Assess phone auto attendant with satifaction surveys

Many medical practices have resisted the temptation to use an auto attendant system for routing incoming calls while others have employed the technology.  In most offices, calls are currently answered by a “live person” and then routed according to the caller’s request. There will be situations when either the callers are asking for someone inappropriate to handle their question, or the person answering the call isn’t taking the time to ascertain who the caller REALLY needs (or both), so many calls wind up being misdirected and transferred multiple times.  To minimize phone time, practices have changed to automated phone answering with a short menu of options to try to funnel calls to the most-frequently-requested destinations without human intervention.

But is automated phone answering effective? What is the person’s on the other end of the phone perception of your system (and therefore your office)?

One office just went the other way.  They found that with better direction of phone traffic and improved responses to patients regarding test results the office could get more mileage and points with referrers and patients, by employing a live body.  THEIR MOVE BACK TO A LIVE BODY WAS BACKED UP FROM FEEDBACK ON A RECENT PATIENT AND REFERRING DOCTOR SURVEY.

About the Author

Reed Tinsley CPA

This article is written by Reed Tinsley, a Houston, TX-based CPA with over 30 years of experience advising physicians and medical practices across Texas and the United States. Reed holds certifications as a Certified Valuation Analyst (CVA), Certified Healthcare Business Consultant (CHBC), and Certified Financial Planner (CFP), specializing exclusively in the healthcare sector. He is a published author, nationally recognized speaker, and trusted advisor to physicians on accounting & tax, practice management, and financial planning. Schedule a Free Consultation.