Patient Call Handler & Appointment Coordinator – UK Dental Practices (NU)

Patient Call Handler & Appointment Coordinator – UK Dental Practices

Location: Umhlanga, Durban
Job Type: Full-time, office-based
Working Hours: 5 days per week plus Saturday half-day, aligned with UK dental practice opening hours

The Role

Shoreability is looking for a Patient Call Handler & Appointment Coordinator to join our team in Umhlanga, supporting private dental practices in the UK.

The role is mainly focused on speaking to patients, following up enquiries and booking appointments.

You will contact patients who are due or overdue for appointments, follow up patients who have not completed treatment, rebook cancelled appointments and speak to new patients who have enquired about treatments.

You will also help with incoming calls and WhatsApp enquiries when required.

We are looking for someone who is confident on the phone, well organised and comfortable speaking to patients throughout the day. You need to be able to build rapport quickly and take responsibility for following up a patient rather than simply making a call and moving on.

What You'll Be Doing

• Calling patients who are due or overdue for dental and hygiene appointments
• Rebooking cancelled and missed appointments
• Following up patients who have unfinished treatment
• Following up new patient and treatment enquiries
• Booking appointments with the correct dentist, hygienist or Treatment Coordinator
• Handling incoming and overflow calls
• Responding to WhatsApp and other patient enquiries
• Explaining appointment options, consultation fees and general practice information
• Speaking to patients about treatments including implants, clear aligners, orthodontics and cosmetic dentistry
• Updating patient records and notes accurately
• Making sure callbacks and follow-ups are completed
• Working closely with UK reception teams, Treatment Coordinators and clinicians
• Passing clinical questions or complaints to the correct person

You will be given training on the practices, clinicians, treatments and systems you will be supporting.

What We're Looking For

• Previous experience in customer service, outbound calling, appointment booking, telesales or a call centre
• Excellent spoken and written English
• Confident and friendly telephone manner
• Comfortable making a high number of outbound calls
• Able to build rapport and have a natural conversation with patients
• Comfortable discussing fees and asking a patient if they would like to book
• Good organisation and attention to detail
• Able to manage follow-ups and make sure nothing gets missed
• Comfortable working towards targets
• Good computer skills

Previous experience in a dental practice, dental reception, patient coordination or Treatment Coordinator environment would be a strong advantage.

Experience with Dentally, WhatsApp Business or Slack would also be useful, but training can be provided.

What We're Looking For in the Right Person

This isn't just about making as many calls as possible.

We want someone who listens to the patient and understands why they haven't booked. Sometimes they may need a different appointment time, more information or simply a follow-up call.

If you tell a patient you'll call them back, we expect you to do it. If you don't know the answer to something, ask rather than guess.

You should be comfortable speaking to nervous patients and dealing with people who may be unsure about treatment or cost.

Working Hours

This role supports dental practices in the UK, so your working hours will be aligned with UK practice opening hours.

You will work 5 days per week plus a Saturday half-day.

Saturday working is a requirement of the role, so applicants must be available to work this schedule.

What We Offer

• Full-time, permanent position
• Office-based role in Umhlanga
• Training on UK dental practices and treatments
• Training on the systems used by the practices
• Ongoing support and coaching
• Opportunity to develop within Shoreability as the business grows

This is an office-based role and is not a work-from-home position.

You must be able to travel reliably to our Umhlanga office and be available to work the required UK-aligned hours, including Saturday half-days.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: R10 000,00 - R14 000,00 per month

Ability to commute/relocate:

• Durban, KwaZulu-Natal: Reliably commute or planning to relocate before starting work (Required)

Experience:

• IT: 2 years (Required)
• Customer service: 2 years (Required)
• Dental receptionist: 2 years (Preferred)
• Administrative: 2 years (Required)
• Patient care: 2 years (Preferred)

Work Location: In person