;
PERSONAL DATA submitted voluntarily by the SUBSCRIBER is held:
Within the COMPANY’S Communicate Excellence LLC SITE and database and/or on the COMPANY’S CRM;
Until the SUBSCRIBER requests to be unsubscribed and or up to two years from the time of submitting, whichever comes sooner;
The COMPANY will ask SUBSCRIBER every two years if he or she wants to continue as a SUBSCRIBER to the COMPANY.
LEGAL BASIS FOR USE OF INFORMATION
The COMPANY is legally processing SUBSCRIBER’S PERSONAL DATA based on the following:
CHOOSE THE ONES THAT ARE APPLICABLE AND REMOVE THE OTHERS
The SUBSCRIBER has given his or her explicit and voluntary consent to the COMPANY;Hosting clients of the COMPANY have a contract with the COMPANY that necessitates the COMPANY having his or her PERSONAL DATA;
USE TO THIRD PARTIES
PERSONAL DATA is never sold, leased, or shared with any third parties.
A third party is a COMPANY outside of the SUBSCRIBER - COMPANY relationship.
USE TO CREDIT CARD INFORMATION
The COMPANY does not store any credit card information it may receive in regard to a specific transaction and/or billing arrangement except as necessary to complete and satisfy its rights and obligations with regard to such transaction, billing arrangement, and/or as otherwise authorized by a user.
All credit card information is handled by Stripe and PayPal.
USE LEGAL OBLIGATIONS
The COMPANY may disclose SUBSCRIBER information in special cases when required by legal and or law enforcement and only when required by law. If the COMPANY has reasonable reason(s) to believe that disclosing PERSONAL DATA held by the COMPANY is necessary to identify, contact or bring legal action against someone who may be causing injury to or interference (either intentionally or unintentionally) with the COMPANY’S rights or property, other users of the SITE, and or anyone else that could be harmed by such activities, then the COMPANY will work with the appropriate and legitimate law enforcement and or legal authorities to make sure that the PERSONAL DATA is handled in accordance with the applicable laws.
SUBSCRIBERS RIGHTS
As a subscriber and/or user of the SITE, you have the following rights:
Transparent information from the COMPANY regarding how they communicate and interact with the SUBSCRIBER;The right to hear back from the COMPANY regarding any inquiry into SUBSCRIBER’S PERSONAL DATA;To request correction of PERSONAL DATA from the COMPANY;Access to SUBSCRIBER’S PERSONAL DATA including knowing the purposes that the data is used for;To request erasure from the COMPANY’S records provided that there are not overriding legal, public interest, or legitimate interests;To a restriction on the processing of the PERSONAL DATA;Data portability of PERSONAL DATA (having a record provided to you that is readable and commonly used that outlines the PERSONAL DATA the COMPANY has on you).
To object to processing of PERSONAL DATA - the COMPANYshall no longer process the SUBSCRIBER’S PERSONAL DATA unless the COMPANY demonstrates compelling legitimate grounds for the processing which override the interests, rights and freedoms of the SUBSCRIBER or for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims. To file a complaint with the supervisory authority;The right to unsubscribe at any time (withdraw consent).
PROFILING PERSONAL DATA
Profiling means any form of automated processing of PERSONAL DATA consisting of the use of PERSONAL DATA to evaluate certain personal aspects relating to a SUBSCRIBER, in particular to analyse or predict aspects concerning that SUBSCRIBER’S performance at work, economic situation, health, personal preferences, interests, reliability, behaviour, location or movements;The COMPANY DOES NOT ENGAGE IN ANY SORT OF PROFILING OF ITS SUBSCRIBERS BASED ON PERSONAL DATA.
CHILDREN UNDER AGE 13
The COMPANY recognizes the special obligation to protect PERSONAL DATA obtained from children age 13 and under.IF YOU ARE 13 YEARS OLD OR YOUNGER, THE COMPANY REQUESTS THAT YOU NOT SUBMIT ANY PERSONAL INFORMATION TO THE SITE OR TO THE COMPANY.If the COMPANY discovers that a child age 13 or younger has signed up on the SITE and or provided the COMPANY with PERSONAL DATA, the COMPANY will delete that child’s PERSONAL DATA from our records.The COMPANY nonetheless encourages parents to go online with their kids. Here are a few tips to help make a child’s online experience safer:
Teach kids never to give personal information, unless supervised by a parent or responsible adult. Includes name, address, phone, school, etc.Know the sites your kids are visiting and which sites are appropriate.Look for Website privacy policies. Know how your child’s information is treated.Check out the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) site for more tips on protecting children's privacy online.
