How To Improve Your Office s Communication Through Better Messaging

Telephone Techniques How To Improve Your Office s Communication Through Better Messaging 2012 Dexcomm All Rights Reserved

2 PREFACE: JAMEY HOPPER PRESIDENT Operating as a 24/7/365 Telephone Answering Service and Medical Exchange since November of 1954 we have developed skills and techniques that allow us to delight a wide range of clients. As we have grown and prospered for over 50 years we feel now is a great time to give something back to the community. Included in this book are tips and tools for use in your office that will enhance your communication and productivity. One of the great learning tools we have employed is the willingness to learn from our mistakes. Please take advantage of our many years of experience and avoid some of the pitfalls that we have experienced. Our hope is that your office can adopt some of these tools to make your life a bit less complicated and allow you a bit more uninterrupted leisure time. Our passion is properly serving customers. Thanks for Listening! PLEASE NOTE: Our e-books are designed to provide information about the subject matter covered. It is distributed with the understanding that the authors and the publisher are not engaged in rendering legal, accounting or other professional services. If legal advice or other professional assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought. CORPORATE: 518 Patin Rd. Carencro, LA 70520 337.236.8300/ 877.Dexcomm (339.2666) AsktheExpert@dexcomm.com Dexcomm.com Helping the world connect, one message at a time.

3 TABLE OF CONTENTS MEET OUR EXPERTS Understanding the Challenge DANA TRAINING SUPERVISOR KARL OPERATIONS SUPERVISOR The Importance of Customer Service Self Evaluation KIM QUALITY ASSURANCE DIRECTOR HETTIE CUSTOMER SERVICE OFFICER Training is the Key to Success Our Dexcomm Customer Service Experts would like to share with you some tips for bringing top notch telephone techniques into your business by sharing this information with you. Options Toolbox Appendix CORPORATE: 518 Patin Rd. Carencro, LA 70520 337.236.8300/ 877.Dexcomm (339.2666) AsktheExpert@dexcomm.com Dexcomm.com Helping the world connect, one message at a time.

4 Understanding the Challenge IN THIS SECTION The Issue The Challenges The Obstacles KARL SCHOTT OPERATIONS SUPERVISOR Every office is different. Understanding the unique challenges the people answering your phones face is the first step to providing outstanding customer service. CORPORATE: 518 Patin Rd. Carencro, LA 70520 337.236.8300/ 877.Dexcomm (339.2666) AsktheExpert@dexcomm.com Dexcomm.com Helping the world connect, one message at a time.

5 What does it sound like to patients and other callers when your staff answers the phone? That is a question that every business owner should ask when evaluating customer service practices. Your customers and patients form an impression about your office based on both their experiences in person and over the phone. The operations of a medical office or any business can be tested while managing a high volume of incoming calls. The challenges presented during high call volumes can be overwhelming for your staff and cause patients to often feel neglected and/or frustrated. Do these challenges sound familiar? Multiple phone lines ringing Receiving incorrect or incomplete messages Patients or callers demanding doctor or supervisor Patients in need of appointments or prescriptions calling repeatedly Patients in the waiting room feeling frustrated with failed customer service expectations Vendors and reps waiting with correspondence and issues Office personnel complaining that they are too busy for lunch breaks Managing after-hour calls and messages that are not emergencies Overwhelming feelings of tension spilling from staff to patients Decreasing referrals due to slow communication In addition to the presented challenges, obstacles such as non-verbal cues like facial expressions, eye contact and body language that often help resolve a communication breakdown are absent when communication is in the form of a phone call.

6 The Importance of Customer Service IN THIS SECTION The Critical Component What Makes a Good Patient Call Experience What Customers are Really Thinking Customer Service QUIZ and HETTIE DUNWOODY CUSTOMER SERVICE OFFICER ANSWER KEY A customer s expectations of service is established with their first impression of your business which is usually done by phone. CORPORATE: 518 Patin Rd. Carencro, LA 70520 337.236.8300/ 877.Dexcomm (339.2666) AsktheExpert@dexcomm.com Dexcomm.com Helping the world connect, one message at a time.

