GHP September 2015

4 | ghp September 2015 Telephone Answering Company Sees Record Rise in Healthcare Clients TELEPHONE answering specialist Moneypenny has reported a record year to date in terms of the number of healthcare clients seeking telephone answering support, as well as the volume of calls answered on behalf of the sector. The company’s team of specialist healthcare recep- tionists is growing fast to meet demand, with a 40% rise in the number of its healthcare clients, and a 51.47% increase in call volume, as compared to the same time last year. Moneypenny clients range from small cosmetic and dental practices through to large private hospitals, with calls handled either on an overflow or fully outsourced basis. Each has their own Moneypenny Receptionist, or a team of receptionists, specialising in the health- care sector; someone they know and trust who looks after calls, as and when needed, as if based in-house. Founded in 2000, Moneypenny now handles around 9.5 million calls a year for over 7,500 UK businesses as well as a fast-growing number of US businesses since the opening of the company’s South Carolina base earlier this year. For those clients requiring round-the-clock support, Money- penny Receptionists are based in Auckland, New Zealand to ensure, thanks to the time difference, that every call is answered during the daytime. Channel Manager, Stephanie Vaughan-Jones, who works closely with the healthcare sector, says: “At present 80% of our healthcare clients require us to capture their overflow calls, while 20% have chosen to fully outsource their reception to us. Healthcare is now our third largest sector after legal and property and is one of our fastest growing. This highlights just how many new business opportuni- ties would have been missed, how many enquiries would have gone unanswered, and how many customer service contacts could have fallen short if the correct resources hadn’t been in place. “Our service is particularly popular with self-funded cosmetic departments who are concerned they may be missing consultation enquiries, as well as clinics that want to extend their perceived opening hours or need temporary assistance to cover staff sickness or holidays. Similarly improving customer care is a top priority for many clinics and hospitals, so having a friendly voice, rather than an answer phone to speak to can make a huge difference to the overall patient experience.” Mark Greene, Hotel Services Manager for The London Bridge Hospital and the Lister Hospital in Chelsea (part of HCA), explains why he engaged with Moneypenny: “We knew we needed assistance with some of our in-coming lines as we were poten- tially losing business. Our patients need to speak to a real person, not a voicemail, so it was vital we found a solution to support our in-house team. “We took a trial with Moneypenny, with any calls we were struggling to get to, over-spilling to Zoe, our Moneypenny Receptionist. We felt the difference straight away and were amazed at the immediate uplift in calls, which not only meant that we weren’t missing any from existing patients, but were con- verting more new business opportunities too.” news