USE OF COOKIES
Cookies are pieces of information that a website transfers to an individual’s computer hard drive for record keeping purposes.
Cookies make using the COMPANY’S SITE easier by saving your passwords and preferences for you.These cookies are restricted for use only on COMPANY’S SITE, and do not transfer any PERSONAL DATA to any other party. Most browsers are initially set up to accept cookies. You can, however, reset your browser to refuse all cookies or indicate when a cookie is being sent. Please consult the technical information relevant to your browser for instructions.If you choose to disable your cookies setting or refuse to accept a cookie, some parts of the SITE may not function properly or may be considerably slower.
MALWARE/SPYWARE/VIRUSES
Neither the COMPANY nor the SITE knowingly permit the use of malware, spyware, viruses, and/or other similar types of software.
LINKS TO EXTERNAL SITES
The COMPANY is not responsible for the content or practices of third party websites that may be linked to the SITE. The COMPANY is also not responsible for any information that you might share with such linked websites. You should refer to each website’s respective privacy policy and practices prior to disclosing any information.
BULLETIN BOARDS AND CHAT AREAS
Guests of the SITE are solely responsible for the content of messages they post on the COMPANY’s forums, such as chat rooms and bulletin boards. Users should be aware that when they voluntarily disclose personal information (e.g., user name, e-mail address, phone number) on the bulletin boards or in the chat areas, that information can be collected and used by others and may result in unsolicited messages from other people.
You are responsible for the personal information you choose to submit in these instances. Please take care when using these features.
OPT OUT OR REMOVAL OF YOUR INFORMATION
The SITE provides the SUBSCRIBER the opportunity to opt-in to receive communications from the COMPANY at the point(s) where PERSONAL DATA information is required to be voluntarily entered by the SUBSCRIBER.
The SUBSCRIBER always has the option of removing their PERSONAL DATA from any communications list in order to discontinue any such future communications. In order to ensure immediate removal from any list, please follow the specific instructions set forth within the communications you receive from the COMPANY, which you no longer wish to receive.If you are unsuccessful in completing the instructions specified in any such communication, please email the COMPANY at using the and simply request to unsubscribe.
Unsubscribe from all communications from the COMPANY
Unsubscribe from a specific set of communications from the COMPANY.
CONTACT INFORMATION
If you have any complaints or concerns about the COMPANY or about this privacy statement, please contact:
Via the COMPANY’S contact form at in the main menu or via regular mail: Lower House, Far Moor Lane, Redditch B98 0GG
Information provided by you via general email inquiries to the COMPANY such as your email address is used only to respond to your inquiries in the ordinary course of business, and is never shared with third parties.
SECURITY
Security for all PERSONAL DATA is extremely important to the COMPANY.Unfortunately, no data transmission over the internet can be guaranteed to be 100% secure. As a result, while the COMPANY strives to protect SUBSCRIBER’S PERSONAL DATA, the COMPANY cannot ensure or warrant the security of any PERSONAL DATA the SUBSCRIBER transmits via the internet. By transmitting any such information to the COMPANY, SUBSCRIBER accepts that he or she does so at their own risk.
TRANSFER OF CUSTOMER INFORMATION
Customer lists and information are properly considered assets of a business. If COMPANY merges with another entity, or if it sells its assets to another entity, the COMPANY’S customer list and information would be included among the assets transferred.
SUBSCRIBER would be given the opportunity to unsubscribe both before and after the sale.
YOUR ACCEPTANCE OF THESE TERMS
By using the SITE, the SUBSCRIBER accepts the policies and restrictions set forth in this Online Privacy Policy. If you do not agree to this policy, please do not use the SITE. This Online Privacy Policy may be revised from time to time by updating this posting. You are bound by any such revisions and should therefore periodically visit this page to review the then current Online Privacy Policy to which you are bound.
Hear from Amy
The ONLY Communication Training Consultant Specializing In Orthondontic Front-Desk Employees
Saving orthodontists, like you, thousands of dollars in marketing costs every year because your team knows how to win over each patient by looking after them well -
we're here for all your
customer service training and growth needs.