7 The Critical Component Good customer service training is vital for any key position that has contact with your patients and clients. The same applies to the person handling your business s phone calls. Reviewing this information with your staff and coaching them on phone interactions will improve your office communication and lead to better messaging and improved patient experiences. What Makes a Good Patient Call Experience? A recent survey by Ernan Roman Direct Marketing, in which respondents said: What Customers are Really Thinking... Listen to me Know more than I do (about your product or service) Be easy to work with Give me what I came for Smile Tell me your name Acknowledge my presence Don t treat me like an interruption Show me you care Don t waste my time Be honest Offer alternatives if you don t have what I want High quality and low prices Don t try to sell me just help me Do what you say you re going to do Keep me informed

8 Customer Service QUIZ ANSWER KEY TRAINING TOOL Use this answer key to test your staff s customer service knowledge. GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE Smile Sound like a real person and not automated Treating customers like real people Reliable Offer solutions, not excuses Admit when you make a mistake (we are all humans) Move forward with a solution Take responsibility for their actions Are able to answer customer s questions Always friendly Strive for accuracy Show genuine concern for making their customer happy Bring fast resolution of problems Do what you say you will do Have empathy Are flexible and adaptable Always courteous Follow up consistently Take notes Deliver on their promises Say thank you Use prompt and clear communication LOUSY CUSTOMER SERVICE Don t answer the phone promptly Can only help via email, no phone contact Act like customers are a burden Treat people like numbers, not people Waste their time Act like you (or your company) never make mistakes Ignoring customers Argue with customers Lack of knowledge about company s product and situations Poorly trained Don t finish helping others Let their stress or personal problems interfere with helping customers Don t recognize how long they ve been a customer Obviously don t care Sound or act like robots Put customers on hold for a long time Transfer customers too many times Fail to do what you say you will do Are inflexible or not adaptable Don t have the authority to resolve problems Do not listen Take too long to respond or call back

Customer Service QUIZ Determine which of the following items are great customer service or lousy customer service. Write a G for GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE or L for LOUSY CUSTOMER SERVICE to the left of each item. Admit when you make a mistake (we are all humans) Act like customers are a burden Act like you (or your company) never make mistakes Always courteous Always friendly Are able to answer customer s questions Are flexible and adaptable Are inflexible or not adaptable Are not willing to correct bad service Are rude Are too slow Argue with customers Bring fast resolution of problems Can only help via email, no phone contact Deliver on their promises Do not listen Do not use common sense when helping customers Do what you say you will do Don t answer the phone promptly Don t finish helping others Don t have the authority to resolve problems Don t recognize how long they ve been a customer Fail to do what you say you will do Follow up consistently Have empathy Ignoring customers Lack of knowledge about company s product and situations Let their stress or personal problems interfere with helping customers Move forward with a solution Obviously don t care Offer solutions, not excuses Poorly trained Put customers on hold for a long time Reliable Say thank you Seem bored or indifferent about their jobs Show genuine concern for making their customer happy Smile Sound like a real person and not automated Sound or act like robots Strive for accuracy Take notes Take responsibility for their actions Take too long to respond or call back Transfer customers too many times Treat people like numbers, not people Treating customers like real people Use prompt and clear communication Waste their time

10 Self Evaluation IN THIS SECTION Evaluating for Positive Patient Experiences Assuring Quality Situational Evaluation KIM LIGHTELL QUALITY ASSURANCE DIRECTOR We take pride in assuring our customers receive the highest level of quality. CORPORATE: 518 Patin Rd. Carencro, LA 70520 337.236.8300/ 877.Dexcomm (339.2666) AsktheExpert@dexcomm.com Dexcomm.com Helping the world connect, one message at a time.

11 Evaluating for Positive Patient Experiences When do phone calls come in? Do you experience an increase in your call volume on different days or during certain parts of the day? How many calls do you answer each day? Are your patients getting a busy signal because of how many calls are coming in and how many are already answered? What type of calls do you get? How long do callers wait on hold? Do you have hold music or dead air? How easy is it to get to the person the patient needs to speak with? How do your patients reach you after hours? Assuring Quality Evaluating is important for maintaining positive patient/customer service. Think about times when you ve called similar businesses. How do your experiences relate to the experience a patient or customer receives at your office? To achieve the level of quality that your office expects, we recommend utilizing a standardized grading form like the sample below. The full Quality Assurance Evaluation form can be found in the Toolbox section.

