title: Improving customer service on the phone: a multidimensional effort with a big payback.
abstract: Telephone communications are the first line of contact for new patients and established patients who require ongoing care. They also represent one of many Achilles' heels for practices. Poor handling of phones can be inefficient and costly. This article outlines The Vancouver Clinic's experience in viewing the problems, identifying the issues, and resolving them with the minimum of expense and personnel disruption. It documents the marked lowering of call abandonment rates and the decrease in call-to-answer times.
authors.affiliation: The Vancouver Clinic, 700 NE 87th Avenue, Vancouver, WA 98664, USA. sbrown@thevancouverclinic.com
authors.forename: Sally
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Brown
mesh_terms: D017598:Efficiency, Organizational; D006123:Group Practice / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D009817:Office Management / Q000592:standards; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011216:Practice Management, Medical / Q000592:standards*; D015397:Program Evaluation; D019114:Remote Consultation / Q000592:standards; D013689:Telephone; D013997:Time Factors; D014861:Washington