Call reports are a useful analytics tool for medical answering services. Both answering services and their clients rely on analytics data to learn what is working and what is not. For example, call report data can help pinpoint call bottlenecks by converting raw call information into actionable insights.
It all starts with data. A reputable answering service compiles detailed metrics on call volume, wait times, abandonment rates, first call resolution, and call handling times. Practices can look at the data to identify all sorts of challenges, including efficient workflows and peak call times.
Data Quality Matters
Although call report data serves multiple purposes, pinpointing call bottlenecks is what we’re after in this post. To that end, data quality matters. Call reports contain metrics that are irrelevant to this particular task. So it is in a practice’s best interests to choose the right data for each question being asked by office managers.
Call reports typically include the following:
- Call Volume Trends – Reporting call volume trends by time of day, day of the week, etc. makes it easier to identify peak periods when call demand outstrips available agent supply.
- Time to Answer – Reporting the average amount of time it takes to answer reveals whether patients are waiting a long time to speak with an agent. Hold times are also included in this metric.
- Abandonment Rate – The abandonment rate reveals how many callers are hanging up before speaking with an agent.
- First Call Resolution – The first call resolution metric reveals how frequently patients are getting their problems resolved or questions answered during the first contact.
- Transfers and Callbacks – Reporting on transfers and callbacks makes for easier understanding of complex call flows.
Each of these five metrics reveals insights that help explain how, when, and why patients call rather than choosing another contact option. Insights gained from the metrics can further help practices figure out why they experience call bottlenecks.
Different Problems Need Different Solutions
Tracking call report data might reveal one pressing problem that seems to be causing the most trouble. Or it could reveal multiple smaller problems that all contribute to creating call bottlenecks. Regardless, different problems need different solutions.
For instance, call volume trend data might reveal that staffing is inadequate at certain times of the day. A practice can respond by reworking the office schedule, hiring additional help, or signing on with a medical answering service like Apello.
The end goal of all this is to handle inbound calls as efficiently as possible so that all patients are served without creating call bottlenecks. So it does no good to track call reporting data and then not do anything with it.
Signing Up With a Medical Answering Service
Perhaps you run a thriving medical office struggling with call bottlenecks. You have looked at all the data and still can’t figure out why the problem exists. First, know that you’re not alone. As medical offices have gradually gotten busier, limited office staff have struggled to keep up.
Your office doesn’t have to continue struggling with calls. As a medical answering service provider, Apello can come alongside your team to ensure that all inbound calls are handled appropriately. We can provide supplemental services during the day or take over your phones completely. If you prefer, we can take calls only at night, on weekends, and on holidays.
While you are thinking about it, remember that call reporting data can be a valuable tool if you use it correctly. The key to preventing call bottlenecks is to track the right data and then respond to what it tells you.
