In today’s technology-centered era, it is easy to lose focus on a well-functioning call center. But to ensure your call center remains fresh and relevant and drives caller and patient satisfaction, consider:

• Explaining and teaching with a human touch: Video is everywhere these days – including the call center. Video makes face-to-face contact possible, which can improve satisfaction – most people want to “put a face to the name.” Because many people prefer visual content when learning (such as with troubleshooting a problem), video is a good option for calls involving processes, such as bill payment, scheduling a procedure, etc. When it comes to their health care, people want information related to conditions and procedures. Video can be a very effective platform for providing this information.

• Tying in social media engagements: As social media becomes more pervasive, organizations have adopted it into their marketing plans. According to a new study from Duke University, social media spending by marketers is on the rise and will claim a 21% share of marketing budgets by 2021. Having a presence on Facebook and Twitter, at the least, is de rigueur. As consumers increasingly use social media to reach out to companies for information and problem-solving, the call center becomes a natural base for social media interaction with consumers.

• Being present, and quickly: People expect a response when they reach out to an organization, and the 9-to-5 work day no longer exists when it comes to meeting their needs. And they don’t want to wait 2 business days for a solution. The call center that provides quick, specialized contact, delivers a win for the organization.

Call centers have been around for decades, but their importance to an organization has never been higher, and continues to grow due to the many organizational priorities (i.e., ACOs, population health, virtual visits, etc.) that prosper when they are supported by skilled call center agents. It is crucial that your organization’s strategy involves the call center and utilizes the best innovations and technology to deliver a winning experience for your customers. If your call center strategy needs to be refreshed, or even totally reinvented, Greystone.Net’s call center planning services are available to assist you with your process. Contact us at 770-407-7670, email us at info@greystone.net, or complete our contact form. Last year, we ran a 3-part blog series on call centers and spoke to the history and current status of call centers, future directions of call centers and adapting call centers to new uses. If you missed the series, please follow the links to read the articles. If you are planning to attend the 28th Annual Conference of Healthcare Call Centers in Chicago in June, be sure to attend the presentation “Just How Important Do You Want To Be: Growing the Value of Your Call Center” given by Kathy Divis, President, Greystone.Net and Suzanne Herman, RN, UNC Healthcare on Thursday, June 9, at 3:30 PM.