Assignment for week of 5/7/2012- blog is due on or before 5/14/2012
Hi Class,
Here is your blog assgnment for this week:
Discuss and develop a policy for answering the phone at a chiropractic office. Write out the training procedure step by step and the 4th person in each group will post it on the blog.
There should be at least 5 steps. This assignment is worth 2 points and is due by 2/14/2012
Dr. Frost
HFoster
ReplyDeleteGroup 7
1) Always smile while talking on the phone. It makes you sound more cheerful!
2)Answer using the phrase "Good(Morning/Afternoon), Thank you for calling (Clinic Name), this is (Name)! What can I do for you today?"
3)Be sure to get the callers name and phone number, as well as what the call is in regards to so the Dr. can call them back.
4)Assure them the Dr. will call them back as soon as He/She is able.
5)As you are ending the phone call, Smile and say Have a Great day!.
6)Do not let them interrupt the Dr. if He/She is busy.
Do not return belligerence with belligerence. Always be courteous on the phone.
Remember, you are the voice and personality of the clinic, so make sure that front is in line with what the clinic stands for.
Training would consist of a series of mock phone calls with different personalities on the other end. It is the receptionist duty to control the call and get the info that they need to pass on to the Dr.
Jeremy Gonsowski - Group 8
ReplyDelete1)When answering the phone, focus your attention on the caller. Speak clearly and slowly. Record notes as you converse.
2)Smile as you speak. Smiling effects how you sound.
3)Answer with "Thank you for calling...Blah blah... Chiropractic Clinc. How can I assist you"
4) Have the caller state his name. Address the caller by name during the conversation. Make clear, brief notes as to the nature of the call. Note the time, date. If a callback is needed, record the person's name and phone number. Ask him to spell his name. If his records will be accessed in order to respond to his request, ask for identifying information such as date of birth. This insures that the correct records will be consulted as the patient name and birth date must both match.
5) Before completing the call, ask if you have addressed all of the caller's questions.
Additional training and revisions will occur during weekly staff meetings. Mock calls will take place & employee incentives will be established.
Elliot Hirshorn, Group 10
ReplyDelete1. For all employees, upon answering the phone, you should say, "Hello, thank you for calling XYZ Chiropractic, this is_______. How can I serve you today?"
2. Take detailed notes of the conversation for followup and documentation as necessary.
3. Confirm all details discussed so there is no confusion.
4. Thank the person for calling and say something along the lines of "we are looking forward to seeing you."
5. Under no circumstances should any employee, other than the chiropractor, provide medical advice over the telephone.
Grant Nobles, Group 16
ReplyDelete1. Employess should answer the phone by saying "Thank-you for calling _____ Chiropractic, how may we help you?"
2. Have employee smile while answering the phone and to speak clearly so there is no confusion of information being transferred.
3. Take notes from the conversation obtaining such things as their name, number, reason for calling, company name if business calling to speak to the doctor, etc.
4. Do not discuss any information about a patient unless you have confirmed of who you are speaking to, whether it be a parent/spouse/insurance company. No medical advice will be given over the phone.
5. End the call by thanking the person for calling and either state you will relay the message onto the doctor or if it is a patient state we look forward to seeing them.
Drew Davis
ReplyDeleteGroup 5
1. For calls during non-business hours, or sent to message: Let the callers know when you intend on returning the calls (ie. "Thank you for calling, any calls left prior to 1pm will be returned the same business day between 5 and 6pm. Anything left after 1pm will be returned the folowing business day")
2. State that if this call is emergent, to hang up and dial 9-1-1. If the call is non-emergent, but needs an appointment, please stay on the line and leave a message.
3. Give options for website to access email.
4. Answer phone calls promptly with professionalism and make sure the front desk staff is aware of their scope of practice to handle health questions on the phone.
5. Make sure the doctors get the messages, whether it is a list that is emailed at the end of the day or a handwritten note at the middle and end of the day. If the caller states the call needs to be returned within the day, let the doctor know.
6. As for answering the phone: The phone should be answered with the appropriate salutation followed by the name of the clinic and "How may I assist you?" Make sure that any scheduling that is needed to be done is done while the patient is still on the phone. Repeat the appointment back to the patient to ensure accuracy. If a question is asked that is unknown to the staff, make sure that a correct answer is given or if needed write the question down and ask a doctor and return the call at convenience. If there is a question for the doctor, let them know that the doctor can return the call when he/she has some time or if it can wait he/she can ask the doctor during the appointment. Make sure that the staff is not giving out incorrect information, if you do not know... ask! Be sure that all questions are answered to the best of ability. Ask if there is anything else needed. End with "Thank you for calling (Business name), we look forward to seeing you at (Time of appointment) on (Date of appointment). Have a great day!
