Gentiva Hospice Columbus, Georgia, serves an average of 200 patients a day. For office manager Jenny Folds, having the right answering service brings great peace of mind. She also knows firsthand how not having the right answering service can be a nightmare. Gentiva Hospice Columbus had used the local Voice Link of Columbus for several years and were very pleased with the service. But a change in HIPPA laws required that all calls be handled with secure messaging and, at the time, Voice Link did not offer that technology. Gentiva Hospice Columbus had to switch to a large, national answering service to handle their after-hours and weekend calls.

Folds says, “The national company’s customer service was horrible. They didn’t care about us or our patients, they were just invoice driven. Their rates were astronomical, and you could never speak to the same person. We had to send emails to communicate, but then they never called back no matter what the situation was. They often had delays, like an hour, in passing along calls, and it made us look bad. We can’t operate that way.”

Gentiva Hospice Columbus receives approximately 25-40 calls on weeknights, and approximately 50-80 on weekends. Poor answering service with that high call volume was taking a toll on their business.

They care.

“In our business any call is urgent. It doesn’t matter if a family member is calling because they’re concerned their ill mother isn’t eating, or if they’re calling because their loved one is in their last hours. Every call is urgent. It can’t be an hour later when they hear back from us.”

Folds says the staff was thrilled when they heard a year later that Voice Link could now offer secure messaging, and they and switched back immediately.

“Everyone at Voice Link has a very strong work ethic,” says Folds. “They do what they say they’re going to do and are very professional. They know our patients and their families are our #1 priority and that we need to respond to them quickly. Voice Link makes sure that happens.”

We can trust Voice Link.

Folds said that while they had the option to provide scripts for the Voice Link operators who answer their calls, they didn’t feel the need. “We trust the Voice Link staff to know what to say and how to handle any call.”

She adds, “They understand how important handling after hours calls is to the success and reputation of a company. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, they are just great people.”

How your calls are handled reflects on the reputation of your business, and using the right call center can make the difference between losing and keeping a customer. Specializing in the healthcare and medical industry, Voice Link provides live answering services that exceed your expectations. Request information online or call us at (800) 262-2799 for a free consultation.

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