The new patient phone call experience

Perfecting new patient phone calls

When was the last time you called your practice? What was the experience like? How would you rate it? Have you ever carried out mystery calls? If you record your phone calls, have you ever listened back to them?

I’m not asking these questions to catch you out; I’m asking them because patient phone calls and the way they are handled by the front desk is an area that is often overlooked. This can be a real blocker in your business, and you may not even realise it yet.

Think about the patient

It is important to consider the mindset of the new patient. We all have things we need to get around to but we don’t. For a patient to pick up the phone and call you is a big deal, believe me when I say it has been on their list for ages.

With this is mind, think about their phone call experience; it should actually be an experience. At the end of call they should be left feeling really excited and hopeful.

PPE

Due to PPE, it is simply not possible to give patients the experience that we are all used to in practice. This is why it is even more important to provide a fantastic telephone experience that represents the usual service you would love to be giving them in clinic.

Your front desk team have a more important role than ever, so you need to ensure the telephone serve they are providing is on point.

Rushed phone calls

All too often, the front desk team are busy and phone calls are over very quickly. The team might talk about features of your practice offers but patients can find this information online (and they probably have) so why tell them what they already know.

Instead, your team should be sharing benefits and unique selling points to really entice these new patients. There is a Seth Godin quote that really sums this up: ’The reason it seems price is all your customers care about is that you haven’t given them anything else to care about.’ Think about it!

Personalities

Does your front desk team talk to every patient with the same telephone manner? It is very common for staff to not take into account the personality of each patient that they are speaking to. However, doing so can create a more engaging experience that leaves your new patient already feeling welcomed and excited for their first visit.

The solution

I’m not saying this to be negative on your team, it’s a fact that the front desk is rarely given investment, especially in terms of training. This is a real problem because they are the first human impression of your practice. If you would like to learn the tools of creating a fantastic first impression, join me in Practice Club where you’ll find an entire chapter on this, check out my Reception LIVE course later this year that covers new patient phone calls or contact me to discuss team training in your practice.

Laura