{"id":51,"date":"2021-02-18T14:11:47","date_gmt":"2021-02-18T14:11:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wellreceived.com\/blog\/?p=51"},"modified":"2025-07-17T11:51:07","modified_gmt":"2025-07-17T11:51:07","slug":"hiring-an-answering-service","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wellreceived.com\/blog\/hiring-an-answering-service\/","title":{"rendered":"Hiring an answering service for your practice: Is it worth it?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

What expenditures can you control? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Having an in-house receptionist can be expensive and the downside is they\u2019re only available from 9-5 Monday-Friday. Medical receptionists can only answer one call at a time, so if multiple calls come through at once, calls will be dropped. One of the most efficient ways to control costs is by hiring an answering service. Nowadays, you can hire an answering service to handle your calls so you can focus on your patients. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are the<\/b> benefits of hiring an answering service?<\/strong> Virtual receptionists handle your calls, qualify leads, route calls, schedule appointments, and the best part is they\u2019re available 24\/7!<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The New York Times<\/em> recently published an article<\/a> in their Small Business section with advice for medical practitioners seeking help with their bottom line. The author, Katherine Reynolds Lewis, advises doctors to focus on what they can<\/em> control: expenditures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What struck me after reading this article: Nearly every piece of its advice can be followed by hiring an answering service.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m going to go through each point and illustrate how an answering service is in keeping with Ms. Lewis\u2019 budget-conscious tips. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLimit Staff Costs\u201d<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Staffing presents one of the greatest savings potentials for medical offices. A smaller, more efficient staff means reduced expenses in terms of salary, benefits, vacation pay and annual leave. However, rather than asking specialists to take over office duties, just ask an answering service to assist you with your administrative tasks. They\u2019re not called \u201cvirtual receptionists<\/a>\u201d for nothing. Remote operators can perform basic office tasks like taking messages, scheduling appointments or placing reminder calls to patients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cSpread Out Fixed Expenses\u201d<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Practices with multiple physicians have the luxury of sharing expenses, whereas the private single-physician practice is a one-man-show and is in charge of all expenses. An answering service is no exception to this rule; contact centers are ideal for handling multiple doctors\u2019 calls. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The remote operator can either route calls or send messages to the appropriate personnel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGo Electronic\u201d<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Thanks to shared applications, virtual receptionists can access the same appointment calendars and customer databases as on-site office staff. Any changes made to these online applications are updated in real-time. And since the software is maintained by the contact center, medical practices don\u2019t have to worry about network administration or staffing technical support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cMonitor and Tweak as Needed\u201d<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

One of the most cost-efficient aspects and benefits of an answering service <\/strong>is its ability to shrink or grow as business demands. Most contact centers have usage-based fees and allow upgrading or downgrading as needed. Take flu season in stride with extra minutes or slim down during the slower months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

WellReceived\u2019s 24\/7 live call answering service is here for you anytime, anywhere. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For more information, click here<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Quick takeaways.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n