Consider these ideas to improve communication with patients while reducing the volume of telephone calls:
Offer more lines of communication: Providing options like an online platform, a chat function and email can help reduce call volume and make your phone lines more manageable.
Take better messages: Establish parameters for how to take a message to ensure your staff is collecting the right information, like contact numbers, description of the problem and health history. A stronger message-taking system prevents the constant back and forth between you and your patients over the phone.
Schedule staff strategically: Your call volume likely reaches its peak at a certain point in the day. Make sure you're prepared by scheduling the bulk of your front office employees to work at this time. Working with a call answering service like AnswerHero can also help with overflow and reduce the number of calls your staff has to manage.