New Patient Phone Call

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NEW PATIENT PHONE CALL

Sample Script

Prospective new patients will call your office often just to see if they like you or not. They may be calling a number of offices, or having seen your web site, call you. They are checking you out, cautious, distrustful, but maybe hopeful that you can help them.

How you answer the phone, your warmness and level of authentic interest, as well as your ability to honestly and intelligently answer their questions will make a difference whether or not they decide to make an appointment.

Answering the phone is an art. It is a skill that takes practice and professionalism. Call up other offices or businesses and see how cordial they are and how they make you fee. Are they in a hurry, are you interrupting them from their paperwork? Is the person answering the phone bored or disinterested or doing something else? Is she a 16 year old who speaks with gum in her mouth and doesn’t know where the doctor went to school or much about “chiropractics”?

We recommend practicing phone scripts every now and then. Try to practice the script with a bored attitude and then with a cheerful attitude. Just to shake things up, practice with a different accent or how a celebrity might do the script. Make it fun but practice often and this will help keep your greetings fresh and give them the importance prospective patient calls deserve.

One old trick is to put a mirror under the counter with a sign: “are you showing your teeth?” Callers can tell if you are smiling when you are on the phone.

Below is a sample script you can use on the front desk when new people call your office. Use it as a guide and customize it for your office. Also, each person who answers the phone should be themselves and not sound robotic.

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NEW PATIENT PHONE CALL

Sample Script

Patient makes phone call to office and CA answers …

CA: “Thank you for calling Sample Chiropractic, this is Mary, how may I help you?”

PT: “I would like to make an appointment.”

CA: “That’s great! When was the last time you saw the doctor?”

PT: “I haven’t been to your office yet.”

CA: “That’s fine, let me get a little bit of information from you and then we will get you scheduled as soon as possible.”

CA: “Is this visit for you or your family?”

CA: “What is your name?” Could you spell your first and last name for me?”

CA: “What is your address?”

CA: “And your daytime phone number please.”

CA: “ ______, your date of birth is?”

CA: “Who may we thank for telling you about our office?” (This is an indication of which doctor to schedule the patient with. It also, hints that referrals are welcome)

CA: “Did you use the yellow pages or internet to find our phone number?” If yes, “Was it the SBC Yellow Pages or the One Book? Insurance website or google?

CA: “Is this visit for a specific problem or for wellness care?” If for a specific problem, “What is the problem?”

CA: “Is this condition related to a work injury or result of a car accident?”

CA: “Will you be expecting your insurance company to contribute to your care?” If yes, “What is the name of the company?” "Please make sure to bring your insurance card with you when you come to your visit."

CA: “O.K., let me take a look at Dr. ______’s schedule. Please hold, I will be right back with you, O.K.?”

CA: “Dr. ______could see you at 10:00 or 3:00 today, which one would work best for you?”

CA: “All right, so we are going to see you this afternoon at 3. I’ll email you an appointment confirmation along with a link to our new patient forms. If you want to print and complete those at home it will save you around ten or fifteen minutes in the office. I’ll include a link to google maps that shows right where we’re located. Can I get your email address?

CA: “Well great ______, we look forward to seeing you at ______on ______. Thank you for calling.”

More Information on the Script for

the New Patient Phone Call

"When was the last time you were seen in our office?" This should be the first question after answering the phone. When the patient answers "I've never been there" you will know that they are a new patient.

When you receive a new patient phone call, pull out a New Patient Form. These forms should be readily available at your front desk and wherever an incoming phone call could be answered (i.e. insurance office, etc.). Follow the form by asking the first question “Is this visit for you or your family?”

Some of the questions may seem odd, however, they are meant to send a message to the new patient and set the tone of our office. For example the first question is telling the patient that we are a family practice and we want him/her to bring in his/her spouse and/or children.

