5 Criteria to Find the Right Answering Service for Your Laser Clinic

Laser clinics are growing in popularity for all kinds of aesthetic and medical needs. Depending on the type of clinic that you have, you may see clients from different walks of life. Of course, one thing is certain: you’d better be available to answer the phone when someone calls. Otherwise, they’ll move on to a clinic that is. 

Granted, you’ve got a business to run. You probably have client consults, patient treatments, and other things on your mind. The last thing you need to be worried about is answering the phone. And yet, for many small clinics, that’s the only thing on their mind. After all, if you miss calls, you miss potential clients. More importantly, you could miss patients that have questions about their treatments or an upcoming appointment. 

Whatever it could be that you’re missing, an answering service can help pick up where your team leaves off. Working as an extension of your laser clinic, you’ll trust that even when you’re with clients or busy running the practice, someone will be there to take all the calls that come in. 

Like anything, of course, you’ll have to find the answering service that fits your busy laser clinic’s needs. Fortunately, there are plenty of services out there today to help you get what you need. The modern answering service can handle a lot more than just picking up the phone and whether you realize it now or not, that’s going to become invaluable to your business. That’s why choosing the right people for the job is such an important task. 

Here are five criteria that will help you choose the answering service that delivers what your laser clinic needs. 

1. Professional, personable agents 

Some companies might be able to get away with an informal person answering the phone. Medical businesses like your laser clinic are not among them. You need professional, personable receptionists or agents who can give your callers the dedicated attention they need and help them get answers to their pressing questions. When hiring an answering service, take the time to check out their background and experience. 

Make sure that you choose a virtual receptionist that has dedicated training for its agents and that prides itself on delivering a professional image. This answering service is going to work as an extension of your clinic and you need it to deliver accordingly. If people call and agents are rude, unprofessional, or even just lacking knowledge, it will impact your business reputation and send people looking for a different provider. 

2. 24/7 availability 

So many businesses today overlook the importance of being available when it works for people who are calling. Not everyone can reach out during “normal business hours” and you need to make sure that you have solutions in place for that. After all, if you have a 24/7 answering service, you will never miss another opportunity, client call, or other inquiry that could benefit your business. 

Even if your clinic isn’t open 24 hours, your phone lines should be. People who call after hours will be pleasantly surprised when they get a real person on the phone. You can’t overlook the value of that. Plus, then you’re not the one that has to do all the work. 

3. Flexible plans and pricing

What kind of pricing and plans do they offer? Is there transparency in their pricing? You don’t want to hire an answering service that doesn’t openly discuss its pricing structure or available plans. That can quickly lead to disaster or disappointment. Take the time to check out the plans they offer and make sure that they have transparent pricing information to help you make the best decision about your answering service needs. 

4. Customization and scalability

Another big feature of the modern answering service is the ability to scale plans to suit your needs. Customization comes in all shapes and sizes, but you’ll ideally want to find a provider that offers full customization of the different services and solutions that they provide to give your business the advantage that it deserves. 

It’s also important to choose a company that can scale and grow with you over time. That way, you’re not just hiring an answering service and having to re-hire a different one when your clinic grows and you need new or more features. 

5. Transparent pricing

As you know, people don’t like to have to guess what they’re spending. As a laser clinic owner, you also can’t afford to squander your limited budget on things that might or might not be worth the investment. When you’re looking for an answering service, make sure that they offer transparent information about their packages and pricing, as well as how services are delivered (packages only, customized plans, a la carte, etc.). 

If a company demands you request a quote or seems to be elusive about the costs of their service, that could mean they either have something to hide or that they know their service is overpriced and are hoping that you won’t notice. Transparency is a must for any professional partnership. 

Partner with Smith.ai for professional answering service solutions

At Smith.ai, we know how important communication is to your clinic and your clients alike. We also know that you have a lot on your plate managing the practice and taking care of the people that come to see you, which is where we come in. Our dedicated virtual receptionists can provide 24/7 answering service solutions for your laser clinic, along with plenty of other support. 

We can assist with everything from fielding calls to lead intake, appointment scheduling, live website chat, and even your outreach campaigns that are helping you drum up new business. Plus, we’ll do it all with a custom strategy to suit your needs. Reach out now to learn more by scheduling a consultation or sending a message to hello@smith.ai. 

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