Choosing a Small Business Answering Service as your doctors answering service is process you have to pay careful attention to. This is because in most case, this service will be the face of your business. As such, it is very important that your patients are handled efficiently, courteously and, above all, competently.
There are some key criteria you should keep in mind when a small business answering service.
- The receptionist should be professional and courteous when they interact with a patient. Request the company to provide you with on the job recordings as samples. This will allow you to judge for yourself whether that company suits yours.
- Ensure that they have a 24 hour service option. This is essential in maintaining relationships with your patients. Medical emergencies can happen at any time and from a business point of view, a lost call is a lost opportunity.
- Especially with a physicians answering service, the company should allow you to have customized call routing and scripting. This is because every company differs in the way it operates. More often than not, a one-size-fits-all solution involves making compromises to work with that solution. In the medical industry this may not be the best approach to take.
- The service should accommodate short notice changes to the roster as well. If this can be done, the possibility of mistaken call routing or message forwarding can be greatly reduced or even eliminated.
- Ensure that the company has the flexibility to accommodate new numbers and also the ability to send messages to fixed line phones, mobile phones, faxes, email, etc. This will enable you and your staff to respond better to your patients needs.