Inbound calls are the meat and potatoes of growing your hearing practice. 92 percent of all customer interactions happen over the phone.1 With the proper training and a plan, every call is an opportunity. Calls can either allow your business to have a positive engagement with a current patient or to set up an appointment with a potential new client!
Some of the top ways you can start converting more inbound calls:
Be Prepared:
Don’t spend thousands on marketing campaigns – whether through direct mail, TV, radio, or Internet – without first preparing and informing your staff.
Some questions to consider to ensure that your practice is prepared include:
- Do you have a basic script prepared?
- Is your staff trained and ready for any possible scenario?
- Do your staff members know where to turn or what to do if someone asks a question they don’t have the answer to?
- Are you confident that everyone on your team is answering calls with the right tone and setting appointments with a sense of purpose?
Staff Training:
The point of directing calls to your business line is to set appointments. Your staff should be aware that this is their main objective and end goal for every interaction.
Does your staff know how to overcome any objections that might arise? It’s important to coach your team and give them the positive guidance they need to feel confident and prepared.
You don’t want the reception staff to spend too much time trying to answer questions and giving out details, that’s what appointments are for! If you answer all potential clients’ questions before they come in to see you, they may feel that they have received enough information without making an appointment.
This can also be dangerous. If a question or concern is answered by your staff and an issue is then dismissed by a patient, serious hearing issues could go untreated.
If your staff is doing anything other than setting appointments when they talk with customers you’re losing business. 37% of prospect calls are missed opportunities – meaning over a third of your potential revenue is going to your competitor.2
Customer Service:
Across the globe, 96% of consumers say customer service is an important factor in their choice of loyalty to a brand.3 Need we say more? Check out our blog post “Are You Missing These Three Key Customer Service Elements” to learn more
Response Time:
Along with customer service is response time. 12% of Americans rate their number one frustration with customer service as “lack of speed.” 27% of Americans report “lack of effectiveness” as their number one frustration with customer service.4
Having a quick response time is CRUCIAL for converting leads and ensuring that potential clients don’t take their business to your competitors.
If you know the times that staff is not going to be in the office to answer the phone, make sure that you have alternative methods in place for customers to schedule appointments as soon as they express interest.
