With the demand for caregivers growing along with an aging Baby Boomer population, the home care industry has seen a significant increase in new home care businesses in recent years. Successful home care businesses know that staying competitive in this expanding market requires innovation and the ability to effectively utilize all available resources. Many Home Care Businesses are turning to their phone systems to get a competitive edge and distinguish themselves in the marketplace. Here’s how:
Build Brand Confidence
Whether you are a new home care agency or an experienced industry leader, your reputation is only as strong as your brand. Franchise agencies have the advantage of working under established, recognizable branding, which means independent home care agencies need to keep pace if they want to establish themselves in an already competitive market. Using a unified, professional voice across your phone system greetings is an excellent way to build credibility and create brand confidence with your callers. Professional greetings are just that...professional. When prospective clients hear a compassionate voice on the phone, it reinforces your image as a considerate and capable home care provider. Beyond that, it can create a sense of peace and comfort for clients/families at an often stressful and emotional time.
Boost Referrals & Testimonials
According to a recent home care study, past and current clients are a home care agency’s top referral source. Agencies that can find a way to turn those referrals into testimonials can maximize the benefits and attract additional business. In fact, 88% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. Unfortunately, one of the biggest challenges to capturing home care testimonials, is that many of the older adults you serve do not use Facebook, Yelp, or other online review platforms. That’s where your phone system comes in. Your multi-level auto attendant allows you to program menu options and develop more sophisticated phone trees. This gives you the ability to prompt callers to leave a message with their review or testimonial. (i.e. Your feedback is important to us. If you would like to leave a brief testimonial or review of our services, please press 4) Transcribed reviews can be used in your website marketing to boost your online presence and increase revenue.
Cross-Promote & Educate
Are your clients aware of all the home care services you provide? Do you offer referral incentives? An educated client is your best client. They understand your process, maximize your service offerings, and spread the word about your business. Your phone system’s on hold message technology provides an excellent platform for client education. Promote your lesser known services, share information on your caregiver training process, highlight your industry awards... if you utilize your on hold technology correctly, it will do a lot of the client education for you.
Provide Responsive Support
If you’re a small or independent home care agency, chances are your employees wear a lot of different hats. Whether it’s a staffing department that manages supervisory visits or a management team visiting clients in the hospital, your phone system’s Simultaneous Ring (Twinning) feature allows your staff to stay mobile without missing important calls and potentially losing business. With Simultaneous Ring, you can program your system to ring multiple phones simultaneously. So a prospective client calling your office line can ring the desk phone, a remote office location phone and a mobile phone at the same time. So, your staff will never miss a call regardless of where they are working.
Gaining a competitive advantage with your phone system is affordable and cost-effective. In fact, it may be as simple as selecting a professional voice for your home care brand! Get started now!
