It’s been well documented how important the initial phone greetings is for a front desk team’s success. If the initial greeting goes poorly, there is little chance that the call will result in a booked appointment. Simply put, receptionist phone greetings serve as your veterinary practice’s first impression on customers.
Make your practice’s receptionist phone greetings go smoothly every time with this ultimate formula.
Step #1: Friendly Greeting
Step number one is simple enough: greet the caller in a friendly manner. No one wants to hear an unpleasant, rushed, or lazy greeting right off the bat. Remember to smile before you’ve even picked up the phone; that will translate directly into your voice. Then, start receptionist phone greetings with a “Hello, you’ve reached ABC Animal Hospital.” That lets the caller know they’ve reached the establishment that they wanted.
Step #2: Introduce Yourself
Immediately after you’ve mentioned your practice’s name, continue receptionist phone greetings with a personal introduction, complete with your name. Stopping right after the practice name is never a good idea — it’s important to add the human touch so that you can start building that all-important personal relationship. Say “This is Sam speaking, how can I help you today?”
Step #3: Determine the Problem
Now is the time to stop talking and listen to what the caller has to say. Pay close attention to find out what their precise need is — remember that the need could be something like verbal assurance, not simply a medication or a bag of food. This is the meat and potatoes of receptionist phone greetings; listen to the caller and determine their problem, but don’t transition into problem-solving mode just yet. That will come next. For now, soak up as much information as you can.
Step #4: Transition Into Problem-Solving
Once the caller is done speaking — never interrupt them! — respond with the appropriate steps to solve the caller’s problem. Receptionist phone greetings should always include a statement like “Yes, I’d be happy to help you with that today,” so that the customer is immediately assured that their needs can be met. If you don’t know the answer to the caller’s problem immediately, inform them that you’ll be asking your supervisor and see if they’re okay being on hold for a moment.
Step #5: Set Appointment and Confirm
Once you’ve addressed the caller’s problem, set an appointment if that is the appropriate course of action. (Hint: it almost always is!) Then, make sure to confirm the appointment with the caller by reading back the details. Don’t neglect this important step of receptionist phone greetings!
Follow this formula for your receptionist phone greetings, and you’ll convert the vast majority of calls into appointments on the books. And we know booked appointments have a direct positive correlation on revenue — you’re setting your practice up for continued success!
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