Managing the inbound and outbound call experience is key to patient satisfaction. In a blended environment, a telephone representative will be available for answering inbound calls, and when not already on the phone, the representative is available to manage either an inbound or an outbound call. The distinct advantage of a blended calling model is efficiency of the representative and reduced wait times for the patient. At State Collection Service, our Contact platform Manager monitors call campaigns and continuously adjusts the pacing of calls by managing the lines per agent. Further, teams can be established by client,
but still be available as a secondary group for another portfolio. By having primary and secondary teams in the blended environment, the average speed to answer calls is improved, along with abandonment rates and representative efficiency.

Low speed to answer calls (in the range of 30 seconds or less), low abandonment rates and strong representatives availability all work to create a positive patient experience. By maintaining these factors, the patient does not have a long wait time to speak with a representative, not only ensuring that the patient is satisfied, but also that the call center representative is able to stay engaged in their call handling. Our experience tells us that such engagement often translates to self-motivation.

Recently, our leadership team challenged our Site Managers to ensure that productivity was at an all-time high. The goal was to have 87% of our paid hours be productive hours, measured by agents logged in and available for calls. We know that time away from the phones is spent on training, meetings and scheduled breaks, but we wanted to maximize the teams we have in each day. Not unexpectedly, the Site Managers proudly reported that ALL of our teams exceeded this goal, with the top team finishing at 91% of paid hours available to speak with patients! Certainly, this validated the phrase, “You get what you inspect, not what you expect.”

Having representatives available when patients call in is the first key to achieving a low average speed for answered calls along with low abandonment rates. All of these lead to a positive overall patient experience, which is what we strive for every day at State Collection Service!

Since 1949, State Collection Service has provided quality collection service to countless healthcare organizations.

Through experience and innovation, State Collection Service has grown to become a tremendously credible and nationally-recognized collection agency offering services from pre-registration to bad debt. It is upon the basis of ethical behavior and a dedication to integrity that each State Collection Service employee works to uphold the company’s vision – Partnerships for a Lifetime.

*This article first appeared in “A State Collection Service, Inc. Newsletter Volume 21, Issue 2, Second Quarter 2015”