1. Smile - the person on the other end can hear it in your voice if you're smiling or not.
ReplyDelete2. Standard greeting - "Thank you for calling ______ Chiropractic, this is _______, how may I help you?"
3. New patient scheduling - Have a script for the staff person to follow.
- Have you ever been to our office before?
- Great, can I have your name please?
Name: _____________________________________
Phone: _____________________
Can I ask what your main area of complaint is? _________________________________
Were you referred by anyone? _________________________
- The doctor has special times set up to consult with new patients like yourself. What’s better for you morning or afternoon? __AM __PM
- How is M T W TH F S at ________?
- Great, just to confirm, the doctor will see you at ________ on M T W TH F S at the clinic.
- Do you know directions to our office? “Directions to our office can be found online at www.___________.com.”
- Please come 15 minutes early so you can fill out the forms we have for you.
- If you would like to save a little time, you can fill out the form before you come in. That form can be found on our website at www.__________.com. Just print it off, fill it out, and bring it in with you on your first visit.”
- Do you have any x-rays or MRI’s that you will be bringing along with you?
- It was a pleasure talking with you today, _(patient’s name)_. We’ll see you soon!
4. Cancelations - When a patient calls to cancel an appointment, always reschedule appointment, even if only a tentative appointment. "Mrs. Jones, I understand why you can't make this appointment. Let's get you scheduled for tomorrow to make up for this missed appointment. Which would you prefer?"
5. Do not put a person on hold unless absolutely necessary. If you must put someone on hold, make sure it no more than 2 minutes maximum.
Andrew Miller, Group 15
ReplyDelete1) Always give priority to patients in the waiting room first, however never let the phone ring more than 3 times, without answering and asking if the potential patient can be put on hold.
2) Answer the phone with a smile on your face so that your cheerfulness can be transmitted through to the patient.
3) Answer the phone with: “It’s a beautiful day at Group 15 Chiropractic Clinic, my name is ______, how may I help you?”
4) Group 15 Chiropractic Clinic staff is never allowed to give out medical advice over the phone or to patients in the office.
5) If the potential patient would like to set-up appointment, make sure to get their name, home and cell phone numbers, reason for care (make sure to ask about work comp/personal injury), and let them know about our 24 hour cancellation policy.
6) If the caller is an established patient and is calling about their information or the information of their child (if legal guardian), please verify caller’s ID with date of birth and last 4 numbers of their Social Security number.
7) If the call is directly for the Doctor, make sure to get their name, number, reason for calling and the best time to call them back.
8) When the call is ended, repeat the information gathered back to the caller so that no error may have taken place in recording, thank them and relay information to the doctor if needed via a note.
1. “Thank you for calling ________Chiropractic, this is ________. How may I help you?”
ReplyDelete2. Speak clearly, be courteous, and smile (this makes a difference in the tone of your voice and patients in the waiting room can see you).
3. Take detailed notes on why the person is calling and get the name and number of who is calling.
4. Staff should never give any medical advice over the phone. Also, never give out patient information over the phone until you have confirmation of who you are speaking with.
5. At the end of the call ask,”is there anything else I can assist you with?”; then, “thanks again for calling and have a great day.”
Christa Sesker, Group 19
ReplyDelete1. Try to answer the phone as soon as it rings, do not let it go to voicemail if at all possible. If it goes to voicemail, return the call as soon as possible.
2. When answering start with, “Thanks for calling _____________ Chiropractic. This is (your name), how may I help you?”
3. If the caller is scheduling, be sure to ask, “When was the last time you were seen?” This will help identify if it is a new patient, or an existing one.
4. If it is a new patient, be sure to get the correct spelling of their name and a phone number they can be reached at.
5. If it is a non-scheduling call, be sure to take a clear and concise message. Include name, number, reason for call, and what their availability is for that day to return the phone call.
6. Be courteous, pleasant, and energetic when talking to anyone on the phone.
7. Always end the call with, “Is there anything else I can help you with today?” and something to the effect of, “Thanks for calling! We look forward to working with you.”
8. Do not give any advise out over the phone of any kind. This includes, but is not limited to, whether a patient should take medications, ice/heat for soreness, etc. Take a message, and have the doctor address the concern.
Additional training will be held in weekly team meetings.
Jennifer Keys, Group 18
ReplyDelete1. Answer the phone within the first 2 rings if possible and try to never let it go to voicemail!
