Contact centers aren’t usually the first topic of conversation when it comes to healthcare centers. However, that doesn’t mean they don’t play an integral role in patient care. A hospital or healthcare contact center is the channel that connects the customer with their health outside of an actual physical visit. What does this mean? Well, healthcare centers have considerable responsibility, but also an opportunity to provide an excellent experience for their patients.
Healthcare centers and hospitals are continually upping the ante on their customer/patient experience. And while these initiatives often involve transforming instrumentation, practices, research, training, etc. — it should also incorporate contact centers as well. Healthcare centers can have all of the latest and greatest practices and tools, and that’s great. However, if no one feels taken care of, or their customer interactions are hollow, its all for nothing.
It can be a big hurdle, convincing executives of the immense benefits associated with investing in your contact center that is. But, we’re here to break down some of the real benefits that come with transforming your customer experience through improved contact center practices.
Faster, Better, More Accurate Support
The first mission in improving any contact center is to begin centralizing data, profiles, and information that is relevant for each customer. For healthcare, it is no different, but even more critical. Healthcare providers and hospitals require a massive amount of trust. A patient’s experience will determine how much confidence they have in their healthcare institution.
So, how do you improve upon that experience? Well, you need to be aware of every interaction a patient or potential customer may have with your organization. Every patient, every touchpoint should be understood as an opportunity for gaining, maintaining, or retaining a customer. With a centralized platform and an omnichannel approach to your contact center, you’re able to get rid of silos and unify the experience. There are a lot of moving parts in a healthcare patient experience. From appointments to provider referrals, the amount of information that needs to be kept up with is staggering. The right contact center has processes and programs in place to unify the experience and deliver premium communication where the customers are.
Eliminate Common Roadblocks
Sometimes, the best way for you to move a healthcare contact center forward is to remove obstacles that might be impeding progress. One of these we’ve already mentioned. Unifying your contact center with certain practices, processes, and tools can have an immense effect on revenue. If a contact center agent is getting bogged down by too many applications or tools, how can they give their full attention to the patient or customer? The truth is, they can’t. To provide an incredibly positive and seamless patient experience, your contact center agents need to have solidarity with their systems.
Healthcare center patient journeys are another common issue we see. The problem is that the journey is also viewed in silos, making for a disjointed experience. Bot patient retention and acquisition require contact centers to play an active role. Marketing objectives go a long way, but when an agent receives an inquiry, they need to be prepared. Speaking of, arming them with the right information and the opportunity to provide value and be proactive about a potential solution will improve a patient’s experience.
The final issue we commonly see is that healthcare contact centers aren’t focusing enough on key metrics. Tracking the right activities and data can inform revenue. This way, you’ll be able to show the real value behind patient experience initiatives.
Patient Engagement
One of the best parts about a robust contact center for hospitals and healthcare centers alike is how well it can support patient engagement initiatives. Acquisition and retention is the name of the game when it comes to healthcare. You want to keep patients for life, but to do so, you need to personalize their experience at every turn.
Your patient’s profile should be an access point for multiple points of contact. If a customer calls in to request information about back pain, there are so many steps that can be taken to improve the experience from here on out. An agent can find the right doctor or specialist and schedule an appointment. They can send email or text reminders about the patient’s appointment. The agent can also look into the patient’s file and determine if there are any outstanding appointments, physicals, or vaccinations that can be taken care of the same day. It’s all part of an initiative to care for a patient’s health in its entirety.
Find The Right Contact Center
Training your contact center for the job is no easy task. The right skills, tools, and practices take a lot of time and specialization. However, it is doable with the right time and resources. Equipping your agents with the knowledge and expertise necessary for their job will not only empower their efforts but also keep them around longer.
The alternative is to outsource your healthcare contact center. While this may seem like a risky option, there are domestic contact centers like ours that can transform your operation and create a better patient experience. This will ultimately improve satisfaction rates, create patients for life, and boost revenue. Contact us today; we would love to talk.
