Ten Questions about Your Optometry Office Phone Calls for $7500?

If you get more than 30% wrong, then you might think about  RingIQ AI CALL ASSISTANT for your practice and how to see $7500 more revenue.

1. Do you know how many phone calls you get?
   1. [   ] 500/month per full-time doctor
   2. [   ] 900 per month
   3. [   ] 1200 per month
   4. [   ] 1500 per month
2. Do you know how many phone calls are unanswered?
   1. [   ] 0% … I have voicemail
   2. [   ] 10%
   3. [   ] 20%
   4. [   ] 30%
3. Do you know how many patients hang up on voicemail?
   1. [   ] 33%
   2. [   ] 50%
   3. [   ] 80%
   4. [   ] 100%
4. Do you know how many people never call back when voicemail picks up?
   1. [   ] 20%
   2. [   ] 30%
   3. [   ] 40%
   4. [   ] 50%
5. Do you know how many appointment requests you get?
   1. [   ] 200 per month per doctor
   2. [   ] 300
   3. [   ] 400
   4. [   ] All calls are for appointments
6. Do you know how many appointment requests fail?
   1. [   ] minimal
   2. [   ] Maybe 10%
   3. [   ] Could be 20%
   4. [   ] As high as 30%
7. Do you know the most crucial reason why appointment requests fail?
   1. [   ] Insurance
   2. [   ] Desired time not available
   3. [   ] Medicaid
   4. [   ] Price
8. Do you know what the most frequent reason patients call?
   1. [   ] Are my glasses ready?
   2. [   ] Where are you located?
   3. [   ] Do you take my insurance?
   4. [   ] To cancel an appointment.
9. Do you know how many patients cancel appointments without rebooking?
   1. [   ] Not many.
   2. [   ] 10%
   3. [   ] 30%
   4. [   ] 50%
10. Do you know how many patients reschedule appointments?
    1. [   ] 5%
    2. [   ] 10%
    3. [   ] 15%
    4. [   ] 30%

BONUS QUESTION: Improving phone management can generate …

1. [   ] $1500/month more revenue
2. [   ] $3000/month
3. [   ] $5000/month
4. [   ] $7500/month

Here’s the answers:

1. Do you know how many phone calls you get?
   1. [   ] 500 per month per full-time doctor
   2. [ X ] 900 per month  … about 25/workday and 3 per hour but the calls are not evenly spaced.  It’s hard to answer all the calls on Monday mornings or late afternoons when the office is busy after school and after work.
   3. [   ] 1200 per month
   4. [   ] 1500 per month

2. Do you know how many phone calls go unanswered?
   1. [   ] 0% … I have voicemail
   2. [   ] 10%
   3. [ X ] 20%  … The average optometry office doesn’t answer the phone 20% of the time.  It’s not about caring; it’s about how calls bunch up at certain times of the day.  Or, when everyone’s covering vacations and personal time off.
   4. [   ] 30%

3. Do you know how many patients hang up on voicemail?
   1. [   ] 33%
   2. [   ] 50%
   3. [ X ] 80% … Voicemail is no longer acceptable during business hours.  Patients expect your office to be available during the day.
   4. [   ] 100%

4. Do you know how many people never call back when voicemail picks up?
   1. [   ] 20%
   2. [   ] 30%
   3. [   ] 40%
   4. [ X ] 50% … Records for 500,000 patient calls indicate that half of the patients reaching voicemail during the day NEVER call back.  They just call the next provider on the search list that will answer their call.

5. Do you know how many appointment requests you get?
   1. [   ] 200 per month per doctor
   2. [ X ] 300 … Patient requests to book an appointment average 15/workday but again the calls tend to come in waves Monday morning and after-school, after-work. 
   3. [   ] 400
   4. [   ] All my calls are for appointments
6. Do you know how many appointment requests fail?
   1. [   ] minimal
   2. [   ] Maybe 10%
   3. [   ] Could be 20%
   4. [ X] As high as 30%  … The average OD office does not book appointments for 30% OR MORE of patient appointment requests.

7. Do you know the most crucial reason why appointment requests fail?
   1. [   ] Insurance
   2. [ X ] Patient desired appointment time not available … everyone wants the Saturday or after-school, after-work exam times.  If your office cannot accommodate the patient’s request, then most will call someone else.
   3. [   ] Medicaid
   4. [   ] Price

8. Do you know what the most frequent reason patients call?
   1. [ X ] Are my glasses ready? … most office calls are asking, “Are my glasses ready yet?  Supply chains are hard to manage.  Designer frames, custom lenses, multiple pair orders extend pickup times.  There are ways to be more helpful.  Remember every minute looking up an order takes away from the new patient call for an eye exam.
   2. [   ] Where are you located?
   3. [   ] Do you take my insurance?
   4. [   ] I want to cancel my appointment.

9. Do you know how many patients cancel appointments without rebooking?
   1. [   ] Not many.
   2. [   ] 10%
   3. [   ] 30%
   4. [ X ] 50%  … As many as half of “cancellations” are not booked on the same call.  Operators just don’t ask.  They are busy processing credit cards, looking up insurance benefits, and are concerned about the other call on hold. 

10. Do you know how many patients with appointments reschedule?
    1. [   ] 5%
    2. [   ] 10%
    3. [   ] 15%
    4. [ X ] 30%  … Life changes, people get sick, or just forget.  As many as 1 of 3 booked appointments will call to reschedule.  There are ways to work better with patient requests.

BONUS QUESTION: Improving phone management can generate …

1. [   ] $1500/month more revenue
2. [   ] $3000/month
3. [   ] $5000/month
4. [ X] $7500/month  … Your phone calls are an immediate source of more revenue.

If you score less than 70% correct, then your office will likely benefit from an AI Call Assistant. Email me personally, and I’ll show you how. Steve@RingIQ.ai