Have you ever wondered whether there is an industry standard for the number of times a phone should be allowed to ring before a call is answered? Well, there is no hard and fast rule. There are best practices businesses try to follow, but so many things can influence them.
A general rule of thumb in the medical answering service industry is no more than three rings. Ideally, patients expect their calls to be answered on the first ring. But the practicality of first-ring answers in a busy medical environment is fleeting.
First-Ring Answers Make Patients Happy
No one would be surprised to learn that first-ring answers make patients happy. The same could be said in any other industry. People don’t call businesses because they want to spend an hour or more on the phone. They have questions or problems. They need assistance with something. And the sooner that assistance is proffered, the better the caller feels about it.
In addition, the need for first-ring answers is more pronounced in healthcare. Patients calling on behalf of a sick or injured family member have an urgent need. But even those calling just to schedule appointments are trying to accomplish something important. They are not just calling in with random questions or to say ‘hi’.
On the other side of the phone, a receptionist or medical answering service agent has no idea why a patient is calling when the phone first rings. There is no way to know if the caller’s needs are urgent. Therefore, it’s best not to take any chances. It is best to ensure that calls are picked up as quickly as possible.
Automatic Forwarding Technology
Fortunately, technology now makes it possible to automatically forward unanswered calls after so many rings. It’s a technology medical answering services employ when they are called on to provide supplemental reception during normal working hours.
Imagine a setup under which calls are automatically forwarded from a doctor’s office to a medical answering service after just three rings. If reception is busy and cannot take an incoming call, it is immediately rerouted to a call center where trained personnel take it.
Using a medical answering service to supplement the office during regular working hours ensures that calls never go unanswered. At the very least, a medical answering service can take messages that are immediately sent to the office. Most medical answering services can do a lot more.
Above and Beyond Messaging
Making sure calls are answered and messages are taken in a timely manner is just one reason for partnering with the medical answering service. But there is more to consider.
First off, leaning on an answering service to provide supplemental support during regular hours alleviates the need to temporarily hire staff at busy times. Offices make sure they have adequate staff to handle the usual phone volume. Supplemental services handle the overflow without having to hire more personnel.
Utilizing medical answering services can:
- Keep the rings to a minimum
- Reduce patient wait times on the phone
- Ensure clinicians never miss a message
- Provide triage (as necessary)
- Support appointment scheduling and modification
Of course, a medical answering service also handles calls after hours. That means evenings, weekends, and holidays.
There is no hard and fast rule dictating the number of times the phone should be allowed to ring before answering. But the fewer rings, the better for patients. And happy patients are better for the office. If you can keep the number of rings at three or fewer, you’re in good shape. Otherwise, consider bringing in help.