I am Amy & I have worked in EVERY admin role in the practice
Every practice needs an Amy!
Communication etiquette just isn't taught in schools, not even at home anymore - especially since the advent of caller id!
Our team members find themselves in "front of house" roles with little to no formal training. Let's make a change. Let's help our people feel confident and eloquent when handling telephone interactions.
My customer communication training will help you to 10X your patient experience to massively impact your Win ratio!
40%
Decrease in No Shows
because all your customer relationships are real connections, right from the start.
64%
Reduction in Longer, Problem Calls
because you're no longer inadvertently upsetting your valued customers.
20%
Increase in Production
because you've built trust with your customers from the beginning, so your win ratio is much higher.
HOW TO WORK WITH ME
Phone Coaching
Telephone skills training for efficient and impactful first impressions with your receptionist and front office team.
Sales Coaching
Treatment Coordinator communication training for consultations to adapt, read the room, and win the start.
Workshops & Keynotes
Book me for your team or appreciation event you are running to provide customer experience training.
Join my mailing list for regular inspiration, tips and techniques to share with your team.
Watch my short video on the 5 Types of Questions as a welcome gift.
Did you know there are different types of questions? Annoyingly, we often default to the question type that doesn't actually help move us towards our goal.
Take a few moments to watch my short video and you'll learn a few of the different types so you can be more conscious of your speaking habits and bring the correct question type to the situation at hand.
Do share this video with the rest of your team to help them make the same change - it's my little thank you for having you join my mailing list.
How to Guide and Offer Appointment Options
One vital skill each person on your team must master is how to guide and offer appointments. Each team member needs to understand the importance of executing this well. All must remember they are acting as a guide on this journey toward an ultimate destination…a great smile!
This skill of offering appointments used to be relegated to Scheduling Coordinators and the front-office team, but more and more it is being done by any team member.
Let me ask a question, how pleased are you with what you overhear? How many times have you overheard when a team member seems to cower and yield to whatever the parent or patient wants? How often have you seen the schedule overridden due to the push of our customers instead of the wisdom of a planned schedule?
We have to be the guide because our patients and families sometimes wish to succumb to the short-sited goal of convenience while losing sight of the long-term goal of completing treatment in a timely fashion. It is our job to help guide them to their ultimate destination of completed treatment WHILE having a good experience of on-time visits by scheduling to a successful grid. (Newsflash: Not everyone can be seen in a 2-3 hour window.)
It’s about Control
One thing we forget about this critical scenario is the nature of setting appointments. This is best remembered by considering personality types. Take a look at the Fire characteristics and what they need. Fire desires CONTROL. Fire needs “Options and Authority”.
What does this have to do with guiding and offering appointments? Everything. Think about it. How do YOU feel about your calendar? Don’t you guard and control it? Yes, we all do!
Not every person leads with a Fire personality, but each instance of setting appointments is a Fire scenario as we deal with the juggling act of multiple calendars.
But if the situation has the customer wanting control and we cannot provide them carte blanche access, how are we to accomplish the goal of setting appointments that work for everybody?
We are going to remember the scenario needs to provide Options and Authority. This is done using the 2-Option Technique.
The 2-Option Technique to Offer Appointments
In its simplest form, when offering appointment options, we provide 2 times and pass the authority over to them with a follow-up question. This ensures your team remains the guide.
In print, to be a guide as you offer appointments looks like this:
“Dr. Smile has prescribed the next adjustment in 8 weeks. The doctor’s first available is on Monday at 1pm or 2pm. Which one works best for you?”
We must keep in mind that time options are facts and need to be stated as…well…statements. Statements “sit down” at the end of the phrase. Then we use the follow-up as a means to pass authority, ask a question, and express the upward lilt/pitch that cues the next move is theirs.
The 5 Most Common Errors
The common errors that occur when offering appointment options tend to fall into a few broad categories. They result in our team members not being a guide. Let’s take a few moments to name them and clarify why they result in us transitioning from guiding them to negotiating with them from a position of weakness.
The Wrong Question
Too Many Options
Phrasing
Rescuing and Un-selling
Emotion
1. The Wrong Question
This error is when we use the wrong follow-up question. When passing the authority and cueing that we have finished, the correct type of question must be provided. The BEST question is a leading question.
If you watch courtroom shows you have likely heard, “You’re leading the witness.” We want to utilize that technique to lead them to the options we are guiding them to.
