We work with many care providers from both the care home and home care sectors. We know how hard everyone in the care sector works, often under extremely difficult circumstances.
To truly understand the challenges facing the care industry, we sought insights from Bounce Forward. While we can’t claim that Bounce Forward’s findings are indicative of the entire care industry, they offer valuable perspectives on the issues many care providers face.
Who is Bounce Forward?
Bounce Forward is an independent mystery shopping service exclusively for the senior care sector, with over 40 years of experience. They contact care providers across the UK and report on how care providers answer their calls. This partnership helps us understand how care providers balance phone enquiries with the challenges of care.
The biggest challenges facing the care industry today.
- Difficulty answering calls.
One of the most significant findings was perhaps also one of the least surprising; calls to care homes often went unanswered. Weekends were particularly difficult, in part due to the increase in visitors. With many relatives of service users working 9-5 weekday jobs, weekends see the highest volume of visitors and calls. Bounce Forward ran some call tests to see if care home managers answered calls on weekends, but none did.
Even when someone did manage to answer, they were often too busy to take contact details or asked callers to try again later. One manager answered but quickly requested a callback on Monday, again without gathering any information. That essentially meant a missed opportunity to capture a new lead and potentially increase occupancy. - Juggling calls and care.
Another common theme was call handlers responding while caring for a resident. This situation isn’t ideal for staff or service users. In one instance, Bounce Forward called a care provider and received a response from a staff member while in a lift with a resident. The care provider was too busy to provide information and asked them to call back later instead of requesting information from the caller. That lack of availability can have a significant impact on the caller’s perception of the care home. And that can lead to prospective clients seeking out other, more accessible care providers.
Care providers do an incredible job under challenging circumstances. However, providing consistent in-person care while also responding to callers may be asking too much. - Maintaining connection in the care industry.
The issue of real human connection is particularly acute in the care industry, where callers often face difficult decisions. First impressions are crucial. If a caller doesn’t receive a response to their initial enquiry, they may doubt the provider’s ability to offer the required level of care. Care providers need to maintain a connection with callers, often relatives or close friends of the service user. These conversations can be emotional and require a deft touch.
The impact of these challenges on the care industry.
67% of all initial care home enquiries come by telephone. That means it’s incredibly important to be ready to engage when someone reaches out. First impressions count, and your customer service reflects your brand, including your in-home service.
How to lay the foundations for a memorable first impression.
The three golden rules for first impressions
- Respond quickly – Strive to answer all calls in under four rings. An independent 2020 Arlington Research survey found that 64% of callers hang up if they don’t receive an answer within five minutes of calling a business.
- Answer every interaction, 24/7 – According to AnswerConnect internal data, 44% of calls to UK businesses come outside of office hours. While this may not reflect your specific call patterns, it does indicate that people often want to call outside traditional business hours. 24/7 availability is especially important in the care industry, where service users and their relatives require an immediate response at any hour of the day.
- Keep it human – 78% of people want to speak to a real person when they contact a business. In the care industry, replying to leads and clients as a real person carries real power.
The power of listening
To make a truly great first impression, you need to really listen. Active listening is about more than just processing what someone is saying; it’s about understanding the meaning and intent behind their words. It requires being a mindful and focused participant in the communication process.
Tips for active listening:
- Ask open-ended questions to encourage further responses: Start with “How” and “Why” rather than “What” and “Who”
- Paraphrase and reflect back on what’s been said. Confirm your understanding with phrases like “So what I’m hearing is…” and “Just to confirm, you’re looking for…”
- Withhold judgment and advice: Often people just want to be heard. They’re not necessarily looking for advice immediately.
- Provide multiple options for resolution: This shows the caller you’re open to working with them based on their personal preferences.
Of course, you won’t perfect your active listening skills overnight. It’s a skill honed over time.
Hone your client experience over time
You won’t nail the client experience overnight either. Instead, look at it as a process of continual improvement. Here are several actions to ensure you’re on the right track:
- Set benchmarks and review: The only way to know how your customer service is performing is to set targets. Compare your standings six months before and after implementing a new approach.
- Ask customers for feedback: Clients will always offer the most honest feedback. You can offer rewards for feedback, but ensure you’re gathering impartial information on your service.
- Conduct regular feedback reviews within your team: The introduction of a new system will impact not just clients but also your team. Ask them to share anonymous feedback at key milestones to gain insights that you might not be aware of.
How to nurture client relationships and strengthen client retention.
Once you’ve won over a client, focus on keeping them by continually reinforcing their trust.
That means showing people they made the right choice with your care service. Avoid overpromising, always aim to overdeliver, and offer reminders of the value they’re getting by providing updates on new services/technologies you’ve incorporated into your service.
It also means making room for unscalable interactions. But what does that mean?
“Unscalable interactions” are the little things you do to recognise your clients individually, such as a handwritten note, an unsolicited gift basket, or a personal shoutout on social media.
Overcoming challenges
With these steps, you’re already better placed to handle the needs of your clients and build stronger connections with callers.
In the care industry, trust is the cornerstone of every relationship. Speaking with a real empathetic person provides reassurance to callers during what is often a challenging and emotional time. By offering a consistent, empathetic response, you help build and maintain the strong connections that are essential in delivering exceptional care.
However, answering every call isn’t always feasible. That’s why many care providers are turning to third-party solutions to help field their calls.
If you’re going to choose an answering service to help maintain that connection with clients, take time to find one that aligns with your goals and allows you to customise the script to provide callers with a personal, on-brand greeting.
As Bounce Forward noted, “It is so important for people to use the right language when answering calls in the care industry. That’s why picking an answering service tailored to the care sector like AnswerConnect is key”.
Find out how we can help your care home by booking your free consultation using the button below.