The patient will want you to schedule him/her right away, but it will be necessary for you to maintain control of the telephone conversation.You can say the following:

Let me get some information from you Mr. Jones, and then I will get you scheduled as soon as possible. O.K.?
Is this visit for you or your family?
Please spell your first and last name for me.
What is your address (get city and zip code too)?
Mr. Jones, what is your daytime phone number?
And your date of birth?
Who may we thank for telling you about our office?
Did you use the Yellow Pages or the Internet to find our telephone number? If yes, what phone book or web site? Is this visit for a specific problem or wellness care? If specific problem, what is the problem?
Is your condition related to a work injury or result of a car accident?
Will you be expecting your insurance company to contribute to your care? If yes – “What is the name of your insurance company?”

Make notes of any important information the patient reports to you and be sure to inform the doctor.

Next, schedule the patient a.s.a.p. for a 60 minute appointment. You should always try to get the patient in on the same day if possible. Remember, 8:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. are the times you want to steer-away from. These are the times our patients whom are already on treatment plans will want to come in.

If it is necessary to schedule late in the day, check with the doctor to see if he/she could possibly stay late or work through lunch. Let the patient know the doctor is slightly inconvenienced and doing the patient a favor and this appointment time will not be available in the future. “Mr. Jones, if you are in pain and need to see the doctor today, please come in at the end of our office hours. I have checked with Dr. ______and he/she will be able to stay late for you tonight.”

Finally, get the patent’s email address and send them the templated email (see below). If they don’t have or don’t want to supply their email address, let them know to arrive 15 minutes before the appointment time so they can complete the paperwork, and verify they know how to find your office.

At the end, you can say:

“Great Mr. Jones, we look forward to seeing you this afternoon at 3:00. The doctor will do his best to help you with your problem. Thank you for calling.”

Email Follow Up Template

“Dear [First Name].

Thank you for speaking with me today. This is to confirm your appointment at Sample Chiropractic Office on [Thursday, March 23, at 3:00 pm]. Please click on the FORMS link here to download a copy of our New Patient registration. You can complete this in the comfort of your own home and bring it with you. That will save you 10 – 15 minutes when you arrive. Our office is located here, at 1031 North 8th Street.

If you need to make any changes to your appointment, please call (920) 459-8500.

I look forward to seeing you.

Mary Donovan”

Other Helpful Scripts for the tough questions when a new patient calls

Often times the caller has more questions than just calling to get an appointment. If you are prepared with the answers that will be a win-win for the patient and your office, you can almost always be guaranteed they will schedule an appointment.

Cost:

Caller: Do you know how much my first visit will be?

C.A.: The initial consultation is complimentary. During the consultation the doctor will determine what services are necessary to help you with your problem.

Services for exam are between $45.00 - $110.00 and if x-rays are necessary they run between $50.00 to $200.00. On occasion some patients have therapy and those fees would be in addition to the amounts I just mentioned. We accept cash, check or credit card.

School Attended:

Caller: What school did your doctor attend?

C.A.: Dr. ______graduated from XYZ College. Are you familiar with the different schools? Which one?

Caller: Yes. ABC Chiropractic.

C.A.: That's a great school and so is the one Dr. ______graduated from. They both offer much of the same basic chiropractic instruction. One may offer more hours in a particular area over the other.

Technique:

Caller: What technique does your doctor use? or... does your doctor use the activator, manual adjustment, diversified, etc.

C.A.: Most generally Doctor uses ______however, he does use other techniques to get the best results for your specific condition.

Other dialogue on the first call.

Caller: Does the Dr. require x-rays?

C.A. Sometimes Dr. ______requires x-rays, depending on your condition. You may discuss this with him during your consultation.

Caller: I just want to get my neck cracked, I don't need an exam or x-ray!

C.A.: Dr. ______is extremely thorough. During the consultation you and the doctor can decide what treatment will work best.

Caller: Does it hurt to be adjusted?

C.A. There are many different techniques for adjustments, many of them are extremely gentle. You can discuss this with the doctor on your visit. There's really no reason to be afraid.