When done properly we have offered 2 options, A or B. The intent is to have the recipient choose from one of the provided options. We want to lead them to choose from the two viable options. Use “which one works” instead of “do either work”.
“Which one” implies a limited choice between the two. Whereas “do either work” implies that the provided options are two of many or unlimited options.
2. Too Many Options
We must remember that we can visually see the written options and they only have their hearing to absorb the options. Too many options are confusing.
I have heard, “We have 8 o’clock, 9:15, ten to 11 (meaning 10:50)…and so on, in one long run-on sentence.
The reality is that there are times where the schedule is open and we can be flexible. If this is a new patient and you wish to express broader availability, offer options like this, “Tomorrow Dr. Smile has a few options. The first being at 10 am and the last being at 3 pm with a few options in between. Which works best for you?”
3. Phrasing
There are times the offering of options is doomed right from the start. This is because the phrasing starts out of the gate with a question phrase.
The guiding role is surrendered with question phrases that start like this:
“Could you do…”
“How about…”
“What about…”
“Is it possible for you to…”
Such phrases set the trajectory to ask a question instead of stating facts. I tend to hear this more commonly with last-minute rescheduling, emergency calls, “soon” appointments, and those that have asked for multiple iterations of options.
To combat this, ensure to start each sentence as a fact or statement. Stating phrases start like this:
“Dr. Smile has…”
“The next available is…”
“Looking out farther we have…”
4. Rescuing and Un-Selling
Rescuing happens when the provided options do not even have the chance to be considered. We tend to hate the silence of consideration and want to move to an easy choice that makes us look better.
Silence is ok. Silence is golden. Smile and wait.
You would be surprised at how many will actually hear, consider, and resolve the dissonance if we will simply allow them to do so.
This most commonly sounds like, “I have a 2 pm or 3 pm next Wednesday, but I could look farther out if you want me to.” Or we offer times with wincing or disgust in our tone.
STOP.
Offer the 2 options, provide the authority to choose using the follow-up question, then ZIP IT! Smile and wait until they select one of your options or ask you to provide another set of options.
5. Emotion
Too often we add our bias to the available options resulting in emotion. We must remember that ALL options are good and viable ones. This common error tends to combine one or more of the previously mentioned errors.
When we get all worked up about what we are offering we end up wishing the options. Our voice, phrasing, and posture shout, “Please…please…please take a time, don’t hate me, and let me be done with this…”
Allow me to contrast this error with an option many provide with absolutely NO emotion bundled within it. It is for those offices that have multiple locations. Without emotion, I hear, “We have offices at A, B, or C. Which one is best for you?”
It is said that simply, as fact with no care as to which choice they make. That is the KEY!
If we can train our team to offer options with no bias or emotion locked up in it, we will be fully ok with whatever choice they make! Even if that choice is to look for another couple of options.
What if They Insist?
Hey…it happens. There are some clients that insist on their conditions every time, all the time. This should be a shortlist. But even in those situations, we can still stick to facts.
Let’s run through a common scenario of a last-minute schedule, for whatever reason. We commonly get asked if that same 4:30 pm appointment is open tomorrow or next week.
First, start with stating expectations. Remain in your guiding role.
“I will be happy to help you get rescheduled. In order to keep you close to Dr. Smile’s prescribed timing and since we book on an 8-week rotation, I’ll be looking for the first opening still available.”
We know the comeback. “Oh, it must be 4:30 pm.”
To which we can reply, without icky emotion,
“I can certainly look for that time but it will likely be a month out and could extend the timing of treatment, OR, I can look for a time to remain closest to what the doctor intended. Which would you prefer?”
Notice we provided options, spoke to implication (consequence), and provided authority for them to choose. Should they opt for the 4:30 pm time that pushes out their appointment timing, do so but make a note in the treatment chart about the extended time to get in for the appointment. Doing so empowers your entire team to understand actual treatment time.
Summary
Be the guide. Remain the guide. Guiding is a skill every team member needs to learn and practice.
Incorporate the 2-Option Technique. By doing so you help your families and your team toward their higher goals of completed treatment with on-time and successful visits.
Remember, “Just the facts, Ma’am.” State options as facts!
Our Clients' Experiences
Amy believes in giving back and paying it forward by donating 10% of ALL proceeds to organizations that help others.
