Your office phone rings. Once, twice, three times.
Who’s going to answer it? What are they going to say?
Someone doesn’t become a patient from your website simply by picking up the phone. Unless they schedule an appointment online, conversion typically occurs after someone speaks to your front desk. In other words, your phone can be an asset or a liability.
Here are a few questions to ask yourself when evaluating your front desk staff:
- Are phone greetings upbeat and welcoming? It’s critical that your staff is friendly, organized, and genuine (hint: Smiling and good posture can show through the phone!).
- Are they helpful and knowledgeable? To ensure continuity, it’s important that your staff fully understands your services and practice philosophy.
- Are patients put on hold for more than 30 seconds? If it willbe longer than 30 seconds, your staff should ask the patient if it’s okay to call them right back.
- Are patients provided directions to your practice? Ensuring that new patients know precisely where you are located will help ease anxieties of that first visit.