2. A patient standing right in front of you ALWAYS has priority over the patient on the phone. Answer the phone in the appropriate manner, then ask the person on the other line if they can hold for one moment please, assist the customer right in front of you, then go back to the person on the phone.
3. Answer the phone with a smile on your face and a cheerful tone as if you are truly happy that the person has called.
4. When answering the phone, do it using this phrase, "Thanks for calling Group 18 chiropractic, this is (your name) speaking, how may I help you today?"
5. If it is an existing customer making an appointment, make sure that you find out when they were last in for a visit. This is a great way of telling if its a new or old patient. If it is a patient who we haven't seen for a while we may need to get their file out of our archives to prepare for their visit. Also, this is helpful in identifying a new patient and if paperwork needs to be e-mailed or mailed to them before their scheduled appointment. Also, helps with scheduling enough time for a new patient versus an active patient. Having a new patient scheduled as an existing patient and finding out when they get to the office that they are actually new and unacceptable.
6. The doctor is to never be called to the phone to speak with a patient. They are busy taking care of the patients who are in the office at that given time. If a patient needs to speak with the doctor take a detailed note with name, date, time, phone number to reach them at and reason for the call. You can never write enough when taking a detailed note to give to the doctor later. Make sure to be courteous while explaining to the patient that is on the phone that the doctor is busy and can not speak with them at that very moment. Make sure if there are one or more doctors in the office that you put the doctors name on the top of the note which the note pertains to.
7. Never, under any circumstance, give any healthcare information/recommendations over the phone even if it seems as simple as telling someone to " ice". This kind of information can only be given by the doctor.
8. Always end the call with, "is there anything else that I can do for you today?" and "we look forward to seeing you on Friday the 6th of june at 9:00. (insert applicable date) Have a wonderful day...weekend. (whatever makes sense for day of week and time of day that the patient is calling.
9. Issues that arise with phone answering/customer service will be discussed at weekly staff meetings.
Jared Bowman, Group 3
ReplyDelete1. Greet the caller.
2. "This is ____ Chiropractic, how can we help you today?"
3. Pay attention to caller and be professional and polite to the caller at all times.
4. Write down any pertinent information given by the caller; if they need to speak with the doctor, write down the name, reason for call, and any other necessary information and tell them the doctor will call them back as soon as he can.
5. Give directions to the office if needed; set up an appointment; do not discuss payment or identifying information aloud.
Group 13
ReplyDelete1. Answer the phone cheerfully and politely. This is _____ chiropractic. How can we help you today?"
2. Understand that we do not provide any medical advice over the phone. If a phone call sounds like it may be an emergency have the caller dial 911.
3. Record information from the conversation and relay the information to whomever can best answer a particular question.
4. Return phone calls promptly and answer questions thoroughly. Always ask if the caller has any other questions
5. Always be polite and speak clearly on the phone to avoid miscommunication. Be friendly on the phone, never confrontational.
Maria Staudt
ReplyDeleteGroup 20
1) Smile! Answer the phone, "______ Chiropractic. This is _________. I can help you."
2) Politely assist the patient with whatever they need. If it sounds like a medical emergency, refer them to 911.
3) After assisting them, ask if there is anything else they need. If not, thank them for calling and wait for them to hang up.
4) When scheduling a patient ask, "Morning or Afternoon? Early or late?" Say, "I have you scheduled for ______" NEVER "I have you down for."
5) If the patient asks for the doctor, take a message, and politely let them know that the doctor will return their call as soon as possible.
6) Never answer the phone while assisting another patient. Always deal with the patient standing in front of you first.
Group 14
ReplyDelete1) do not allow the phone to ring more than 3 times. If CTA is assisting other patients or on another line, ask the incoming call to please hold until you have finished assisting the first customer.
2) Answer the phone with the following greeting, " good morning/afternoon, _________ chiropractic clinic. How may I help you?"
3) Be courteous while on the phone. Smiling while talking may help encourage a happier mood and tone towards the caller.
4) Speak loudly, clearly and annunciate. Do not yell into the receiver.
5) Take care of caller's request quickly and accurately. If the caller is scheduling an appointment, be sure to repeat the appointment time. If a new patient, also repeat the appointment time and ask if the caller needs directions to the clinic.
6) If there is a call for the doctor, ask to take a message. Record the caller's name, return phone number, reason for calling, date and time of call, and initial the note.
Christine Trofimchuck-group 21
ReplyDelete1)Employee answers "Thank you for calling ____Chiropractic, this is _____, how may I help you?"
2)Always answer the phone with a smile and be polite.
3)If the person asks to speak with the doctor ask for their name and number and tell them the doctor will return their call as soon as possible.
