Phone calls are central to any fully functioning organization.

For instance, did you know that 80% of callers put the phone down without leaving a message if nobody picks up?

Think of the potential implications of that fact. No voice-message means no chance of following up. That can mean missed business, missed issues, and, ultimately, unhappy callers.

This can have particular ramifications on medical services. After all, private clinics rely on new service users, as well as their reputation. Furthermore, missed emergency calls could have even life-threatening effects.

A medical answering service is an easy way to solve the problem. These automatic answering services help direct calls, triage inquiries, and take messages.

Even better, the investment pays for itself over time. Want to know how?

1. Fewer Calls Means Fewer Distractions

Answering the phone is an unavoidable part of running an organization.

However, high call volumes serve as a mighty distraction. It’s impossible to do two things at once. If you’re on the phone, then other responsibilities get postponed.

Simply, more calls can equal less work. It’s a tricky balance to maintain. Taking those calls can be key to handling new leads and dealing with problems. But it also means key job roles get side-lined. Current patients that form the foundation of the service suffer.

Hiring an answering service restores your focus to primary responsibilities. You can get on with the job, safe in the knowledge that calls are being handled appropriately.

You can devote your time to primary money-making tasks.

2. Save Money on Full-Time Receptionists

Receptionists don’t come cheap.

Indeed, the average annual salary for a medical receptionist comes in at over $30,000. Can you afford to pay that much?

Likewise, a solitary receptionist won’t be enough for larger medical services. An entire team may be needed to man the desks. Of course, the more calls you can handle means more business.

But wouldn’t it be good if you could take higher call volumes for less money?

That’s exactly what medical answering services facilitate. These professional services operate in exactly the same way. They take calls, triage them, take messages, and screen patients and so on. They work in line with your particular needs.

And it saves you money on staffing as a result.

3. No Long Term Contracts

Another downside of hiring receptionists is the difficulty in ending their involvement.

They’re on the payroll and thus have particular legal safeguards. You can’t just terminate their contract without good reason. Hiring employees is a long term financial commitment. Similarly, if the service is struggling, then the need to sack staff-members is rarely enjoyable.

Medical services can avoid all of these ‘head-aches’ by utilizing an answering service.

Whether it’s a human team at the end of the phone or a digitized service, the same holds: the contract can be ended whenever necessary. There’s no commitment. Often, you’ll pay on a monthly basis.

No longer need it, or need to change for some reason?  Simply stop paying for it.

4. Avoid Training and Leave Costs

In reality, the entire process of hiring and employing staff is a costly process.

Receptionists require training. They go on payroll. It takes time for them to get up to speed. The process of training them can damage the service in the process.

Then they have holiday pay, sick leave, and so on. These are the rights of every employee and for good reason. Yet they undoubtedly cause problems for an employer. Money is being paid out for no return in labor.

Likewise, when they’re away, who is there to man the desks? You’re back to square one: missing calls or side-lining real work to handle them yourself.

By contrast, answering services provide fixed-fee 24/7 support, every day of the year.

5. Great Customer Service

Good customer service is vital.

Professionalism, hospitality, efficiency, and effectiveness are all essential. When clients and service users are happy, they’re more likely to keep coming back. That’s great for client retention.

As your reputation spreads, new clients are attracted. It’s just good for business.

Conversely, the opposite is true when customer service is bad. It doesn’t take much to offend a patron. A decade of quality support can be refuted after one bad incident.

A professional answering service knows this. As such, all the staff is specifically trained to provide the highest degrees of customer service.

Compare that to receptionists, who may take time to improve, or get tired towards the end of the day. As tiredness grows and motivation dwindles, their phone answering skills suffer too.

6. No Phone-Related Down Time

As we noted already, many callers won’t leave a message if you miss them.

That’s never good. You may be with a patient and unable to answer. You’ll never know who was on the other end of the phone. It may have been an investor, a potential partner, a new would-be service user, or so on.

Failing to answer the phone is tantamount to leaving the front door locked.

No-one can get in to inquire about your availability. Every time that happens, you wave goodbye to potential income.

This isn’t the case when answering services are in use. You’ll enjoy a total lack of missed appointments and inquiries. That amounts to new leads coming through the door, which is, of course, vital for the growth of the service.

Time to Employ a Medical Answering Service

There you have it: exactly how a medical answering service pays for itself!

The internet may be on the rise. But phone calls remain essential for the proper functioning of a successful organization. Misfiring on the phone can lead to all sort of issues, regardless of the particular field of business.

Unfortunately, the best phone-practice isn’t easy. Thankfully, utilizing a professional answering service effectively solves almost every problem.

Even better, the cost involved in hiring one is covered by the benefits they provide. Hopefully, this post has explained exactly how that happens.

Are you interested in learning more? Click here to get a quote for the best answering service for you.