Hit the right note and convey your brand with on-point healthcare practice voicemails.
Whether it’s assisting a client or dealing with a personal matter, at some stage you and your team won’t be available to answer the phone. Yet, despite this, a voice message can be an afterthought in busy healthcare practices.
But, the reality is a professional voicemail script for private practice is essential and should not be overlooked. It’s a great way to help streamline client interactions and provide excellent customer service at the same time.
3 Benefits of Having a Professional Voicemail
Whether you have an established client base or you’re looking to grow your practice, a professional voicemail is an essential tool to help elevate your practice’s image. Even when you’re not available to respond to a call, you want clients to experience a personal touch, rather than having a robotic voice on the other end of the line.
Beyond the obvious, the benefits of having a professional voicemail script for private practice include:
- Leave a good first impression – a new client met with a professional voicemail script will immediately feel confident in the professionalism of your practice.
- Provide essential information – so that the caller knows they’ve dialled the correct number. This will prevent the nuisance of having to respond to wrong numbers, and you might even be able to answer the questions they have (such as opening hours).
- Save time – Mention the details you require from your clients’ messages so that you don’t need to do detective work before you’re able to get back to them.
Essential Tips for Writing the Ideal Voicemail Script for Private Practice
Now that you know why, the big question is, how?
What’s the secret to writing the ideal voicemail script?
Step #1: Write an Actual Script
How often have you experienced the frustration of fumbling over and over, trying to get the perfect voicemail after 50 attempts?
Avoid that drama by simply writing a script! Schedule some time in your week to put together an ideal voicemail script, providing essential details that your callers need. These should include:
- The name of your practice.
- If you have a joint practice, you may want to give your clients a menu that allows them to leave a specific message for their selected practitioner. Clients may not want to leave a private message that others will hear, particularly in the mental health field.
- Your practice’s office hours so that clients know when it’s appropriate to call.
- Details of any alternative contact, emergency contacts, or information about your local hospital or emergency services.
- An indication of how long it will take to respond to your clients.
Step #2: Hire a Voice Actor if Needed
If recording vocals isn’t your strong suit, you may want to hire a voice actor to master your greeting.
Sounds like hard work?
Gone is the time of in-studio recording and intense editing. These days, you can hire a voice actor online, via a freelance website designed to link clients with creatives from across the globe. Simply post a job, select an applicant, and pay once you receive a satisfactory file.
Freelancer.com is a fantastic example of a website you can use to find your ideal voice-over artist.
Voicemail Scripts for Mental Health & Private Practice Professionals
As you sit down to muster up your inner creativity to write your script, remember that it should come across as warm and welcoming. Hence, you may want to add a personal touch.
Try something like:
“Welcome to 5th Street Counselling. We’re sorry that we couldn’t get to the phone right away,” and then you could end your message with: “We hope that you have a wonderful day.”
However, the sky’s the limit with your greeting; just ensure that you find the perfect balance between friendly and professional. The full version might look something like this:
“Welcome to 5th Street Counselling. Our office hours are Monday to Friday, 8 am to 4 pm. We apologise for not being available to take your call, but we’ll do our best to get back to you within 48 hours. Kindly leave a message detailing your name, surname, telephone number, and the subject of your query. Thanks for calling, and we hope you have a great day.”
A key tip is to manage your clients’ expectations by being honest about your response time. It’s vital to set aside time every day or two to respond to your voice messages.
Finally, if you’re a mental health professional (or any private practice owner, for that matter), it’s your responsibility to build a trusting relationship with your clients, so they feel safe and willing to share. Therefore, you should not only inject some kindness into the tone of your message, but you may also want to add emergency contact details, whether they’re yours, a local clinic or an emergency service.
Example #1: “Should you require emergency support, do not hesitate to visit the 24/7 Hope Street Clinic or give them a call…”
Example #2: “If your query is an emergency, feel free to call my alternative number…”
Finally, should you have a switchboard with multiple practitioners, your voice message could look something like this:
“Thanks for calling 5th Street Counselling. Unfortunately, we’re unable to take your call. Our office hours are Monday to Friday, 8 am – 4 pm. If you want to leave a private message for Andy Joans, press one, for David Smith, press two, etc. Please kindly state your name, telephone number, and a detailed query, and we’ll get back to you within 48 hours. Should you have an after-hours medical emergency, don’t hesitate to contact the 24/7 Hope Street Clinic. We hope you have a fantastic day.”
Try to keep your messages as short as possible, while still providing all the necessary details required.
In Conclusion
A top-notch voice message is part of professional practice, and it’s small details like these that can make a big difference to clients. It’s still a first prize to have someone to answer calls in person, so if you’re in a position to do so, you may want to consider hiring a virtual assistant to help take and respond to calls. The additional help could allow you to spend your time focusing on your clients and running your practice. Alternatively, you could set up online bookings on your website using Power Diary’s Client Portal to help reduce call volumes.
Lastly, if you’re recording your own voicemail, ensure that you’re relaxed and prepared. Find a quiet space, take a deep breath before and during, and have a glass of water on hand. Take your time and don’t be hard on yourself; the more confident you feel, the more professional your message will read.
Enjoy writing and recording a brilliant professional voicemail script for your private practice!
