The biggest misconception about a virtual receptionist is that they’re only servicing one practice’s calls. They function much like an in-office receptionist from afar, but that’s not the case. More often than not, one virtual receptionist is answering the phone for three, four, and sometimes five different medical practices all at once, and somehow, patients have no idea.
Here’s how it works. On any given day, a virtual receptionist could be on the line for a dermatology practice in Phoenix, a family practice in Seattle, and an orthopedic practice in Miami, all at the same time. But patients have never reported confusion and here’s how that’s possible.
The Technology That Makes It Possible
When a patient picks up the phone to call their doctor’s office, they assume that the person on the other end of the line is just down the hall—regardless of whether that’s the case or not. A highly advanced phone system connects receptionists who provide call routing capabilities which mean, when they pick up the line, they know exactly where they’re working, thanks to technology, and not memorization, within seconds.
The phone systems integrate to allow virtual receptionists access from their desktops or workstations. For instance, before they pick up the phone ringing, the technology signifies which practice is ringing in. When they answer that line, their screens populate with the practice name and logo, greeting script, and a myriad of information helpful for that specific office in that moment.
The technology handles the heavy lifting, but the receptionist still needs to switch mental gears immediately. That’s where specialized training comes in, and it’s more intensive than what most in-office staff receive. Professionals working with a virtual receptionist service for clinics undergo practice-specific onboarding that covers each office’s scheduling preferences, common procedures, insurance requirements, and even the personalities of frequent callers.
No Different Than Switching Gears
It’s almost impossible for someone to possess this level of compartmentalization; however, virtual receptionists are trained to do so through advanced programs. Additionally, the training they receive to become virtual receptionists gives them more knowledge about which practices they service than in-office receptionists have about their one office.
For starters, during training, virtual receptionists through specific healthcare companies undergo office-specific onboarding where everything they need to know about each practice is available for review. They learn scheduling habits (common days and times, common appointments) based on frequency of requests, insurance requirements and caller personality types who frequently call in for info and refills.
The biggest concern practices have about remote reception is how their patient information is going to be safeguarded from their competing offices across town. Understandably so, but considering mixed-up information regarding appointment slots or medical assessments could compromise patient safety and effective treatment measures, it’s critical to ease these concerns.
Information is kept separate through compartmentalized data systems. The system used for one practice is entirely different from one used for another, there are no shared databases where information could accidentally cross paths.
There’s no allowance for access granted to a receptionist handling a call at Practice A from Practice B—they physically cannot get into that system because it operates under a completely different number/account.
Moreover, virtual receptionists need to train their brains to compartmentalize this information as well. Just like how conversations at parties are kept compartmentalized so nobody confuses their neighbor’s bathroom renovation with the update from a co-worker, virtual receptionists are trained to do so specifically with this information.
Recognition Factors
There are also increased verification processes that in-house staff sometimes skip. For example, virtual receptionists double-check dates of birth before booking appointments or obtaining records; verifying by clients via phone, there’s no assumed practice on behalf of the caller.
This not only ensures misinformation doesn’t occur but it also champions accuracy over in-house staff who think they know who they’re talking to without confirmation.
Call Volume Expectations
It’s less about answering too many calls at once; it’s more about directing calls at appropriate rates throughout days and times. It’s not common that every single practice across five practices will hit busy hours at the same time because more often than not, they specialize in different things and have different patient bases.
For example, pediatric offices get slammed with calls between 7 AM and 9 AM as parents hope to secure a sick visit before heading into work. Dermatology offices get bombarded during lunch hours as many people try to schedule appointments on their break. Orthopedic practices may hit their busiest in the late afternoon as people go home from work and realize that bad knee they neglected for a month needs help.
But virtual reception services hire receptionists based on expected call volume, not necessarily assigning one receptionist per practice at all times; rather dynamic assignment occurs where receptionists-in-house rotate to answer whichever lines ring based on needs.
How It All Works
When one practice punches through its morning busyness, those receptionists shift gears and accommodate another practice that is hitting its busy hour, as long as time doesn’t run out on efforts needed as they’ve transitioned from one appointment type to another.
