Calling All Team Members!
In today’s world, communication is dominated by computers and online forms of communication like chats, texts and emails. However, the importance of phone conversations has not diminished. When it comes to phone calls with a patient, your manners could make or break their experience with your office. Therefore, understanding phone etiquette is very important.
To help you make and maintain a great impression over the phone, here are few tips to remember:
Always introduce yourself.
When patients call, they want to be sure they’ve reached the right place. Greet them with a brief hello before stating the office name followed by your own. For example, “Dr. Smith’s office, this is Mary,” reassures the caller that they have the right number, and assures them they’re speaking to a real person.
Be conscious of your tone.
Over the phone, we can’t see each other to gauge moods and reactions, so we become hyper aware of tone. It is important to sound alert and happy over the phone, especially because you never know what mood your caller may be in. Having a particularly tough day? Super tired? Try smiling as you talk! Believe it or not, several studies have found that humans are able to hear the difference between someone speaking with a smile and someone speaking with a straight face.
Don’t multitask.
If possible, try to be as focused as you can on your caller. You’re more likely to give clear and concise answers this way, and less likely to make a mistake either giving or getting information.
Avoid using slang or unclear language.
When the phone rings, you never know who is on the other end. Using slang, even particular regional terms could confuse a patient who is new to the area or unfamiliar with the dialect. Simple yes’s and no’s as well as consistent answers will help keep everyone on the same page.
Interested in learning more? SOS offers coaching to team members and front desk staff to help improve phone etiquette, as well as tests to see how much you know. Feel free to contact us for more information.
