Five Telephone Etiquette Tips for Medical Practice Staff
Meeting patient expectations is the surest way to increase their satisfaction with your practice. Telephone management is a good place to start.
Patient frustration and anger are generally the result of unmet expectations. It follows, therefore, that the fundamental task in improving patients' satisfaction is to manage and then meet their expectations. How your practice handles telephonic communication with patients provides four excellent examples.
Please note that none of the suggested strategies add any cost; most increase staff productivity, and some mitigate risk.
The principles presented apply to every interaction between human beings. Being aware of your patients' expectations, explicitly moderating them as necessary, and keeping your service promises is the key to increased and sustained patient satisfaction.
