Due to the large volume of urgent calls at hospitals and medical companies, live call center agents continue to play a crucial role in the healthcare industry. Whether onsite or offsite, agents must be available to address patient needs throughout the day. This reduces the risk of abandoned calls that can cost you business.
While advanced technology is increasingly integrated into healthcare processes, there are still many situations in which customer service workers are the only way to provide the best patient experience possible.
Assistance with Appointment Scheduling and Management
A medical practice may receive dozens of calls each day per physician, whereas calls to hospitals often reach the thousands. In both settings, a service with live agents on standby can be customized to handle overflow calls at any time of day. This is the most cost-effective way to retain loyal customers while improving outcomes for patients.
Healthcare organizations need someone who can manage a variety of requests, such as:
- Scheduling, moving or canceling appointments
- Sending messages to physicians
- Fielding questions
- Managing waitlists
- Directing patients to the appropriate office or facility
Patients often have specific requests or need flexibility when making medical appointments, which a human being can address better than an automated system.
Agents Can Address Common Inbound Customer Service Challenges
Improving communications systems is one of the most urgent customer service priorities that the healthcare industry faces today. However, addressing the root causes of these problems can be complicated.
Many aspects of an organization can lead to inconsistent customer care, such as:
- Outdated customer access programs
- Inflated customer care costs
- Fragmented systems
- Financial clearance delays
- Dissatisfied patients and clients
Companies are right to want to ditch outdated aspects of their operations that aren’t paying off. The last thing you want is to “modernize” a system by replacing things that customers like, costing you loyalty and money. A call center with live, remote agents is sometimes the perfect way to address that balance. It just needs flexibility to scale with you, without requiring you to invest in unnecessary services or personnel.
Remote Call Centers Benefit Hospitals, Healthcare Providers, and Private Practices
A big benefit of human beings is they can resolve complex or unclear situations in a way that reduces the chance of mistakes caused by automated processes. For example, a person might better understand nuances in a patient’s insurance policy or medical condition. Having a person available who relates to the caller can improve their satisfaction with your brand. Patients are more likely to have a positive experience when they feel heard and understood.
How else do medical organizations benefit?
- Handling complex scenarios: Lighthouse Enterprises trains its agents to handle cases that are too complicated for bots or AI to manage. If a patient has multiple health conditions or a complex insurance issue, a live agent can help navigate these challenges more effectively.
- Quality control and feedback: A live agent can serve as a feedback loop to identify areas where patients are facing difficulties. This can be crucial for quality improvement efforts and for maintaining strong patient relationships.
- Adhering to regulations and compliance: Offsite agents can still ensure that sensitive matters are handled in accordance with privacy laws such as HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act).
Other Industries Also Benefit from Real Call Center Agents
Healthcare isn’t the only area that continues to benefit from live agents. Finance, technology, hospitality, and other industries are also turning to remote call centers to handle their inbound and outbound calls. All you need is a partner who demonstrates they are equipped to resolve problems in real time. As you look for solutions, ask about the call center’s retention rates and client track record to determine whether they will bring the level of success you need.
Here is a link to the industry page on the Lighthouse Enterprises website, where you can find out how we serve the needs of companies in a range of industries.
Outsource Your Call Center Needs to Lighthouse Enterprises
The team at Lighthouse Enterprises helps each client ensure its patients receive timely, accurate, and compassionate care. In an increasingly digital world, our highly trained agents are indispensable in delivering high-quality, patient-centered services.
Reach out to Lighthouse Enterprises to discuss what we can do for your business today!