Why Your Medical Practice Needs an Answering Service
Running a medical practice means many operational tasks must be managed simultaneously, one of which is having employees answer the phone throughout the day. Although having a dedicated receptionist to perform this function is necessary, this employee may also be working on other pertinent tasks related to the patient experience. However, those on the phone needing an answer or calling to make an appointment, are not having a positive experience if nobody answers the phone. This is where an answering service for doctors office comes into play. Before searching for the best medical answering service to meet your needs, it is important to understand why your practice needs this type of service, including:
Book Appointments
You can sign up for an answering service for doctors office during regular business hours, after hours, or around-the-clock assistance. That means your patients can book appointments throughout the day or night. This type of availability greatly improves customer service and the overall customer experience. Given that medical answering services must follow HIPAA regulations, all customer information is protected.
Field Urgent Calls
Patients often call with urgent questions or concerns after normal business hours. With a medical answering service, the support staff is trained to answer specific questions. If there are more specific medical questions or emergencies, then they have a direct line to the doctor to patch them through. This allows your practice to provide the best possible customer service around-the-clock.
Help Answer Patient’s Questions
One of the best benefits of a medical answering service is the ability to answer patient’s questions at any time of day or night. The representatives at this type of answering service are well-trained to answer basic medical questions and concerns whenever necessary.
Save Money
As your practice grows, the money you make will grow with it. However, with healthcare, paid vacation time, sick time off, and other benefits, the cost of adding an employee to answering phones can significantly impact your bottom line. However, when hiring an answering service for doctors office, the company covers all these operating costs, so you pay for the requested services.
Take Payments
Some of the best answering service for doctors office companies can accept debit and credit card payments for copays or other back payments. This is a huge benefit since it relieves having your in-house staff perform the transaction during normal business hours to free them up for other tasks.
Hiring an answering service for doctors office delivers a variety of benefits that support providing exceptional customer service to new and existing customers while saving money from hiring additional employees. If you need additional assistance and are considering this type of service, then there are plenty of available options to suit your needs.