Auto Attendant Recording Tips for Doctors and Dentist Offices

Does your phone system have an auto attendant that was recorded by your office manager, one of your staff or perhaps your phone installer’s voice? As a busy healthcare professional, you’re not always focused on “branding”, and as a result it’s very likely that the voice of your recording sounds amateur.

The problem is that a your main greeting is so important, as often times it’s your “first impression” that can determine whether or not a new prospective patient will schedule an appointment with you or not.  Have you ever even listened to your auto attendant recording? I mean really listened?  Maybe its time to pick up a phone and call yourself. Do it now.

Below, we give you some helpful tips to ensure that your automated phone attendant recordings sound professional, and easily guide your callers to the person or department they need quickly.

Sample:

So what’s the quality of your auto attendant recordings?

Quality starts by analyzing your recordings as we recommended above. You want to retain some level of formality in the message, because professionalism is highly valued in your line of work. You don’t want to alienate callers with amateur sounding greetings that might make them think about choosing a different provider. Often times when recorded in a staff members voice, your recordings will have poor sound quality and background noise.

Remember,  your phone system recordings are an excellent opportunity to leave a positive impression with your caller. By using a professional voice for your recordings, you’re able to  positively present your company, reinforce your company image and brand, and above all make your business sound credible and more professional.

Avoid the #1 Auto Attendant Recording Blunder!

Your phone system’s auto attendant can either impress your callers, or not. It can help then or annoy them. While there are many advantages to having an automated phone menu on the company’s side, but your patients’  needs should come first. Try not to overload it with lots of options. Just list three to five of the most common ones. That can be tricky, since you don’t want it to be too long. You don’t want callers having to navigate your menu for minutes to only discover their query isn’t being met. Your business should aim to inform callers, but avoid overwhelming them with a massive list of options.

Why Your Auto Attendant Script Can Make or Break the Caller Experience?

Auto attendants help guide your callers through what could otherwise be a confusing routing system. Replacing the need for a human secretary to answer all calls and redirect to the best department  if they’re setup in a way that makes it easy for callers to navigate. Except that’s a fairly big “if”.

Often times, we find that most auto attendant recordings are too long, confusing, and complicated which leaves callers frustrated. You don’t want your automated attendant to me a source of friction within the caller’s journey. That’s why the script, and journey, that customers follows will be a crucial role in improving that overall customer experience by reducing as much friction as possible.

Doctors Office Sample:

Doctors who run their own practices are responsible for the entire organization’s voicemail greeting. In this case, just give the facts: when your practice is open, how patients can sign up for appointments, who is on call, and other pertinent information that affects how callers interface with your practice.

You’ve reached Palm Coast Medical Group. If this is a true medical emergency, hang-up and dial 911. Our office hours are from 9 am to 4 pm, Monday through Thursday. If you know your parties extension dial it now, otherwise please choose from the following menu options. To schedule an appointment dial 1. To reach our medical records department dial 2. For prescription refills dial 3.  To leave a message in our general mailbox dial 4. To repeat these options dial star.

The tone of the message is professional but caring. The caller’s well being is dealt with immediately – critical patients are told to dial 911 before any other information is revealed. The rest of the message gradually reveals the who, what, and when of the practice’s daily operations, so callers can decide if they want to try again during office hours instead of leaving a voicemail.

Dental Office Sample:

A dentist’s office auto attendant script is quite similar to a doctor’s office. It should cover the basics: when the office is open, how to schedule an appointment, and what emergency services are available.

Thank you for calling Happy Smiles. Our offices are open Monday through Thursday, 8 am to 6 pm. If this is an after hours dental emergency, dial star to reach our emergency team, otherwise please choose from the following menu options. To schedule an appointment, dial 1.  To reach our  billing department dial 2. For insurance questions, dial 3. To reach the office manager dial 4.  To repeat these options dial the pound sign.

Like the doctor’s office greeting, this dentist office greeting anticipates the caller’s oral health needs before he or she can leave a message. This gives callers the information needed quickly.

Final Thoughts…

You’ve called the big Fortune 500 companies. Their greetings are smooth and sound great.  That doesn’t happen by luck. This level of professionalism isn’t free, but it is more affordable that you might think. Callers find them easier to listen to: Because voice talents have a pleasant voice with exceptionally clear enunciation, callers find the messages and instructions read by them more interesting and enjoyable than messages recorded by non-professionals.

Would you like your business to sound more professional?  Contact Us and we will consult with you to learn the best way to design and organize your phone systems auto attendant menu that will turn your telephone into a powerful image building and sales tool and set you apart from the competition.