4)If it's a patient needing to schedule an appointment, ask if they would like morning or afternoon and what time would work for them. Before hanging up repeat the date and time to confirm with the patient. This will decrease appointment errors.
5)Never give patient any recommendations or treatment advice.
Sarah Dodge - Group 6
ReplyDelete1. Answer the phone as soon as possible by saying "Thank you for calling (name of clinic), this is (your name) how can I help you today?"
2. If the patient cancels an appointment, ask when they would like to reschedule.
3. If they are a new patient, schedule the appointment and direct them to your website where they can download and print off intake forms to help speed up the process. Before having up the phone, thank them for choosing your clinic and that you look forward to seeing them soon.
4. If the patient asks what the receptionist thinks about their complaint, etc, no medical advise should be given.
5. Before ending the call with the patient, make sure to verbally confirm the time and date of the appointment as a double check.
Group 4
ReplyDelete1. Smile - the person on the other end can hear it in your voice if you're smiling or not.
2. Routine incoming calls - "Thank you for calling ABC Chiropractic, this is __________, how may I help you?
3. Have a new patient script:
- Have you ever been to our office before?
- Great, can I have your name please?
Name: _____________________________________
Phone: _____________________
Can I ask what your main area of complaint is? _________________________________
Were you referred by anyone? _________________________
- The doctor has special times set up to consult with new patients like yourself. What’s better for you morning or afternoon? __AM __PM
- How is M T W TH F S at ________?
- Great, just to confirm, the doctor will see you at ________ on M T W TH F S at the clinic.
- Do you know directions to our office?
“Directions to our office can be found online at www.abcchiropractic.com.”
- Please come 15 minutes early so you can fill out the forms we have for you.
“If you would like to save a little time, you can fill out the form before you come in. That form can be found on our website at www.abcchiropractic.com. Just print it off, fill it out, and bring it in with you on your first visit.”
- Do you have any x-rays or MRI’s that you will be bringing along with you?
- It was a pleasure talking with you today, _(patient’s name)_. We’ll see you soon!
4. If a patient calls to cancel, always reschedule appointment for another day, even if only a tentative appoinment.
5. Answer the phone within 2-3 rings.
6. Do not put a person on hold unless absolutely necessary. If you must put someone on hold make sure it is not it's no longer than 2 minutes maximum.
1. The should be answered within a few rings.
ReplyDelete2. If the front desk person or the D.C. is currently dealing with a patient then they will kindly let them know you will answer the phone. The person will be asked to hold if it requires more time.
3. The phone will always be answered with "Thank you for calling(name of your practice)this is (name) how can we help you today." '
4. The person answering the phone will ask if they have even been to the office before.
If they have not been to the office before they will get a brief description about how the first visit will go and about how long it will take. The point of this is for the patient to be able to plan an appointment time around their own schedule.
5. No medical advice will ever be released over the phone. Unless the D.C. is speaking to the patient. Even in this case the information will be very limited.
6. At the end of ever phone conversation the person speaking on the phone will ask the potential patient if there is anything else we can help you with today.
Group 22
ReplyDelete1. Answer the phone with greeting. Hi This is ____ Chiropractic, this is ___ What may I help you today?
2. Speak with a clear voice and show energetic.
3. Train staff to jot clear notes for doctors to return phone calls. Patient name, phone number etc.
4. Express sympathy when callers mentions bad medical situations.
5. Always repeat the appointment time that patient had schueduled in the end of the call to reconfirm.
6. No treatment advice should be given on the phone.
Michael Junk - group 12
ReplyDelete1. Smile as you speak on the phone it makes you sound more enthusiastic and clients in the waiting room will notice.
2. Answer the phone by saying, "It's a great day at (clinic), this is (name). How can I help you?"
3. Take down the caller's name, number and reason for calling if there is something that the doctor needs to address because the front desk worker can't answer the question.
4. Only discuss personal information on a patient's file once you have confirmed the caller is who they say they are.
5. Thank the person for calling and that we at (clinic) look forward to serving them in the future.
Paul Infield Group 11
ReplyDelete1. When the employee answers the phone it is important to have them say something with a smile, but nothing that would insult the caller. Phrases like how are you dong today, why are you calling today, or things of that nature may anger the caller as they are currently in pain.
2. No information about the condition or or treatment of the condition should be given by staff over the phone or in person.
3. Answer the phone within just two to three rings.
4. Answer with, Hi this is______ at __________ Chiropractic. How may i help you today?
5. Ask the caller if there is any thing else you can do for them. Then let them know we appreciate their call.