As some of you know, telephones are intended to provide physicians and patients with a way of constant communication. However, many things could happen while managing calls daily.
For example, calls can go unanswered during normal business hours, callers sit on hold for long periods, receptionists reply in a hurry, receive complaints, and patients not getting their questions properly solved. These situations all lead to the same thing, frustration for everyone involved.
Telephone mismanagement problems are just as acute today as they were 10 or 20 years ago, as evidenced by the high turnover rate for receptionists in physicians’ offices.
These situations could lead to a bad patient experience, which is the thing we all want to avoid the most. Nevertheless, following the tips we have laid down for you below, will improve the way your receptionist handles the constant calls from patients.
Ask Questions In An Open-ended Way
Asking open-ended questions will make the patient reply with something more than “yes” or “no”, so it will be easier to collect more accurate information about the situation the patient is in, which would help you at the moment of answering the patient making them feel heard and well-received.
For example, instead of asking “Do you need any help?” go with something along the lines of “How can I help you today?”
Always Be As Courteous And Respectful As You Can
When it comes to these two things, most standards of behavior may seem basic and be part of the common sense to apply them. However, it is a must to apply them intentionally, and with every single patient that calls.
If not, the proper standards of behaviors will be soon replaced with old habits and this might lead to less desirable replies to creep back in.
Keep in mind how patients tend to be in a more sensitive state of mind and pay attention to everything, even the tone of voice you might be using.
Anticipate
You don’t need to be a mind reader to be able to anticipate a tricky phone call. For example, if you know patients have been spending a lot of time on hold, in a waiting room, or if they have been placed on a long waiting list, then it will be better for you to be on guard and ready to receive complaints.
By being aware of these situations in your practice you will be ready to deal with the patients and empathize with them. Remember, no one likes to wait when they’re feeling sick or in pain.
Don’t Leave Patients Waiting On Hold If It’s Not An Emergency
You will often receive callers wanting to speak directly with their physicians. This will frequently be impossible for you to accomplish since physicians are often busy doing procedures under hectic schedules.
If you encounter a situation like this, do not put the patient on hold to make them wait on the phone until the physician is available, especially if you are not certain when will the physician be able to take the call. You will just busy up the line in an unjustified manner and the patient will most likely end up getting mad because of the wait.
What you should do if a caller asks to speak with the physician is, to be honest with them and tell them they are busy. Then, you proceed to ask for their contact information so that you can return their call when someone is available to speak with them.
If You Need Help, Seek For It
Even while talking over the phone it is easy to spot when someone is not being sure of themselves or if they’re lying. Therefore, while dealing with patients you need to be as truthful as possible. Answer their questions honestly and if there is ever a situation in which you don’t know what to reply then say so.
It’s okay to let the patient know that you don’t know the answer to their questions, but it is also important to tell them that you will look for the answer and let them know as soon as possible. Patients are aware that the person taking the phone call is not a physician, so being honest with them will help improve their trust in the service.
Now you know, that handling patients is not that hard once you understand a little better how to communicate with them. Are you ready to do it now?
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