It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been in the dental industry; you almost certainly know just how busy and hectic any single day can be, and that’s before you include all the calls that might be coming in from new and regular customers alike.
However, unless you can afford to employ a dedicated receptionist or two, then it’s safe to say you probably aren’t able to catch every call that comes in, especially when appointment bookings are high.
If this sounds familiar though, don’t worry. It just means that you might want to consider investing in an answering service for a dental office instead. That way, you can be sure that those important customer calls are getting answered.
But if you’ve never used a dental office answering service before, you might not be sure if it’s the right set-up for you. After all, what are the benefits that come with using such a service?
Keep reading to learn more about answering services for dental offices and the top 7 reasons for hiring one.
What is an answering service for a dental office?
As the name implies, a dental office answering service is a service where receptionists outside of your business can take your incoming calls for you, ensuring that your business lines are always manned and available.
However, a good dental live answering service can also do far more than simply take calls. They can also handle bookings and appointments, forward vital calls to you directly, and even handle after-hours calls for those customers with busy days. In other words, this sort of live answering service brings unmatched flexibility to your business.
What are the core benefits of a dental answering service?
Having covered what a dental answering service is, let’s now look at the core benefits that come with such a service. Below are the top 7 benefits that come with investing in such a service:
1. Confirming out-of-hours appointments
In many cases, patients are not always able to book or confirm appointments with their dentist during regular business hours, especially given how busy everyone’s schedules can be during the week.
However, by employing a 24/7 medical answering service, you can be doubly sure that any calls you receive after hours will be answered, and any necessary appointments booked then and there.
2. Quoting service
Sometimes patients call dental offices to receive and compare quotes for specific services. But if patients have to wait on hold for a long time or have an otherwise unpleasant telephone experience, then they’re likely to give up and go to a competing practice.
Fortunately, any good live answering service, such as VoiceNation’s, will have their lines manned by professionally trained and empathetic receptionists who will pick up promptly and be able to provide inquiring customers with all the information needed to compare their quotes.
3. Forwarding calls
Another great benefit offered by a dental answering service is their ability to forward important calls directly to your office. For example, patients who might require advice on immediate or emergency appointments.
All you have to do is define which types of calls are important enough to warrant forwarding to you, and your virtual receptionist will take care of the rest, allowing you to get more out of your work time without distractions.
4. Giving directions
Although less of a problem nowadays than a few decades ago, elderly patients, in particular, may require help with getting directions to your practice for their next appointment.
And, naturally, if patients are given clear directions to your practice, they are less likely to be late or miss their appointments altogether. A dental phone answering service can provide patients with concise and practical driving directions and answer any questions patients may have when trying to find your practice.
5. Collecting contact details
Given how important good dental care is, you’re probably aware of just how much in-house admin there can be surrounding patient records. There’s a lot that needs to be covered and updated, and it can be a lot for one receptionist on their own.
But by using the skills of a dental answering service who are properly trained in HIPAA and other data security procedures, they can collect and compile patient payment information, contact details, and insurance specifics for you, helping improve patient care and freeing up your own receptionist’s time for other important tasks.
6. Making follow-up calls
According to a study published in The Ulster Medical Journal, approximately 78% of patients expect a follow-up call after receiving an operation to see how they’re doing. While the study focused on the patients of medical doctors specifically, similar results can be expected for dental patients who receive invasive oral treatments.
However, this last step can often get lost in a dentist’s hectic daily schedule, but it’s something that a dental answering service can certainly pick up instead in order to meet your patients’ expectations without taking up the valuable time of your on-site staff.
7. Taking messages
Last, but not least, while it has been mentioned that patients don’t like to leave messages, this attitude might change if the patient is able to leave a message with a real person who can understand their request and get it to the right person.
For example, when a patient calls after hours and is able to leave a message with someone they know will deliver it to the intended recipient, they are much more likely to be satisfied with the service they receive.
Hire VoiceNation as your dental answering service
So, now you know the benefits of hiring an answering service for your dental office. But even if you already have an in-house reception, not even they can man your call lines 24/7, which is exactly why you should consider working with VoiceNation.
Home to some of the best-trained virtual receptionists in the answering industry, our medical live answering service is both HIPPA compliant and ready to handle your calls at all hours of the day. We even offer bilingual operators for those with a large number of Spanish-speaking clients.
Get in touch today to find out more and ask about our pricing plans.