Everyone uses a computer in today’s digital world. This has made some jobs to become extremely efficient although the customer service department is usually overlooked. A survey by PwG discovered that 80 percent responds prefer connecting with live customer service agent when calling a medical practice. That is a better solution than speaking to voicemail. The survey also revealed that 71 percent of internet users want to speak to a live person when on the website of their favorite physician.
Well, this is not a surprise. Given the cutthroat competition in the business world, offering customers a better customer service experience enhances success. Customers don’t enjoy much the experience of navigating your touchstone menus and looking for answers for their questions on an automated system. Speaking to a live agent who listens to their questions and offers prompt answers is a better experience.
Topics Covered
Only live Agents understand People
An automated answering service can answer a few basic questions. Callers whose questions aren’t straightforward or quite articulate won’t get the necessary assistance they want. The situation is likely to become tricky and stressful for such callers. Communicating with a machine that never understands is extremely frustrating to callers. With so much anguish, the callers are likely to hang up to switch to another practice with live agents.
Need to offer callers human support
Having physician answering service with live agents to answer all your phone calls even during after office hours is a smart idea. There is guarantee that all customers are to get assistance from a live agent with efficient communication. Live customer service agents ensure that customers get real answers to their queries promptly. Voice mail can help at some point but it lacks the human touch that customers desire.
What live answering agents do but voice mail don’t
Making a stellar first impression
Building customer relationships begin with a simple phone. In addition, your business has only one chance to impress callers. Having customers speak to voice mail on their first call to your medical practice is less likely to make a positive experience. Being made to speak to a computer or to leave a message is a very frustrating experience. The callers are obviously going to end up frustrated with higher chances of handing up and switching to another practice.
Allowing your staff to handle all calls exposes them burnout and more missed calls. Outsourcing the task to a professional answering service is a great idea. Your employees will focus on offering excellent patient care. The callers will speak to a live agent 24/7 to show that you care about them. Customers are likely to become loyal to your practice as appreciation for the prompt and professional response.
Customers are always heard
By the time someone calls your practice, it might be the only time they have from their busy lifestyle. Perhaps they have an emergency or have to get a prescription for their medication. These are more likely to hang up when asked to leave a message. The anguish and frustration will make them switch to another practice leading to losing of revenue.
With a live answering service at their disposal, all callers to your practice will enjoy a better customer service experience. The answering service allows live agents to receive calls even after business hours. Customers will always appreciate leaving a detailed message about their issue to a live agent who emphasizes with them.
Emergency assistance
The most significant purpose of after-hours calls is an emergency. In such stressful moments, the only solution patients have is to request for appropriate assistance from their physician. Exposing them to an automated answering service is obviously not going to help in such a dire moment. It is understandable to call another practice with live agents to help save a soul.
A professional answering service has live agents always on standby to respond to all callers’ situations. For emergencies, the caller will talk to an agent who will reassure them and offer comfort to lessen pressure resulting from the moment. The agents will ask specific questions to figure out the exact problem and the appropriate assistance. For issues that need immediate attention from the physician, the agent will forward the message promptly.
Calming down angry callers
Some customers call your medical practice when under too much pressure. So, forcing them to navigate complicated menus before speaking to a computer only breeds anguish and frustration. The caller is more likely to hand up. Fortunately, live agents talk to callers while emphasizing with their current situation. Callers love hearing live agents reassure them and offering a prompt response to address their issues.
Bottom line
Technology is making processes easier in the medical profession. However, it can’t substitute the benefits of live agents in the customer service department. Outsourcing call answering to a professional agency will allow callers to get necessary assistance 24/7, especially when having emergencies.
