How To Improve First Contact Resolution

From insurance verification to referrals, to answering inbound calls, first call resolution is an important part of healthcare services. However, it can be difficult to do correctly.

If it takes your call center several contacts to resolve an issue, it can result in higher overhead costs and lower patient satisfaction.

So keep reading to understand what first call resolution is for a healthcare call center and why it’s so important. Then we’ll talk about some first call resolution tips for your healthcare support center.

What Is First Call Resolution

To understand what first call resolution is, you first need to know a call is defined. In this context, the first call is defined as the first three minutes. In other words, a first call resolution is one that concludes within those first three minutes or less.

If it takes longer for the patient to have their issue resolved, data shows that they’re more likely to hang up or get frustrated.

They may even call back multiple times, which both costs the patient time and the call center’s resources. This ultimately filters down to the medical center itself.

In other words, the first call resolution affects your bottom line first and foremost. That being said, what are some ways to improve first call resolutions?

How To Improve First Call Resolution

Put The Patients Experience First

In this instance, your customers are your patients and vice versa. Prioritizing their experience when dealing with a support center should always be one of the primary tips for first call resolution.

Everything from how the agent answers the phone, to asking the right questions, to meeting the patient’s needs quickly.

This involves understanding your industry and your specific healthcare facility on a deep level. It also requires managers to monitor calls and implement other quality control measures.

Ongoing Training

Quality call centers will continue to train their agents. They’ll identify gaps in their service – which is why a medical call center is the best investment for private practices.

This will help them resolve issues quicker without dead air time. Ultimately, customer service is a skill like any other endeavor. So improving first call resolution requires ongoing dedication.

Get To The Heart Of The Customer’s Issue

Focus more on asking the right questions. You have to understand why the patient is calling in the first place.

Are they looking to solve a frustration? Do they need more medication? Are they trying to schedule an appointment? Do they have a complaint? Every issue has its own separate set of protocols to handle effectively and courteously.

Anticipate Needs

Even better than responding to a patient’s needs after they express it is to anticipate them in advance. Having the right information, resources, and communication methods at hand is key.

This allows you to almost predict what someone’s issue will be. While every patient is unique, there are going to be a handful of primary reasons that patients call your phone center.

Knowing these top priorities will allow the call center to prioritize their agents based on those anticipated needs.

First Call Resolution Summary

With a qualified healthcare call center as your partner, you enjoy an extension of your team. They can answer phones at all hours, schedule appointments, and perform other important but time-consuming tasks for patient services.

So don’t hesitate. Reach out to Sequence Health today. Understand your options for resolving patient issues and improving wellness.