Make Every Second Count with On-Hold Messaging

When patients call your practice, every second they spend on hold is an opportunity to leave a lasting impression. On-hold messaging is a powerful tool that can enhance patient experience, build trust, and communicate valuable information about your services.

For dentists and medical practices, where patient care goes beyond the exam room, implementing on-hold messaging can turn a long wait time into a big advantage.

What is On-Hold Messaging?

First, let’s take a quick look at what exactly on-hold messaging is, and what it does.

On Hold Messaging is a professional marketing service designed for business phone systems. Each program includes fully customized scripts, professional voice talents, and licensed music – all of which can be perfectly tailored to your practice’s needs. These messages can highlight new services, products, staff introductions, health tips, insurance details, or any other information you wish to present.

Callers hear these messages while they’re on hold, perhaps while they’re waiting to schedule an appointment. The duration of this wait time often depends on factors like high call volumes on specific days, office staffing levels, and other variables unique to the practice – but it doesn’t have to be “lost” time. It can bring your practice big benefits.

1: Doctors and Dentists Are Not Salespeople

Providers often hesitate to “sell” or promote optional treatments, finding it uncomfortable, or simply not in line with their professional values. Many have experienced pushy sales tactics firsthand and would rather not contribute to that behavior.

However, when a patient is placed on hold and exposed to informative, well-crafted messages (delivered in a way that conveys a neutral third-party perspective), it can create a valuable opportunity. If the patient then initiates a conversation about the optional treatment or service they just heard about in the on-hold message, it allows for a more natural and comfortable discussion for the provider.

2: Doctors and Dentists Often Hear Complaints About Their Phone System

But how do they know? Since they rarely call their own practices, they rely on feedback from patients, especially those who’ve had a frustrating experience.

On-hold messaging can transform long hold times into a much more pleasant, informative experience. Instead of subjecting callers to poor-quality music or (worse) complete silence, practices can provide helpful, engaging content with their on-hold messaging.

This is particularly important for medical and dental offices, which often experience high call volumes – especially on Monday mornings or during unexpected surges in phone traffic. When call queues build up, patients are left waiting, and that’s where on-hold messaging can make a big difference.

3: Additional Services Help Financially

This concept isn’t unique to healthcare – many businesses rely on supplemental services to drive profitability. For example, in a restaurant, desserts often yield the highest margins. At a car dealership, services like fluid replacements and alignments generate more profit than standard vehicle inspections. Similarly, in a dental practice, cosmetic services like teeth whitening and smile enhancements serve as key revenue drivers, far surpassing the profitability of routine cleanings.

On-hold messaging can effectively highlight these high-value services, ensuring that patients are aware of their options, and encouraging them to take advantage of offerings that benefit both their well-being and the practice’s bottom line.

4: Appear Professional and Organized

While many practices may not always feel the pressure of competition, it’s important to remember that it does exist. In healthcare, trust is one of the primary factors influencing a patient’s decision to choose, and remain with, a specific practice. Referrals play a crucial role in growth, and the better a practice presents itself in its on-hold messaging, the stronger that trust becomes, fostering loyalty and long-term success.

5: Communicate Essential Information

Updates about the practice, or important changes to insurance policies, can too often be missed by patients. For instance, patients may find it difficult to remember that the office closes early on Thursdays or has half-day hours on Saturdays.

On-hold messaging offers a highly effective way to combat this issue. When patients are placed on hold, they’re naturally inclined to listen while they wait. This creates a far more engaging opportunity to convey important information than relying on signage or brochures in a waiting room, which patients can easily ignore.

On-hold messaging is a cost-effective, efficient form of marketing that delivers key details directly to your patients. In fact, it can be effective as placing a bold sign directly on a hair stylist’s mirror – impossible to miss!

On-hold messaging truly leverages every moment to keep your patients informed and engaged.

Contact Us

To learn more, call 804-273-6900!