3 Things Your Medical Clinic Phone System Needs

Even in a world when standard phone calls aren't as common or necessary as they used to be, many businesses still need telephone systems. This is typically the case for medical clinics, for example. Installing the right medical clinic phone system will make a big difference in how you are able to handle phone calls, and it can make for a better experience for your customers when they need to call in as well. Some of the things to check before your medical clinic phone system installation are listed here.

1. Multiple Incoming and Outgoing Lines

Even if your medical clinic is very small, it will still probably need multiple incoming and outgoing lines. When one employee is talking to a patient about rescheduling an appointment, for example, another employee might be in the process of calling the pharmacy to call in a prescription for a different patient. In the meantime, you'll want another line to be open for patients who might call with questions. You may want to inquire about having more incoming and outgoing lines than you think that you need so that all of your medical clinic phone calls can be handled, even if business within your practice starts to pick up more than usual.

2. A Helpful IVR System

If possible, consider installing an interactive voice response system (IVR system) as a part of your medical clinic's business phone system. This will make it easy for you to route phone calls to the right lines, and you may even be able to handle some aspects - such as appointment scheduling, canceling and confirmations - without a live person actually answering the telephone at all. When choosing an IVR system, it is important that you choose one that is intuitive and feature-rich and that you make sure that it is set up properly so that your medical clinic can enjoy the most benefits and so that the system itself will not be overly frustrating or difficult for your patients.

3. A Voice Message System

From time to time, your customers might need to leave a message so that you or one of your staff members can get in contact with them later. Setting up a voice message system will make this easy, whether patients need to leave a message after business hours or when there is no one available to answer the phone. Make sure to leave a professional sounding recording with clear instructions for best results.