Have you ever wondered what sets great businesses apart from just regular or good businesses? Many business owners have great ideas, but it’s the execution that can make a business grow and truly become a success. Customer service is a key element to this success. You could be providing the best attention or selling the best products, but delivering an all-around amazing experience to your customers is what will lead to ongoing growth and bigger revenue for your business.
Your customers might be drawn to your business or practice because the services you’re offering are top-notch; however, they won’t stick around if you don’t prioritize customer service. A great experience starts from the moment a potential customer calls your office to schedule an appointment or make an inquiry, and great customer service is essential to build customer loyalty. Reality is, you’re not just selling services or products; you’re selling the whole experience.
Providing quality customer service won’t just help you retain customers – it will also bring in new ones. Once a customer has had a positive experience in your business, they’ll gladly recommend your services to other people. In fact, providing great customer service is one of the best and most cost-effective marketing strategies you can find. It’s all about the quality of the experiences you provide.
In the healthcare industry, physicians and other staff can be overwhelmed at times. The workflow can be quite heavy, so it’s very important to schedule your time effectively and make sure your hours are as profitable as possible. This can entail calling dozens of customers each day, answering their questions, and scheduling or re-scheduling multiple appointments. Additionally, on-site staff are also the ones who receive your patients, explain procedures or bills, and sometimes even do some of the preparation before an intervention.
It’s no wonder that on-site staff at healthcare businesses can feel overwhelmed sometimes. And an overworked, stressed receptionist can put a damper on the rest of your patients’ experience. It won’t matter if the rest of their appointment went great; bad customer service can deter a patient from coming back to your business. In fact, studies show that patients value comfort level and outstanding customer service and support the highest when rating a healthcare facility.
Statistics also show that 70% report feeling “delighted” when doctors or their offices answer their inquiries over the telephone. So, why not try outsourcing a medical answering service? These services can allow your telephone lines to be operated by fully trained, professional staff at all hours of the day.
While your on-site staff can become overworked if they have to handle all office duties and customer service calls, sharing these responsibilities with an answering service can provide the solution. Thanks to an answering service, your customers will always be greeted by a human, friendly, knowledgeable voice that will be able to answer their inquiries and schedule their next appointment.
This, in turn, will give your on-site staff more time to perform their duties at the office without feeling overwhelmed. When needed, the operators taking calls can transfer a customer’s call to an member of your staff, or even yourself or your colleagues.
You might be thinking that this sounds too good to be true, but hiring a medical answering service can really be a win-win situation. Your patients get better customer support, your staff doesn’t get overworked, and your business makes more money due to a higher customer satisfaction.
Another great benefit of medical answering services is that they tailor to your needs. Maybe you only need to use the service during certain hours when the rest of your staff isn’t available. Or perhaps you only want them to schedule appointments, take cancellations, and provide rescheduling options. With the right answering service, you’ll be able to get exactly what your business needs. Having someone else take the phone calls won’t just improve your telephonic customer service. By taking this responsibility from your on-site staff, it’s very likely that they’ll be less stressed and more eager to provide an amazing customer experience to anyone who walks through the door. This can set you apart from your competition and create a high level of customer fidelity.
The healthcare industry is particularly competitive – as it should be! Regardless of your area of expertise, patients are putting their wellbeing in your hands each time they make an appointment, and with so many new procedures, techniques, and advancements, the field has become more saturated than ever. Great customer service can be just the thing to differentiate you from other businesses and give you the competitive edge.
So don’t hesitate to research medical answering services and hire the one that fits you and your business best. In an age when expectations are high and technology provides new and innovative ways to perform age-old duties, answering services can make a huge difference to your customers’ experience and satisfaction.
