As a Patient Relations team member, one of your primary responsibilities is answering the phone calls that come in every day! We get TONS of phone calls from patients, labs, vendors, team members, and more, and while no two phone calls are the same, there are definitely some “common phone calls” that you will encounter. In this module, you will have the opportunity to learn about the most common phone calls we receive at Professional VisionCare, and how to handle these types of calls. In each video below, we will walk you through awesome verbiage to use with our patients in each type of call, as well as what to do in Eyecare to provide the caller the help that they need. MOST IMPORTANT RULE WITH PHONE CALLS: be as upbeat, patient, and helpful as possible! Remember-no patient is an inconvenience, and we are happy to help!
common calls: scheduling exams
The TOP DOG on our list of common calls, this video will walk you through a mock phone call where a patient wants to schedule an exam. It will show you how to search for an appointment, the correct verbiage to use, and how to accurately schedule an appointment in Eyecare.
common calls: scheduling intermediates
While not as common of a call as scheduling exams, we have hundreds of calls each week to schedule intermediate appointments, such as contact lens checks, gonioscopy, pressure checks, dilations, and more! This video will walk you through a mock phone call to watch how this type of appointment should be scheduled.
common calls: phone calls for doctors
Often, patients have questions or concerns that they would like to share directly with the doctor. We would love to offer that, but it just isn’t practical, as our doctors have varying days off and if they are working-they are in patient care! This video shares what to do if a patient calls in to speak with a doctor.
common calls: cancelling or rescheduling an appointment
No one can predict the future-and our patients are no different! Their schedules will change or our schedules will change, and that’s when you get this type of common phone call. In this video, it will walk you through how to first cancel an appointment, and then how to reschedule the appointment for another day/time.
common calls: staff, lab and vendor calls
Not all of our phone calls come from our patients! Many of them come from the various labs and vendors we work with, or from your fellow co-workers who may be off work but have a question-or need to be transferred to another co-worker. This video talks about these different types of calls, and how to handle.
common calls: confirming appointment time/date/location
If you remember, we schedule patient’s annual eye exams a year in advance! And while we send plenty of text/email reminders-you will often get phone calls from patients who simply want to confirm what day, time, or location their appointment is scheduled at. These calls are super quick and easy, as you will hear in this video!
common calls: checking on eyewear
Our patients get REALLY excited to pick up their brand new glasses-and since they are made off site at a lab, sometimes there are delays or questions a patient may have about when their glasses will arrive! In this video, we talk about how to handle that type of phone call.
common calls: emergencies
It’s a bummer that this type of call is so common, but we are so grateful that we are able to help patients with their eye emergencies! This video is SUPER important to fully watch and understand, as when a patient calls with an issue in their eye/vision, we want to make sure we assure them they called the right place and help them get scheduled for care asap!
common calls: glasses or contact lens prescription request
This is not as common of a call-but it happens just enough to make this list. Sometimes, patients forgot to get a copy of their prescription for glasses or contact lenses when they were in for their appointment, and they call in to get a copy from you! This video walks you though how to answer that type of call, and how to get that prescription to them!