Effective phone communication is critical to your practice’s success. Unconnected calls, long hold times, or poor phone skills can directly impact patient satisfaction and retention. But how can you be sure your phone processes are operating at peak efficiency?
Here are five ways to identify and address potential issues:
One of the simplest yet most effective ways to pinpoint areas of opportunity in your phone processes is to experience them firsthand. Call into your practice as a patient would, at various times of the day, gauge how your team handles calls and uncover potential issues in call routing. Are staff prompt and courteous? Is the hold time acceptable? Are calls routed to the intended party after normal business hours? Experiencing the patient journey can provide valuable insights into where improvements are needed.
Online reviews, such as those on Google My Business, Yelp, or Healthgrades, often contain honest feedback from patients regarding more than just their in-office experience. In fact, you could even glean insight from patients that chose the competition over you. Patients may mention difficulty reaching your practice, long hold times, or poor customer service. Take the time to analyze these reviews for recurring themes. Addressing these issues can significantly improve the patient experience and your practice’s reputation.
Managing patient care effectively requires quick access to essential information. With Call Box's Call Transcriptions , you can quickly scan through AI-powered call transcriptions and recaps, saving valuable time that would otherwise be spent listening to lengthy recordings. For new patients, these recaps provide critical insights into why or why not patients choose your practice, allowing you to manage patient expectations more effectively.
Understanding how your practice performs in real-world scenarios is crucial for enhancing patient experience. Call Box’s AI-powered Mystery Shop Scorecard evaluates all unique appointment opportunity phone calls using specifically trained large language models. Compared to typical mystery shop programs that rely on simulated and limited data, Call Box’s Mystery Shop Scorecard grades 100% of real patient opportunities. This ensures accurate reporting across multiple criteria, grounded in best practices for patient experience and appointment booking rates.
Once you’ve identified holes in your phone processes, it’s essential to address them through ongoing training and feedback. Ensure your team understands the importance of effective phone handling, set clearly communicated benchmarks for optimal phone metrics, and equip staff with the skills needed to handle calls professionally through personalized coaching. Regularly review their performance and provide constructive feedback to help them improve continuously.
Your practice's phone processes are a vital part of patient communication. By regularly assessing and refining these processes, you can improve patient satisfaction, reduce missed opportunities, and convert more calls to booked appointments
To learn more about how you can utilize Call Box to uncover holes in your phone processes, talk to an expert HERE.