Cloud-based phone systems are gaining traction among healthcare practices due to the flexibility and functionality they offer. From enabling remote workforces to adjusting call routing on the fly, cloud-based phones systems have revolutionized the telecommunication industry.
Cloud-based phone systems are able to provide users a powerful, yet simple, experience with an array of intelligent features. By operating in the cloud, users can easily access their business phone application and make immediate changes 24/7. Additionally, features and functionality are no longer limited by the physical hardware or servers that are installed at a practice. This opens up the door to more customized features that users can manage on their own.
Below you'll find four of the top features offered by cloud-based phone systems that healthcare practices are leveraging to effectively communicate with patients and enhance the caller experience.
1. Web-Based Administration Portal
Why you'll use it: Cloud-based phone systems offer web-based administration portals so you can access reporting and make adjustments to your phone system from anywhere that you access the internet. This allows you to quickly make call routing changes, add/edit extensions and DIDs, update users, receive or make phone calls, listen to call recordings, and access real-time and post-call reporting at any time and from any physical location.
Example use case: Let's say you have a new staff member who you want to receive and make phone calls. With an analog phone system, the process of adding that employee is typically a headache of getting an additional phone line configured. With a cloud-based phone system, however, you're able to simply plug in the phone, create an extension, and add the employee into the call routing within your own admin portal. This is a vast improvement over legacy phone systems which often require waiting weeks and spending a significant investment on hardwiring additional phone lines and making support requests for minor adjustments.
2. Intelligent Call Queuing
Why you'll use it: Call queuing allows incoming calls to be placed in a line or holding pattern until the next agent is available. Practices are able to prevent patients from reaching busy signals or voicemails, and also give the patient the option of continuing to hold or going to voicemail.
Example use case: Many healthcare practices have recently experienced a surge in call volume due to new restrictions on patient visits. Patients are having to call a practice numerous times to coordinate their appointments and arrivals. For practices using legacy phone systems, they are limited by the number of simultaneous calls they can receive; many patients hear a busy signal or are immediately sent to a voicemail. Cloud-based phone systems, however, allow patients to be placed in a holding queue that removes the frustration of dialing a practice's number over and over just to reach a busy signal. Furthermore, this creates a higher chance of capturing that patient opportunity and prevents you from having to try to follow up with that patient on the off-chance he or she left a voicemail
3. Detailed Call Analytics
Why you'll use it: Cloud-based phone systems offer the ability to record patient calls, listen or join calls live, receive voicemails via email, and access standard call metrics like number of calls and answered calls. If you have a legacy system and aren't utilizing a review platform like Call Box, most practices have zero visibility into even their call counts or recordings.
Example use case: One particular insight healthcare practices have found valuable is the ability to receive voicemail messages via email. This both alerts staff that a voicemail has been received and allows designated individuals to quickly listen to the message and follow up as needed. Doing so streamlines the follow-up process and allows patients to receive help in a timely manner. That said, if you're looking for more advanced insights into your calls, you would still need to deploy and layer in a review application like Call Box.
4. Scalability
Why you'll use it: Since cloud-based phone systems don't require investing in on-premise equipment, you're able to easily scale your practice as it grows. Adding additional locations, users, and extensions can be done within minutes. Furthermore, you're able to seamlessly integrate staff members who are located in different physical locations.
Example use case: Perhaps your healthcare practice decides to add a second location or maybe you need to enable a remote part-time team member to help handle call volume within your current location. Cloud-based phone systems simplify this process to allow you to add locations, additional staff, DIDs, and extensions on your own within minutes. Because it doesn't matter where team members are physically located, adding additional staff members to handle calls as if they were physically located in your office is a breeze.
Cloud-based phone systems offer users a distinct advantage over legacy phone systems. From their ease of use to array of practical features, cloud-based systems allow healthcare practices to more effectively communicate with patients and offer a seamless, customized phone experience. To learn more about Call Box's own cloud-based phone system offering and how cloud-based systems can improve your patient communication, visit callbox.com/features/cloud-phone-system/.