In recent blog post, we shared training tips for your staff when handling inbound calls. Today let’s take a look at how you can prepare your office staff for commonly asked questions and customer concerns.
How questions are handled can impact the actions a patient may or may not take to better their hearing situation. It can be difficult to predict all the questions that your office staff may encounter, but you can still prepare them in a number of ways:
- Create a document of common customer questions and provide the answers that your staff can use.
- Be sure your staff has reference guides and tools readily available and accessible when taking calls and communicating with customers.
- Finally, not all questions can be answered by your office staff. Develop a process for handling more difficult questions – is it scheduling an appointment or a follow up call, etc. Train your staff for handling these situations with a customer-first approach.
To get you started, here are some common customer questions and ideas for responses:
Q: Do you charge for the hearing test or demonstration?
A: Most insurance providers including Medicare, annually cover the full cost of the hearing test, minus any co-pay or individual deductible. What insurance do you carry? The consultation and demonstration of current hearing technology is always free of charge
OR
A: We never charge for the hearing test, consultation, or demonstration of current hearing aid technology.
Q: Tell me about this feature…
A: (Explain technology briefly and enthusiastically.) Only a hearing professional is educated to provide you accurate and complete information on these hearing aids, based on your specific hearing loss and listening requirements. The consultation and demonstration of hearing aids is always free of charge. Let’s schedule time when you can get all of your questions answered correctly.
Q: Why should I bring a friend or family member?
A: Someone who knows you best will have personal perspective on your hearing situations and will help the hearing professional better understand your listening needs. Moreover, a familiar voice is helpful during the evaluation to measure hearing improvement while demonstrating hearing aids. You will also be given a lot of new information to remember; having a companion present to help you take notes is smart.
Q: What brands do you carry?
A: We either carry or can order hearing aids from every major manufacturer, but we generally stick to a few leading suppliers that offer the most advanced and reliable technology. With so many products and options, it’s smart to schedule time for a complete hearing evaluation and rely on the expertise of the hearing professional.
Q: I will think about it and call you back.
A: Do you mind if I ask how long it has been since you first noticed a hearing problem? (Pause.) Most of our patients tell us they wish they had started down the path to better hearing much sooner. We recommend an annual check-up of your hearing to rule out potentially serious problems.
Q: I’m calling to cancel my appointment.
A: (Respond with empathy.) Is everything OK? Let’s reschedule your appointment
Try to conclude each answer by offering options for scheduling an appointment. For example: “Do you prefer the morning or afternoon? Afternoons, great! Would Tuesday at 3pm work?”