So far, we have looked at financial tasks and are at 12 hours and counting… In this post, we will look at the customer service role to continue our count. Stay tuned for the grand total! It’s coming.
Customer Service
- Answering phone. I do try to answer my phone whenever I can, provided it’s during my business hours. Often there is a telemarketer on the other end, unfortunately. At times I spend a few minutes (usually not more than 15) explaining my services, therapy format, insurance, cost, how I can help, etc. Sometimes I end up booking the appointment manually if they don’t want to use my automated system. I estimate I spend about 3 hours per month on the phone.
- Billing issues. Sometimes, there is a question about insurance benefits, or the deductible changes, or a client doesn’t understand a charge or why they haven’t gotten their refund yet. (For various reasons I sometimes issue a refund.) Time estimate: 2 hours per month.
- Following up. I estimate I spend about 2 hours a month following up with clients and determining whether or not to close their cases.
- Intake Paperwork. Sometimes clients do not print and fill out the forms prior to their appointment, instead opting to arrive early to fill them out in the office. This means extra time waiting for them to fill out paperwork, as well as trips to the local FedEx office to make copies. I estimate 2 hours per month.
Total time per month on customer service: about 9 hours.
Total time so far: 21 hours.
Stay tuned next week for the grand total!
Yours in the Joy of Knowledge,
Dr. Barb LoFrisco
