subject: Choosing Your Answering Service Company [print this page] If you are unable to answer your patients calls properly due to a hectic work schedule, then it is high time that you employ the service of a reliable hospital answering service. Though there are many answering service companies available, not all can serve your requirements. You have to choose your service provider depending upon the scale of your practice, location, and specific requirements of your clinic and patients.
Here are some of the things you should consider for choosing the right answering service company.
Cost Nowadays, not only businesses but also professionals like medical practitioners are under immense pressure to keep the cost of their operations low. Therefore, it is important that you compare the costs of a few medical answering service providers in order to figure out the prevailing rates in your area. Remember, the cost of such a service is dependant upon various factors including what kind of features and services you need, whether you want service 24/7 or only during specific hours, and the volume of your calls. A firm may have a per-call rate or per-unit rate, where a unit could be anything from 1 to 60 seconds. To determine which package would best suit you, you should check the average duration and volume of your calls.
Location Make sure you choose a service provider that has a setup in U.S. Nowadays, many U.S. firms are outsourcing in order to keep their costs low. You should refrain from hiring such a firm, or instead of helping your patients, you may frustrate them. This is because, due to difference in accent and culture, outsourced staff may not be able to deliver service as per your expectations, thus defeating the entire purpose of hiring an answering service company.
Features Before you start your search for the right answering service company, you should decide what kind of service you really want. Do you want the firm to answer all your calls or only unattended calls? Do you want the service provider to only take and forward messages, or do you want them to schedule your appointments as well? Do you want a firm that can handle your calls even during disasters like fires and earthquakes? Once you know the answers to such questions, your search for the perfect firm will become easier.
Selecting an answering service company simply because it matches your requirements is not enough. Once you find firms that meet your criteria, you should get feedback about them through online reviews and directly by contacting their past and present customers. This will give you useful insights into working with the firms, their charges and fees, and their key advantages and disadvantages.
