Your eye care practice has more power to impress patients and alleviate their concerns than you might realize. Among the many things that you may have put in place to make patients know they are welcome at your practice, including grooming the attitude of your staff and the decor of your offices, playing customized messages on hold for your callers is an excellent way to allay any concerns they have and help them feel good about visiting you.
First hand experiences are always the most convincing, so please allow me to share a brief story:
The word that best describes my first adult visit to the neighborhood eye doctor is “euphoric”. This may sound odd, especially in light of the fact that the exam confirmed my hunches about a problem I was having with farsightedness. But the professional treatment I received, the friendliness of the staff, the doctor’s manner and yes, the messages on-hold I had heard before my visit all caused me to realize I had come to the right place!
Growing up I was lucky, having no vision problems and no serious eye injuries. So I hadn’t given any thought to an eye exam for many years. Until… those highway exit signs off in the distance that used to be so clear started to look a little fuzzy. It happened that the eye doctor was located in the same strip mall as my favorite restaurant, so when the problem showed up I picked up the phone to call and schedule an appointment. That’s when the apprehension began that gave me a new sense of compassion for people who are anxious about visiting an optometrist or ophthalmologist.
It’s not necessarily to the level of anxiety some people might experience about going to the dentist. But there are some aspects that can be of concern. For example, putting your face against the ophthalmoscope for the first time can be a little intimidating. Patients may be concerned about getting the right fit for glasses or contact lenses.
If they have called to schedule a first-time exam or are experiencing vision problems they may be apprehensive about what the doctor will find; whether they might need glasses or perhaps even surgery. During this “on-hold” time your vision care practice has an opportunity to convey a warm, caring attitude, inform callers of the doctor’s credentials, advertise contact lenses or procedures and generally make callers more relaxed and confident about coming to see you.
Or, as the messages that I heard while on-hold before my visit conveyed, the doctor was affiliated with local reputable optometric associations and was completely up-to-date on the latest technologies and products available for vision correction and the treatment of eye diseases. In addition, the messages that communicated concern for patients were confirmed the moment I stepped into the office and was greeted by the staff. So, having a custom message on-hold production created for your practice should be given strong consideration in combination with your overall efforts to reassure patients that they are in good hands!