For Your Patients, Your Practice, and You
To grow your practice, you’re constantly looking for ways to attract new patients, provide better care than competing clinics, and deliver the kind of experience that makes your patients recommend you to everyone they know.
But in today’s competitive environment, that’s not always easy. In fact, it’s often quite hard. To keep up with patient expectations, you need to first understand what those expectations and priorities really are.
For example, did you know that one of the highest leverage changes you can make – that will result in happier, more engaged patients – is to improve the appointment scheduling experience?
Well, it is. And while It might be tempting for you to perceive the “patient experience” as limited to the minutes each patients spends in the treatment room, that’s not reality. In fact, your patients see it all quite differently. Their experience is shaped by how they feel treated at every touch point. And a patient’s powerful first impression of you is most often formed by their interactions with whomever picks up the phone when they call to set up their appointment.
How do your patients rate that part of their experience with your practice? Are they left waiting on hold? Are they treated like they’re an intrusion on a very busy day? Or is every call answered warmly, with appointments scheduled swiftly, efficiently, and accurately? The busier you get, the harder it is to keep your appointment setting function in-house.
You shouldn’t have to…
If you’re planning to grow your practice, outsourcing your appointment scheduling function is one of the best ways to ensure that you can.
When you choose the right partner, moving your appointment scheduling to an outsourced team can drive increased patient satisfaction scores and substantially higher ROI.
But again, the key is in finding the right partner. Here’s what you should expect when you work with a reliable call center:
- You Show Your Patients That Their Time and Convenience is Important to You
When you outsource, you open up the window of time every day for patients to call in. Suddenly, your patients are no longer tied to your business hours, forced into a game of voicemail tag, or left standing in line in your office. - Cut Down on No-Shows and Last-Minute Cancellations
Your outsourced team of patient care professionals are trained to treat every patient with the care and concern you deliver and your patients expect. They make it easy for your patient to find and choose the time that works – and they create a confirmation and reminder to reinforce appointment commitment. - Make Better Use of Your Office Staff’s Time and Talents
Office staff, especially front desk staff, are incredibly busy, highly trained professionals. They’re the face of your practice. When they’re constantly interrupted by incoming appointment calls, their work is disrupted, often leading them to feel that their work is undervalued. When you outsource, you relieve them of that burden and, as a result, improve employee satisfaction and engagement. - Save Time, Money, and Worry
If you’re concerned that outsourcing is simply adding an expense line to your budget, take a closer look at what you’re already paying your office staff to juggle patient appointments. Then factor in the costs of missed appointments, hiring and training costs to replace disengaged employees, patient attrition due to low satisfaction, and, of course, the marketing expenses you’ll incur when you try to replace them with new patients. - Improve Your Own Career Satisfaction
So, I’ve talked about every other stakeholder. But what about you? When you improve patient experience, you improve your own life just as dramatically. When you place your appointment setting operation in the hands of a proven provider, you breathe easier and sleep better..
If you’re ready to learn more about how outsourcing can help you elevate your practice, please reach out. We would love to learn more about your practice goals, your patient expectations, and how we can help you exceed both.
Bobby Matthews
Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing
Skybridge Americas
bmatthews@skybridgeamericas.com
Find out how Skybridge Americas can help you delight your customers and grow your business.
We seamlessly integrate our superior customer care skills with your brand messaging. For more information, contact us at 763-299-4570 or submit our contact form.
