Blog Home > Getting started > The role of a chiropractic answering service in patient retention strategies
Stephanie Maharjan | 19 mins read
As a chiropractor, you know every patient experience matters. Regular visits can help your patients maintain a healthy spine, improve their posture, and alleviate pain. Loyal patients also provide your practice with sustained growth and financial stability.
But how does your practice become an essential part of someone’s ongoing wellness journey? According to 89% of businesses, the answer to long-term retention is excellent customer service.
But how do you deliver consistently excellent customer service? For many, that means turning to chiropractic answering services.
A chiropractic answering service is a B2B service in which highly trained receptionists answer calls on behalf of your chiropractic clinic.
These services can play a significant role in increasing patient retention. Not only do they help expand your availability, but they can also relieve your in-house team of the pressure of answering calls. That gives your in-house team the time to offer a better in-clinic experience. These touchpoints are not trivial; they’re crucial for a positive patient-practitioner relationship.
The right patient retention strategies will keep your appointment book full and build a community of happy patients. Let’s explore how a chiropractic answering service can keep patients engaged and committed to their care journey with you.
To understand why patients stay, you must first understand why patients leave. With high competition and patients seeking optimal experiences, some of the common reasons patients drop off include:
Patient retention is a reflection of the trust and confidence your patients have in your chiropractic care. It’s a mix of quality care, a personalized touch, and your willingness to modernize and embrace evolving technology. By focusing on strategies that resonate with your patients’ needs, you can set your chiropractic practice up for success.
Some of the key factors influencing patient retention are:
Every patient is different, and it’s important to them that you know that. In fact, around 70% of patients want their providers to personalize their healthcare. Providing tailored wellness programs, addressing individual health needs, and making patients feel heard are foundational to nurturing loyalty.
80% of patients reported they would switch providers for ‘convenience factors’ alone. This can be a costly problem for your practice, so how do you make it easier for patients to stay?
Making the most of modern technology, such as online calendar software, can streamline appointments and improve the patient experience. Recent research found that ‘medical appointments’ was the number one appointment type respondents would prefer to book online. This isn’t just a ‘want’ for patients; an overwhelming 94% of individuals would be more likely to choose a new service provider if they offered online booking options.
Remove the barriers preventing patients from booking with your practice, e.g., no online booking system or lack of available time slots. The easier you make it for your patients to schedule time with you, the more likely they will keep showing up.
Patient feedback can give insight into your onboarding processes, call handling, and the customer journey with your practice. A 2022 survey asked respondents their number one reason to leave a negative review for a business, and a quarter of those surveyed said poor call experiences. Of those who had a bad phone experience with a business, they would:
Encourage and act upon patient feedback to show that you value their opinions and are dedicated to continuous improvement.
It’s not just about your reviews, however. It’s also about your competition. The majority of patients (71%) use online reviews as a way to find a new healthcare professional. If your competitors have consistently positive reviews, this could sway your existing patients to move on.
A chiropractic answering service can be very helpful in managing the operations of your practice. By having a professional and empathetic voice at the end of every phone call, your practice can help patients find the service they need faster.
With 24/7 live receptionists, chiropractic answering services allow your patients to reach someone anytime. This is crucial when a patient is dealing with discomfort or seeking immediate advice.
Booking online is becoming more important to patients. A medical answering service can provide your chiropractic practice with appointment scheduling that keeps patients happy and your calendar busy.
You and your staff must have time to focus on patients present in the clinic. Answering services can easily manage daily tasks, from information queries to new patient intake. By freeing up this valuable time, each patient receives your full attention.
During busy periods or times of staff shortage, receptionist agents can effectively handle the increase in call volume. These trained professionals streamline operations by forwarding important messages and helping patients book appointments anytime.
With a professional medical answering service, your practice can nurture these relationships, counting on HIPAA-compliant receptionists as the first point of contact to maintain confidentiality and trust.
When considering your business growth and financial efficiency, it’s worth noting the cost benefits of an answering service. By removing the need for an in-house receptionist, chiropractic answering services offer comprehensive coverage without the associated costs. As a result, you can save thousands of dollars annually while maintaining high-quality receptionist services.
Chiropractic answering services not only contribute to patient retention by answering every call with professionalism and empathy, but they also:
Mastering patient retention strategies is crucial in chiropractic care, where treatment often spans multiple sessions. High patient engagement and retention secure the financial health of your practice, and also improve the physical health of your patients.
When patients believe in the value of your care and services, they’ll keep returning and recommending you to their friends and family. To achieve this, a chiropractic answering service can ensure your patient’s journey is smooth and personalized.
Want to increase patient retention in your chiropractic practice? Discover how our chiropractic answering service can help you improve the patient experience and keep patients for longer.
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