Have you thought about the many benefits of message on-hold for dental practices? While the friendly message on-hold messages are a more interesting alternative to repetitive music or no sound at all, the content of those messages can mean the difference between disengaged, casual patients and informed, loyal clients who bring you referrals.
In general, message on-hold should be used for providing information, creating and strengthening client engagement, and as a means of self-promotion. An effective message on-hold program with the right content, number of messages, manageable length, and a call to action (i.e., “Ask us about XYZ when we return to the line.”) should do the following 7 things for your practice:
1. Offer an Overview of Essential and Elective Services
Educate the caller about your dental services, as they may not be aware of everything your practice offers. Message on-hold is a great way to inform them, so if service is needed, the caller will remember to reach out to you. If your dentist has special expertise in an elective procedure, call it out in your message on-hold program. For example, if someone is considering braces and you’re a Silver Invisalign provider, mentioning it in an on-hold message may trigger the caller to ask about Invisalign. Finally, your caller may recall some of the services mentioned and recommend your practice to others in need of them.
2. Lend Credibility to Your Dentists and Your Practice
Message on-hold is the perfect tool to make patients and prospective clients feel comfortable and trust the high standard of dental care you provide. Dentists’ biographies which chronicle their education, extended training, certifications, research, awards, and continuing education efforts establish and confirm their abilities, experience, expertise, and credibility. Mention of technicians’ and support staff’s attention and the positive office environment can also put an apprehensive patient at ease.
3. Provide Emergency Information Before the Emergency Occurs
When a caller is waiting on hold, a message about how the practice handles emergencies can be a reminder of what to do in the case of a future dental incident or accident. This has the concrete benefit of allowing the client to hear pertinent information, like an after-hours emergency phone number or referral to an emergency dental provider before the emergency occurs. It also has a perceptual benefit, as the message creates a level of confidence in the dental practice’s emergency plan.
4. Advertise Your Practice’s Uniqueness
In today’s world, patients have a lot of options when choosing a dental practice. Message on-hold for dental practices offers the opportunity to “toot your own horn” and showcase what makes you stand out above the competition. Do you have massage chairs or TVs in the waiting area? Can you offer sedation dentistry to wary patients? Is cosmetic dentistry on your menu of services? Are you a pediatric practice with a fun, interactive waiting room? You have a captive audience when a client is placed on hold, making this the ideal opportunity to present your unique services, qualities, or amenities.
5. Drive Clients to Your Website
An important feature of message on-hold is the ability to provide your practice website’s web address and urge clients to visit. Driving clients to a website offers a lot of options and solves many issues. For instance, are your phone lines and staff overwhelmed with routine calls? Clients can be instructed to schedule appointments, update their profile information, or ask non-urgent questions electronically. Once on the website, they can also read and learn more about your services, dentists, and team.
6. Encourage Clients to
“Get Social”
A call to action in your message on-hold program to follow you on social media sites is just the beginning of a great interactive opportunity for your practice. If you regularly post practice news, updates on cutting-edge dental technology, monthly promotions, or ask clients for rave reviews, calling attention to your social media presence can boost client participation and engagement on these platforms. Once clients are engaged and make positive comments, it is more likely that they’ll recommend you to family and friends and hopefully send you some referrals.
7. Keep the Client from Hanging Up
How many times have you been placed on hold and all you hear is the same message assuring you that your call is important and will be answered by the next available associate – repeated over and over? Have you ever experienced the on-hold beep tone that plays every 20 to 30 seconds…incessantly? What about those calls where you only hear dead silence and wonder if you’ve been abandoned or disconnected? All of these would make any client placed on hold want to hang up, and that’s a lost opportunity.
Message on-hold resolves this issue with interesting, pertinent, and timely information and education for your clients, so you don’t lose them while they’re on hold. It may pique their interest and hold it, and it’s even fun for them to wonder what the next message may bring. Retaining client attention and interest keeps them on the line and may create a better impression about your practice’s overall customer service.
Create a Better Message On-Hold Experience for Your Callers
In conclusion, message on-hold for dental practices should supplement the information about the services, doctors, and team so an existing client can:
- Feel secure about credentials and methods
- Ease their fear about visiting the dentist
- Know what to expect during their appointment
- Know what to do in an emergency
- Derive a degree of comfort that they are appreciated, and their voices heard
Moreover, your message on-hold program is a good way to welcome and reassure new patients. Overall, your message on-hold program should cement the relationship between your practice and your client and ultimately result in the best outcome: patient referrals.
To learn more about what a quality message on-hold for dental practices program can do for your practice, call InTouch at (877) 493-9003.