12 TRAINING TOOL Listen to the phrasing your staff is currently using and use this chart to evaluate if the techniques currently being used are reflective of the experience you want to share with others. We recommend that this is spot checked frequently. THE SITUATION THE GOAL THE PLACE FOR IMPROVEMENT Answering calls before the Third ring After 6 rings Your greeting when you answer the phone should be My speaking voice should sound The language I should use on the phone is Warm and enthusiastic, make the caller feel welcome Enunciate clearly, voice volume moderate and speak slowly Using phrases such as Certainly or Very well to show you understand Robotic without a smile Mumbling, speaking too softly,too loudly or too quickly Using slang such as OK or No problem When you don t have the information you need When I take messages, they should be When I return phone calls, they should be within When I train my employees Closing the conversation with a caller When you have to put the caller on hold When you don t know how to solve the problem Handling difficult callers or calls Responding to a complaining caller Responding to a vague caller Responding to an unfriendly caller Responding to an aggressive caller I can find that for you. I don t have that information. Accurate and complete. Ask the caller to repeat or spell the words you don t understand. The next business day All calls should be answered the same way Thank the caller, let the caller know you appreciate the call and let the caller know the next step Ask them to hold, tell the caller what work you are going to do before you put them on hold, wait for a response, and when you return thank them for holding Mrs. Jones from the billing department can help you with that. Before you make the call, develop an action plan. Greet the customer friendly, state the purpose of your call, deliver your message professionally, ask for agreement Listen with understanding, show sincere interest in their problem, and a willingness to help. Do not interrupt and never give excuses. Maintain patience and good humor, keep a smile in your voice and keep your professionalism Smile as you speak, deal with the matter as quickly as possible Speak calmly at an even pitch, control your temper, ask and keep asking for facts Somewhat accurate and complete Two business days To answer however they think best Not thanking the caller, and not assuring the issue will be resolved Telling the caller to Hold, please and not waiting for a response This is not my responsibility or This department doesn t handle that. Arguing with the caller instead of listening and trying to help Not listening and not showing willingness to help. Losing your temper and placing blame Losing patience, being abrupt and getting sidetracked. Making personal remarks, and being sarcastic Responding with aggression, and telling them you can t deal with their behavior

13 Training is the Key to Success IN THIS SECTION Telephone Phrases EXERCISE Waiting Room/Lobby Role Playing EXERCISE LISTEN POSTER DANA LEWIS TRAINING SUPERVISOR We dedicate time and resources developing our partnerships with our clients and friends through our staff and their development. CORPORATE: 518 Patin Rd. Carencro, LA 70520 337.236.8300/ 877.Dexcomm (339.2666) AsktheExpert@dexcomm.com Dexcomm.com Helping the world connect, one message at a time.

14 Telephone Phrases EXERCISE TRAINING TOOL Use the phrases below to ask your staff if they would give it a thumbs up or a thumbs down. This will give you a tool to start the conversation and training on telephone techniques. THUMBS UP THUMBS DOWN Let me check if the doctor is available. Do you mind holding one moment please? I apologize if no one called you back. What can I do to help you right now? Please contact us immediately if you have a concern. What can I do to help? The doctor is away from his/her phone. What is your name and contact information? I will ask him/her to return your call. I m sorry for the long wait, how can I help you? One moment please; one sec; hold; hold please; one minute. I m sorry I didn t call you back; I was tied up in a meeting. Feel free to call if you have a problem. We may be able to solve it. I don t understand why the last person didn t help you. The doctor is not available right now. Why don t you call back in an hour? I m sorry it took so long. Now, what do you want? Thank you for waiting, how can I help? I m sorry you had to wait. The other receptionist is so slow. Our policy is to require in this case. I m pretty sure that s against our policy. We have a poor connection -or- I m having trouble hearing you. Your phone is breaking up.

