How Call Answering Helps You Avoid Hiring a Full-Time Receptionist

Skip the Hire — Let a Call Answering Service Do the Job

Call answering services can replace in-house reception staff and provide a professional front desk experience at a fraction of the cost. These services are staffed by trained professionals experienced in handling high call volumes, booking appointments, and providing prompt, friendly service to every caller. Your office phones can be answered beyond regular office hours or during staff meetings, so that no call is missed. Many practitioners have discovered how to reduce labor costs while making their patients feel connected and cared for with call answering services. 

Every call to your office needs to be answered promptly and professionally. With Appointment Desk, trained U.S. professionals will answer every call, ensuring no patient is left waiting or sent to voicemail. Our services are customized with your scripts, set up on call transfers, and defined with protocols for escalating urgent calls to the right contact. With call answering services, you can provide consistent, branded service without having to hire additional employees. 

Look for an answering service that goes beyond answering the phones. The Appointment Desk coordinates with your practice’s scheduling system, eliminating duplicate entries or missed follow-ups. In contrast, most answering service companies use their own software and keep scheduling separated; Appointment Desk integrates with your booking software for a seamless workflow. It’s a leveled-up service that empowers your team to remain focused on in-office patient care, while front-desk duties are efficiently handled.

Hiring a full-time receptionist involves the costs of salary, training, paid time off, benefits, and the inevitable turnover costs that impact operations. Those issues disappear when you use a call answering service like Appointment Desk. Outsourced support offers a stable, reliable service without the problems of unexpected sick calls or PTO requests. This is welcome news for healthcare providers who wish to manage labor costs and improve front-office operations without the HR hassle. 

The phone must ring, and calls need to be promptly answered; otherwise, those missed calls can lead to lost revenue, unhappy patients, and poor first impressions. Appointment Desk responds to every call promptly. They offer a level of responsiveness that fosters patient satisfaction, keeps your appointment book full, and your office running smoothly. You can lower labor costs and take care of your patients’ needs with excellence when you use Appointment Desk for your front desk operations. 

In the U.S., the average annual salary for a medical receptionist ranges from $38,000 to $45,000, excluding benefits, payroll taxes, and paid time off. The cost climbs to $55.000 or more when you factor in the extra benefits. 

Compare that with an answering service like Appointment Desk. Outsourced support for a small clinic that receives an average volume of calls can cost as little as $800-$1,200 per month, depending on call volume and customizations, which is less than $15,000 annually.

The above scenario saves over $40,000 annually. That’s why many practices rely on medical answering services to reduce labor costs – it’s a calculated plan with measurable ROI.

Start Saving on Labor Without Sacrificing Patient Care

Partnering with a professional call answering service such as Appointment Desk is the answer to reducing labor costs while maintaining (or improving) patient care. Without adding staff members, you will gain the affordability of outsourcing, professionally trained U.S.-based agents, and the ability to increase your patient base.

Want to learn how much your clinic could save? 

Contact Appointment Desk today to start saving labor costs while delivering quality patient communication and service.