For some physicians, expanding their medical office has been a goal from day one but for others, it simply snuck up on them. Needing to expand your medical facility is a good problem to have – it means your patients are loyal and that you’re building a trustworthy reputation in your community. But expansion comes with its own set of concerns.
Expanding your medical office may mean opening a larger facility or a satellite office in another part of town but it is not limited to geographical changes.
It takes a lifetime to earn a patient and only a moment to lose them
If you’re feeling as if you can’t manage your medical office because of high demand from your patients, more than likely your patients are feeling that stress too. Long wait times when calling, limited availability for appointments, or appointments that don’t run on schedule are often the sign of a mismanaged facility. For patients who expect quality care, these will be inexcusable issues with your office.
Take the weight off your shoulder so that you can focus on your patients
A medical facility has many positions in place to guide patients through their visit. From the moment a potential patient calls you to schedule an appointment to when they pick up their prescription at the pharmacy, everything is a reflection on you.
If your receptionist is overwhelmed with booking appointments and handling billing, calls will inevitably roll to voicemail which may turn a potential patient away from your facility. A virtual receptionist can handle the incoming calls while your office staff worries about the patients who are in your office.
Once a patient sees you, their relationship with you has just begun. They will most likely need to schedule their next appointment, pick up a prescription, and if you’re lucky – recommend your services to their friends or colleagues. Building their trust from the first phone call ensures that they will continue their relationship long after they jot the appointment time on their calendar.
Virtual Receptionists Never Miss the Call
“I have been trying to schedule an appointment for days but your office is always busy!” – have you ever heard this from an upset patient? What if your patient was calling to cancel an appointment but grew frustrated with the wait time and instead decided to abandon the call? That is a time slot that you have committed to and now, thanks to your office staff’s inability to manage time properly, will remain booked even though nobody will be coming to your office.
Booking appointments is just as important as cancelling them. When a patient calls to cancel an appointment, that frees up the time slot which can be provided to another patient. Otherwise, you and your staff will be sitting around waiting for that patient to show up which is a waste of time and money.
Virtual Receptionists can not only book appointments but they can also cancel or reschedule them. Our receptionists can call to remind patients of their appointment a few days in advance as well. This can limit the number of no-shows and build trust with your patients.
When expanding your medical facility, a virtual phone system can do more than just handle the calls. Consider adding a virtual receptionist to your expansion plan in order to increase your engagement with the patients by offering a streamlined system that can scale to your needs. Contact Northwest Answering Service today to discuss the options we can offer you.
