How Call Scoring Improves Appointment Conversion

When you connect with a call center agent for a customer service inquiry, chances are the conversation will be recorded, and their performance will be evaluated with call scoring. This is usually the case with sales teams, too, as they will need to review each sales interaction in an effort to increase quality leads. But did you also know that healthcare professionals can take advantage of call scoring?

In fact, it’s one of the best ways that care teams can improve front-desk performance, book more appointments, and strengthen the overall patient experience. Every call presents an opportunity to increase revenue and build patient trust. Evaluating these conversations will help your team have successful patient interactions consistently. 

Unified systems like Weave’s communication platform make the process much easier and deliver automated insights for improved agent performance. Take a closer look at everything that this process entails and how you can use it to your advantage. 

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What is call scoring in a healthcare setting?

Call scoring is predominantly used among customer service, sales, and marketing teams in pursuit of certain business objectives. In these areas, business managers create a system for evaluating every conversation an agent has with a customer or prospective client. They ultimately focus on meeting sales goals and guiding the customer journey. 

In a healthcare setting, conversations are with patients looking for quality care and services. Professionals gauge an agent’s performance not based on how well they sell certain services but on how well they meet operational standards. For many practices, this involves clear, empathetic language and efficiency rather than aggressive sales tactics.

Let’s say someone adopts a dog and calls a local veterinarian’s office to see if they’re taking any new canine patients. The receptionist at the office could tell them that the vet has limited availability but that they’re happy to help schedule the dog’s first wellness exam. This approach is more impactful than trying to sell the caller on the different veterinary services the clinic offers. 

Most of the incoming calls in healthcare practices surround scheduling, billing, and insurance questions, and urgent matters. Employees handling these calls will be scored not just on their communication style but also on accuracy and compliance. 

Why call scoring matters for small and medium-sized healthcare practices

Imagine someone calls their doctor’s office to schedule an urgent appointment after a health scare. If their entire conversation with the receptionist is combative or unproductive, the patient may decide against making an appointment. In some cases, poor call handling prompts people to contact another practice. 

Call scoring helps small and medium-sized practices maintain a steady cash flow. Poor patient satisfaction can directly impact revenue, as dissatisfied individuals could cancel their appointments or seek care elsewhere. 

Your team’s call quality also affects business growth. Frustrated patients may be more likely to leave online reviews. If someone is searching for a healthcare provider and sees your negative reviews, they may decide to write your practice off. 

Use call scoring to improve performance at your front desk, keep operations efficient, and assist every patient to the best of your ability. 

Key call scoring criteria for healthcare teams

Scoring metrics may vary for every team, but generally, healthcare practices evaluate recorded calls based on the following key performance indicators:

• Greetings: How does the receptionist first greet a caller? 
• Verification steps: Does the front-office worker need the patient to verify personal information? If so, how do they ask for it?
• Scheduling efficiency: Is the caller able to schedule an appointment easily?
• Accuracy: Is the caller given accurate information regarding the practice?
• Tone: Does the receptionist speak in a friendly, supportive tone or a combative one?
• Resolution: Will the team need to follow up about an issue, or was it fully resolved on the call?

Develop a call scoring system based on your operational goals. Then, monitor calls and review call data for valuable insights into your team’s performance. Instead of waiting for patient or customer feedback, you turn to your scoring system to see what went well during each conversation. 

Aim for consistent metrics across the board. This not only helps enhance the patient experience but also supports transparency among team members. If you’re thinking of scoring calls within your practice, centralized communication systems make it easier to track progress. 

How automation and AI enhance call scoring

In the past, call scoring was a complex process. Call center managers would need to listen to various call recordings, rate them as objectively as possible, and then use the data to shape coaching sessions. Today, AI makes it easier to evaluate performance and work toward continuous improvements. 

Many automated systems have the ability to identify trends within phone calls. For example, the system could point out frequently asked questions or topics that come up in most conversations. Based on these insights, business leaders can provide comprehensive training on how to handle those topics, ensuring everyone is on the same page. 

Automated scoring tools also reduce the need for manual reviews. Staff can devote more time to other tasks with much of the call scoring process expedited. 

Using call scoring to enhance the patient experience

Just like sales professionals use scoring data to improve customer engagement, healthcare teams can also rely on it to enhance the patient experience by:

• Identifying friction points in scheduling and billing
• Developing personalized communication 
• Promoting smoother visits
• Reducing complaints
• Creating a consistent tone

Effective call scoring in healthcare is all about improving patient communication. If most of your inbound calls have to do with scheduling or billing, you’ll want to identify and address potential areas of concern. Patients who experience issues in these areas could end up writing negative reviews or complaining during their next visit.

Let’s say one conversation analysis showed that the receptionist gave out false information about a patient’s bill. This ultimately led to several follow-up conversations trying to straighten out the issue, with the patient growing more frustrated. To avoid this or similar problems going forward, teams should emphasize billing procedures during training. 

Imagine someone contacts your facility to schedule an appointment and has a pleasant conversation with one of your staff members. A few days later, they call back needing to reschedule, but speak with another front desk worker. If their second conversation was not as pleasant, call scoring helps ensure a friendly, consistent tone with all patients. 

Speaking to every patient with a warm, empathetic tone and personalizing the conversation can go a long way. Focus on these measures to enhance patient experience and retention. 

Aligning call scoring with practice growth and operational goals

Healthcare workers don’t necessarily treat call scoring the same as sales and marketing teams. While sales reps focus on conversions, healthcare teams tend to focus more on customer service quality. However, this doesn’t mean that they can’t score calls for practice growth. 

Effective call scoring and subsequent training have been shown to boost booking rates. Suppose a prospective patient reaches out to your practice and successfully makes an appointment. You can evaluate their recorded call and train your staff to use certain communication tactics going forward. 

What if reporting reveals a large number of missed inquiries due to staffing gaps or peak call times? It may be time to assess your staff’s limitations. Consider hiring more administrators to bridge the gap or invest in AI-powered receptionists to help pick up the slack. Continue assigning scores to phone calls so your staff can adapt their processes. 

While you may rely on outside marketing strategies or even word-of-mouth recommendations to grow your practice, call scoring doesn’t hurt. Make it a routine component in your office to help boost operations and revenue.

Strengthen your front office with smarter call scoring

Don’t wait to take advantage of call scoring within your healthcare practice. This common tactic isn’t just for lead nurturing and conversions in business sales. It’s an effective way for healthcare providers to grow their operations, improve efficiency, and retain loyal patients. 

To get started, make sure you have a unified communication system. Weave’s platform enhances patient communication measures for medical practices, dental offices, and even veterinary clinics. You’ll be able to manage call logs, send reminder texts, track payments, and even schedule appointments in one easy-to-use system. 

By implementing our valuable tools and the tips mentioned above, your practice can reach its goals. See how easy call scoring and centralized communication can be. Request a demo today.