Essentially, virtual reception services share their reception capacity with multiple practices at once while still ensuring fidelity, so no one’s ever overstaffed or understaffed at any given moment. Thus, practices seeking one full-time dedicated receptionist are wasting this individual’s potential if they’re too busy or letting them sit idly during slow periods.
The system regulates wait times and call routing efforts in real-time endeavors. Once someone dials in or is placed on hold, they’re assigned as soon as someone who’s been trained specifically for this practice becomes available, with seconds to spare.
What Training Supports Seamless Coverage?
Virtual receptionists don’t just learn one practice’s procedures, they learn how to handle multiple practices’ procedures simultaneously, and shift gears accordingly throughout their shifts.
It’s a skill rarely afforded to traditional reception work in one office by itself since most in-office receptionists only have their practice to focus on.
New virtual receptionists are trained by obtaining access to one practice at a time, devoting multiple days to learn its nuances before allowing them back into rotation for subsequent practices.
They study providers on staff, what common services offered will formulate an easily deliverable roster of appointments? They pay attention to insurance panels, what referral procedures are needed? Are there common prescription refill protocols from trusted providers?
Most companies give new virtual receptionists access to cheat sheets/reference guides available during calls, although seasoned staff rarely need them since they’ve spent so much time learning either via virtually or presentation-style training sessions themselves.
They also receive nuanced training based on preferred greetings by practices,some medical professionals prefer formal greeting techniques without first names; others don’t mind relaxed approaches. Some practices highly encourage certain types of responses while others have their recommended processes.
The Difference It Makes
Virtual receptionists learn this information just like any other in-house receptionist would via documentation and role play; however, it’s fascinating how virtual receptionists can outperform someone who only works out of one office because they’ve seen various ways certain aspects function elsewhere and learned best practices cumulatively versus independently.
If one office has someone who runs particularly well with follow-ups, and that information is known among other offices, it’s helpful to take this knowledge with an awareness applicable across the board instead of operating strictly within silos for efficiency’s sake.
When Technology Fails
Of course, no system’s perfect; technology fails sometimes. Phone systems crash or go down completely, as do specific software systems from practices. Reliable internet connections fade, and outside patient expectations, it’s important to realize how virtual companies operate when technology fails.
Most virtual companies maintain redundant systems. Receptionists work for backup tech throughout all minutes of all hours, even if they operate with temp connections; once backing comes through, it comes through quickly (and virtually undetectably).
The more questionable scenario is tech failure specific to practice needs, if someone’s scheduling system goes down on any given day, that’s not the fault of the virtual company who operates under various options for each partner; when this happens, virtual receptionists go manual, it’s essentially like taking a note and fulfilling a request later if someone wants to book an appointment on Tuesday after Memorial Day but systems went down on Tuesday morning before the holiday break.
They’ll note which systems they’re having issues with so they can provide feedback later to IT, but sometimes issues arise outside acceptable system failings, and that’s okay as long as communication is offered about the request needed later on.
This provides better continuity than having someone attempt assistance solely within one office only because it’s better that someone who has trained lessons can assess IT after-the-fact versus strictly from one perspective, multiple differing software systems used by multiple partners provide insight into how those systems work seamlessly elsewhere but not here today, and may have other troubleshooting experience outside of protocols known by anyone involved.
Professionalism Matters
Ultimately, those patients attempting services by calling and needing appointments, answers or questions or concerns want to believe they’re talking to someone down the hall, they’re professional and reputable services provided by anyone hired through a virtual service, but more importantly it brings professionalism brought through reputable services acquired virtually within an easier-reaching atmosphere for longer than traveling through town ever would facilitate.
If virtual receptionists were caught getting tripped up unintentionally by job functions or missing opportunities granted by technical work provided throughout the day it’d be one thing, but virtually everything gets passed without complication, and that’s the goal, to make everything feel seamless amidst new-aged technology conversions made possible through multiple opportunities at once instead of solidified services provided through single entities digitized due to respected coworkers IRL for efficient measure-of-fruitfulness alike.
Practices benefit from professional telephonic services without fully investing into staffing efforts while patients get their questions answered quickly by those seemingly having proper answers as they’re answering without delay practically.
Since technology has made such upgrades significant enough since no healthcare setting was reliable enough approximately five years ago, and there weren’tenough quality connection services available, we can help heal problems sooner rather than later,
