Top 4 Misconceptions About A Medical Telephone Answering Service
Are you a doctor thinking about the possibility of an answering message service? Maybe you haven't made the call yet because you have heard some unpleasant things about answering services today. Most of what you have heard is probably misconception! Let's consider four of the most common misconceptions.
1. An answering message service merely answers phones and takes a message.
If this were true, then you're right-it wouldn't worth paying for. An answering machine could deliver a series of messages to you and cost much less. However, today's answering service company offers far more convenience and technology than just a glorified voice mail service. Operators that work with call answering service companies may schedule appointments, answer questions, and even provide nurse telephone triage services over the phone.
2. A medical answer service agent is probably from India and will do more harm than good.
This is a stereotype and with good reason-some companies do outsource their call center jobs to India because it is dirt cheap. However, in doing so they frustrate their customers because these agents may speak limited English or may not be able to comprehend American dialect and "tone" very well. The most competitive medical call center companies can guarantee an American-based team of agents experienced in communicating in English and in resolving common medical problems.
3. An answering service is a luxury. Patients can always wait to call back on Monday.
While one could argue this (and it would be a very difficult argument to win) it's hard to deny at least one limitation of the traditional office staff: if there is an emergency situation and the phone line dies, there is no receptionist talented enough to manage the situation. Disaster recovery planning is one of the most persuasive arguments when it comes to ordering an answering service. Even in the event of an emergency you can still book appointments and give advice to patients through the mouth of a HIPAA training, triage nurse.
4. Call center services are impersonal, because there is no consistent relationship.
A good point, considering that some call center services will hire employees that merely pass on problems to the next agent. However, the best doctor answering service companies of today ensure that their agents assume responsibility and build relationships with regular patients by returning calls to specific branches or even specific agents that have a history with the caller. This helps to improve trust and put the patient's welfare ahead of convenience.
About the Author:MedConnectUSA is a leading provider of medical answering services and telemessaging services. MedConnectUSA has been serving the health care industry since 1991. MedConnectUSA handles routine and emergency calls for the medical industry only and all calls are answered by HIPAA trained, US operators.
Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Top 4 Misconceptions About A Medical Telephone Answering Service