Outsourcing is becoming more popular as technology advances, and the medical field is no stranger to the trend. Many medical practices already outsource billing, and now many are also outsourcing their phone calls. The founders of Voice Link of Columbus, Inc. are in the medical field and created their answering service to meet their goals: Save time; save money; and improve patient response time. They have seen how the benefits of using an answering service were both immediate and long term in meeting their goals but also growing their practice. They immediately saw how using an answering service benefited their goals, and over the long term helped grow their practice. It may be time for your medical practice to outsource calls if the following information rings true.

Let’s face it. Medical practice offices are routinely over-scheduled. The days are often stressful days, especially when appointments are running 30 minutes behind, and patients are frustrated. Meanwhile, your reception staff is busy answering the phones that are ringing off the hook, instead of tending to the patients in the waiting room. Plus, when your staff is too busy to catch all the calls, many of your patients are getting your voicemail, which is always frustrating

By outsourcing calls to an answering service, you free up time and energy for all your team members. Patient calls are directed to a live operator who screens the calls for importance based on your priorities. If the call is urgent, the operator directs it to the appropriated staff member. If it’s not urgent, the caller’s question is answered courteously and professionally, or a message is taken and forwarded to your practice. An answering service can assist with scheduling appointments and other requests. Your patients always talk to a live operator who is equipped to handle your call volume.

Outsourcing your medical practice calls is typically more cost effective than paying a full-time employee, and frees up your office staff to work with the patients at hand. Patients are more satisfied and wait times are lower. Your practice gains the reputation of being orderly and caring, which are two qualities potential new patients are searching for.

Live answering services are also extremely beneficial for handling after hours calls. Choosing a medical call center with 24-hour service means patients will always speak to a live person. This is especially useful if the call is urgent and needs to be directed to an on-call staff member promptly. The operator will log all after-hours calls, urgent or not, and forward them to your office. Your staff will only need to attend to the calls that still require a follow-up.

Day or night, outsourcing your practice’s calls will ensure that your patients are attended to with compassion, 24/7. Meanwhile, you and your staff are free from the distraction of constantly ringing phones and can focus on growing your practice. You just might wonder why you didn’t outsource your calls sooner.

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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