15 Waiting Room/Lobby Role Playing EXERCISE TRAINING TOOL Have your staff role play the situations below and then ask them to give it a thumbs up or a thumbs down. *The blanks are left for you to customize the training to your office. THUMBS UP THUMBS DOWN Friendly greet patients/customers upon arrival Chewing and popping gum while playing with your cell phone Make sure you are ready to help in any way possible Not being attentive or multitasking during the conversation Stand up straight Sighing deeply, folding your arms and slouching in your chair Make eye contact and smile Listen to what the customer is saying and try to solve their problems Maintain a presence at the front desk Not making eye contact, or if you do look sullen and bored Repeatedly looking at your watch Leaving the front desk for long periods of time

Listening takes the whole body to get it right! L Legs (as in your posture): Stand up straight, look at the speaker, be alert, be attentive, show the speaker that you are concerned about what they have to say. I Intelligence (as in your brain): You must think hard as you listen to try to best understand what the speaker is saying. Try to understand their perspective; their point of view. You can never walk in their shoes but you can try to imagine what it is like to be in their situation. Use the imagination your brain allows to fully understand where they are coming from. S Stomach (as in your gut): What does your gut tell you about what the speaker means by what they are saying? This goes beyond just their words; what is their real meaning? T Tongue (as in your mouth): Use it only to reflect what the speaker is saying or to ask for clarification. Otherwise, do NOT open your month or use your tongue. Listening is not debating. Listening is focusing on the speaker and comprehending their message. E Eyes: Watch for any signals your eyes can pick up: energy & enthusiasm come across in body language. So do anger, hurt, disappointment and most other emotions. Pick up the emotions with the eyes, not the ears. N Nervous System (as in your sensory receptors) : As you can tell from the above comments, much of communication is non-verbal. Some say that nonverbal communication contains as much as 85% of the speaker s message. Use all of your senses to pick up the 85% that is not coming from the words the speaker is using.

17 Options IN THIS SECTION Other Options Top 10 Considerations When Looking for an Answering or Messaging Solution Our Dedication to Development, Training and Compliance Gil Brassard Jr. Sales Manager An answering service is an extension of your business don t allow just anyone to represent YOUR VOICE. CORPORATE: 518 Patin Rd. Carencro, LA 70520 337.236.8300/ 877.Dexcomm (339.2666) AsktheExpert@dexcomm.com Dexcomm.com Helping the world connect, one message at a time.

18 Remember. Ensuring your patients or clients are receiving excellent customer service is vital to the success of your practice. Evaluate phone traffic by reviewing recorded calls or by performing live quality assurance checks of your staff s performance Train receptionists and/or healthcare workers on customer service skills Consider contacting an expert, like Dexcomm, for answering and messaging solutions Other Options Running a medical practice or another business doesn t always leave time for managing the customer service side of your company. That s when businesses like ours can help you out! Top 10 Considerations When Looking for an Answering or Messaging Solution 1. How long has the answering service been in business? 2. Is the answering service HIPAA compliant? What does the training program look like? 3. Will the answering service supply you with references? 4. Does the answering service have back-up power and a Disaster Preparedness and Recovery Plan? 5. Is a long-term contract or commitment required? 6. Are there additional charges for nights/weekends, holidays or emergency evacuations? Are you being quoted a monthly rate? 7. Does the service charge based on time or number of calls answered? 8. Will all of your calls be recorded? (This will provide valuable information for any legal or quality assurance issues) 9. Is the service customizable to your business? Does the company offer a variety of message notification methods such as email, fax, SMS broadcast, alpha paging, voicemail and patching to meet your current and future needs? 10. Can you make real-time updates to your on-call schedule?

19 Our Dedication to Development, Training and Compliance All new hires are put through an extensive application process involving several interviews with multiple company executives. We insist upon the successful completion of a full background check and drug screen. Additionally, the operator must sign a confidentiality agreement. We ensure that potential employees exemplify our core values, fit within our company culture and have the skills needed to serve our customers. Upon hire, we enter them into an extensive classroom-based training setting where they are educated on our operating system and our focus on customer service under the supervision of a dedicated and experienced training department. During the classroom-based training period, potential operators are educated on phone etiquette, customer service, how to handle a variety of situations, and are equipped with an industry-leading training manual. Additionally, operators are provided one-on-one training with management, exposed to live calls in peer-to-peer training, and are supported by floor managers during independent live calls. Since 1989, before HIPAA was implemented, Dexcomm focused on and conducted confidentiality training because of our long history and understanding of the medical community. Starting in 2003, operators were introduced to two subject matter experts (SMEs); one with a registered nurse (RN) who has over 25 years of experience and an attorney who is specialized in HIPAA regulations. The RN explains in detail what to expect when speaking with doctors, other nurses and various health-care providers. The attorney educates the operators on HIPAA rules and regulations. Our operators are then given a written test on both SMEs seminars. Once the initial training program is completed, their education is not over; operators are moved into advanced training. In this ongoing phase, they attend monthly in-services and are consistently monitored and evaluated by a large team of managers. The Training Department, who oversees this process, ensures HIPAA compliance, maintains our high-level of customer service and enforces quality control. To produce best-practice telephone techniques, our Training Department developed a thorough closed-loop system. Calls are reviewed by a dedicated Quality Assurance Department, a division of the Training Department, who listen and score the operator s calls in real-time and for review. The department meets regularly to calibrate their scoring and provide feedback to the Training Department. Operators are given monthly, sometimes weekly, reviews on their performance.

