Call Center Lessons: Simplify Challenges and Celebrate More Wins

As a healthcare professional for over 20 years, whether as a first responder or in nearly every role in between, I have a soft spot for medical call centers. I know what you’re thinking – call centers, especially those servicing the collections space, have a lot of problems. You're right, they do.

However, by developing operational skills and cultivating a tight-knit team that approaches problems with empathy and resilience, the problems that once plagued the industry will become less common. In fact, the challenges surrounding call centers are no different than those affecting every aspect of healthcare.

If you're interested in ways to mitigate challenges in your own organization, read on. The solution is closer than you think.

Lesson 1: Find the root of the problem

Sometimes we need to step back and see the forest through the trees. Medical costs continue to rise across the board—less than half of U.S. adults say they have difficulty affording medical care, and a quarter say they or a family member had difficulty paying for medical care in the past year. No wonder their interactions with call center representatives are tense! This tension only reinforces the need for leaders to rely on data and metrics that take the guesswork out of staffing and service.

Tracking key performance indicators (KPIs) is a great way to build a staffing structure that works for your organization. It provides insights into call volumes, allowing you to better adjust staffing levels to peak times, minimizing wait times without over-scheduling.

This matters: Nearly 60% of patients cite long wait times as their biggest call center complaint, and one bad experience makes them four times more likely to switch providers.

The same goes for complaint pattern tracking. Checks and balances such as quality assurance systems can flag repeated issues and resolve them directly. Don’t guess at patient satisfaction, let the data guide you.

Lesson 2: Don’t just meet expectations; meet expectations. surpass them

No one likes to be surprised, especially when it comes to financial expenses. It's easy to stereotype call center collections reps as the “bad guys,” but the reality is that their job is really to help patients. In fact, studies show that 90% of patient loyalty to a practice is determined by the patient’s financial experience.

Conversations involving balances, financial assistance, and payment plans should be handled in a way that makes the patient feel respected and have a sense of ownership over the situation he or she is facing. Providing scripts and strategies can help call employees ease stressful financial conversations while maintaining efficiency and professionalism.

Another way to go beyond the patient experience is to create cross-department collaboration. We shouldn't do this alone – this is a team project and the team works together to achieve a goal. As a patient, there is no worse feeling than being “passed” between teams.

This means teams should talk to each other regularly, especially those working in scheduling, front desk, billing, and collections. Frequent communication allows for sharing of insights and also minimizes communication breakdowns that may occur along the way.

Lesson 3: Celebrate Victory

It’s easy to go to work every day and lose sight of the “why” that put you in this position in the first place. When it comes to collections, it’s also easy to forget the other side of the coin—hospitals and the health care system suffer when patients don’t pay their bills. To respect these two realities, you must celebrate your victories when they come.

In our industry, especially in inbound call centers, the 80/20 rule is the standard benchmark: answer 80% of calls in 20 seconds or less. It's important to note that collection center calls are often more complex than standard scheduling or patient access inquiries, so customer service staff need to be trained to handle more complex issues regarding billing and collection. With this in mind, teams should go beyond the 80/20 rule whenever possible because they know every second counts.

It's also important, in addition to celebrating wins, to recognize those who do their jobs effectively. Research backs this up: Employees who receive high-quality recognition are 45% less likely to leave within two years, and those who receive recognition based on meaningful pillars such as authenticity, fairness, and personalization are 65% less likely to consider leaving.

Team members need the ability to help patients understand their financial responsibilities so they can reduce their outstanding debt and continue to receive the care they need. When this work is done effectively and empathetically, it not only enhances the patient experience, but the entire healthcare system. This is something to celebrate.

The bigger picture

It’s unlikely to eliminate all of the call center-related challenges in the collections world, but in reality that’s not necessarily the goal. Instead, focus on identifying obstacles before they get out of hand. Train your staff to exceed patient expectations. Last but not least, celebrate your employees and make sure they know you appreciate them. In a time when everyone is forced to do more with less, the way we manage these interactions cannot be overstated. When done right, call centers are more than just a back-office function, they become the bridge between patients and the care they deserve.

Photo: oatawa, Getty Images

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