Caller immediately took control of the call. Not really because he wanted to. His personality did not seem particularly forceful. It was more a matter of the call handler not applying the skill for (re)gaining control of the call. Following the greeting, the call handler should say:
I can help you with that. My name is YOUR NAME. May I ask who I’m speaking with?
Once this is accomplished the call handler should then ask if the caller is in any discomfort [empathy]
Now, the call handler is both in control and is able to generate some goodwill by offering to help the caller maximize the benefits to which he is entitled [rapport]
The call handler’s tone was low energy, at least at the beginning, but it did improve somewhat [enthusiasm].
The two main points to be learned from this call are:
- the importance of gaining control early by using an effective greeting
- to take advantage of the opportunity to show that you areon the caller’s side’ by offering to help him determine his eligibility. Try verbiage like: “Do you have your insurance card? If you give me some information, I’ll pass it on to our Benefits Coordinator, who will investigate this for us. She’s really good about making sure our patients get the maximum benefit from their insurance plans. Now, why don’t you tell me how I can help you today?” Presented in this way, the patient will now relax his mind, share why he is calling today, and listen to what you have to say too!
1-5 Scale (1 Most 5 Least)
Greeting: 3.5 (montone, rushed, low energy)
Follow Up Question: 5 (non-existent)
Rapport: 3.5 (did attempt to help the caller but too late in the call)
Empathy: 4 (never knew caller’s name, little connection made)
Enthusiasm: 4 (call handler was not too excited about anything)
Questioning: 4.5 (few questions and none leading to a connection)