Clementine Answers : Our Blog

Clementine has a lot to say, so we created a platform to support that voice. We’ve learned a lot from our years spent in the telephone answering service industry, and our blog is designed to help your business succeed on all fronts.

Calm, Cool & Collected

Give your callers reassurance in their scariest moments. In the midst of medical emergencies, the first emotion that is often felt by people is panic. Pure panic. And to follow this panic? Frantic phone calls.

Waste Not.

Wasted time means wasted business. From the time they are young, children are engrained with a list of life lessons that they’ll carry with them forever: say please and thank you, look both ways before crossing the street, sharing is caring, respect your elders, the list goes on. And among these important values, children are also taught to value time – both their own, and other’s. Time is one of the most valuable commodities in life because it’s completely out of our control. And that’s why it’s so important to make the most of every minute.

Appear Larger than You Are

Running your business or practice isn’t a one-man show. Picture yourself sitting in the audience of a magic show. The magician appears onstage with an elephant by his side, announcing that he will make the giant animal disappear right in front of your eyes. You’re on the edge of your seat. Waiting. And sure enough, in a matter of seconds, the elephant is nowhere to be found. It’s just as the magician said. But how did he do it? How did he make an animal that weighs upwards of three tons disappear into thin air?

Tried and Tired Technology

Voicemail is a dying technology. Don’t let yourself fall behind the times. People rarely leave voicemails these days. They’re slow, inefficient and oftentimes unreliable. After waiting through five rings, callers must sit through voicemail instructions, leave the message, and then wait. And wait. Responses aren’t ever guaranteed, and especially on time sensitive issues, can’t be trusted.

Take Tone Seriously

The tone of the person answering your calls can greatly affect customers’ perception of your business. For years, researchers have been conducting studies on the effects of smiling. Almost conclusively, results show that smiling positively affects one’s mood and overall health, while also spreading happiness to the people around them. Positive energy is magnetic. It’s one of the most highly regarded traits in humans. And no matter the industry in which a person works, replacing negativity with a positive outlook is sure to reap more benefits than one.

Keeping Secrets Safe

Privacy and Security: The two tenets of HIPAA that a good telephone answering service must uphold. When humans possess items of worth, our natural instinct is to protect them from others. Since these objects hold some sort of value, we make an effort to keep them safe. But what if these valuables aren’t physical objects at all? What if they’re secrets, ideas, personal information? Intangibles that can’t be protected by lock and key?

What does your business need to cover incoming communications?

Your business is as unique as you are. Whether you’re in landscaping, have a medical practice or own a bakery, you know that your business is different from one down the street or across the state. Yes, you may be in the same industry, but you have different clientele, your own way of running things and individualized plans and goals.

Timing is Everything

Callers are impatient. Answering promptly is crucial to growing your business and gathering leads. You know the frustration of sitting on hold or being sent to voicemail when you’re looking for assistance. It’s irritating, time-consuming and almost always guaranteed to leave you in a bad mood. So why put your patients or customers in that situation?

HIPAA Compliance: Beneficial for all businesses

Medical professionals understand the importance of customer interactions. During stressful situations, patients require support, reassurance and professionalism – a lifeline in an otherwise scary and unknown world. But even when they’re uncertain or afraid, patients also look for one more thing: privacy. And in the healthcare industry, this privacy is key.

Real People Preferred: Give customers a personal touch.

We’re surrounded by technology designed to make life easier. Think voicemail systems and automated answering. Your customers, however, don’t necessarily care about what makes your life easy. They want their experiences to be personal and professional. Neither of which they’ll get from recorded messages or automation. Not having a real person answering your incoming communication can negatively affect your business. In fact, 80% of people will hang up if they reach voicemail – proof that a real person can have a real impact on your business.