20 Toolbox Downloadable Forms Websites Quality Assurance Evaluation http://officeskills.org/telephone_etiquette.html Voicemail Samples - Medical Voicemail Samples - Non Medical http://sbinfocanada.about.com/cs/ timemanagement/a/telephonetips1.htm How To... CALL FORWARD REMOTE ACCESS Call Forward Remote Acess gives you the power to control your business line from nearly anywhere you have access to a telephone line. There are literally hundreds of reasons you may not have access to your main business line, but would like to change the final destination of any call that comes into that line. Suppose you lose power in your office during the day and suddenly you don't have access to your main phone lines. What if you could pick up your cell phone, dial a number, enter a code, and then forward your business line somewhere a live person could answer the phone? Call Forward Remote Access gives you this power. Suppose your secretary leaves the office, makes her normal commute home, and then realizes she forgot to forward the lines to the answering service when she left. In most cases someone has to make the drive all the way back to the office and forward the phones so that sales aren't lost, patients are taken care of, or service calls can be handled. Call Forward Remote Access eliminates the need to ever have to drive back to the office to forward your telephone lines. HOW TO FORWARD YOUR PHONE LINE 1. Check with your phone provider and make sure you have the feature enabled on your line. Your phone provider should also provide you with the feature code you ll need to enable and disable call forwarding. 2. Pick up the line that has forwarding enabled and enter your feature code (this is usually 72# or *72 depending on who the phone provider is). Don t hang up! 3. When you hear your dial tone again, enter the number to which you wish your calls forwarded. 4. Once that number starts ringing, you can be confident that your lines are forwarded. 5. Test the lines! Pick up another phone and dial the number you tried to forward. Make sure it s being answered the way you want it to. HOW TO UNFORWARD YOUR PHONE LINE 1. Check with your phone provider and make sure you have the feature enabled on your line. Your phone provider should provide you with the feature code you ll need to disable the call forwarding. 2. Pick up the line that is forwarded and enter your feature code (this is usually 73# or *73 depending on who the phone provider is). Then you can hang up. 3. Test the lines! Pick up another phone and dial the number that was forwarded. Make sure it s being answered the way you want it to. CORPORATE: 518 Patin Rd. Carencro, LA 70520 337.236.8300/ 877.Dexcomm (339.2666) AsktheExpert@dexcomm.com Dexcomm.com Helping the world connect, one message at a time.

21 Appendix Works Cited Cheapest Telephone Answering Service-10 Tips For Finding the Best. 9 Feb. 2012 http://tips.artcony.com/2012/02/cheapest-telephone-answering-service-10 -tips-for-finding-the-best/. Stirtz, Kevin. The Amazing Customer Service Toolkit. Amazingserviceguy.com. Copyright 2008. <http:www.amazingserviceguy.com>. Tips for the Receptionist or Secretary. Office Skills.org. http://officeskills.org/telephone_etiquette.html. Ward, Susan. Time Management Tips for Outgoing Telephone Calls. About.com. http://sbinfocanada.about.com/cs/timemanagement/a/telephonetips1.htm. Looking for More? A SPECIAL THANKS TO Our Dexcomm Contributors TONI NEWKIRK Baton Rouge Supervisor MARY BETH TIPTON Business Office Administrator RACHEL MCELROY REBEKKAH SONNIER Director of Strategic Planning and Corporate Communications Human Resources Associate CORPORATE: 518 Patin Rd. Carencro, LA 70520 337.236.8300/ 877.Dexcomm (339.2666) AsktheExpert@dexcomm.com Dexcomm.com Helping the world connect, one message at a time.