Hi it’s Sean from Frontline Telephone Answering Service.
Today I thought I would tell you about this horrendous article that I have read. In the article it recommends that doctors should have an automated answering machine. Unfortunately I could not comment on the article or else I would have advised readers that this is the worst solution. This is because people will not bother calling their doctors out of hours they will just call the hospital and go there instead. Like I stated in a previous blog of mine 77% of callers do not leave a message on answer machines and this would most definitely go up if the caller is ill and needs to speak to someone immediately. Think about it, if your loved one is ill Would you wait on the phone listening to an automated message? Would you wait for a doctor to call you back? I know I wouldn’t.
Even if you left a message you cannot guarantee the doctor will be checking the answering machine regularly! There is only one real solution apart from the doctor answering the calls themselves. That is to use a Telephone Answering Service. If a doctors surgery decided to use Frontline Telephone Answering Service they could guarantee that their patients calls will be answered and that they will be passed to the on call doctor immediately to ensure that patients get a fast response. You cannot guarantee a fast response with a system that relies on the caller leaving a detailed message especially if they are ill and cannot think clearly.
Thanks Sean Bland, Frontline Telephone Answering Service
