A well-thought-out voicemail message immediately improves the experience of your patients when they contact your medical practice. The goal: be clear, reassuring, useful, and provide solutions… in less than 30 seconds! Here are 6 proven tips, followed by 4 examples you can use for your practice.
Our 6 tips for an effective voicemail message
1. Smile, you’re recording!
When recording your voicemail message, we recommend keeping a calm and friendly tone (yes, even on voicemail, it’s noticeable!). This helps create a positive and professional image of your practice.
2. Start by mentioning the name of your practice
Start by stating the name of your practice or clinic so the caller knows right away that they’ve dialed the correct number.
“Hello, you’ve reached Dr. Dupont’s practice.”
Keep this part short!
3. Follow up with emergency instructions
After briefly mentioning the name of your practice, we recommend always following up with clear instructions in case of a medical emergency. For example, you could say:
“If you are facing a medical emergency, hang up and dial 144 immediately.”
This way you prioritize patient safety and reduce stress for the caller.
4. Offer an alternative way to contact you, such as online booking
Redirect simple requests to online booking to reduce call waiting times:
“We are currently closed. To book an appointment, search for ‘Cabinet Dupont’ on OneDoc or visit our website.”
We recommend adapting your messages depending on opening/closing hours and specific periods (holidays, leave).
This helps avoid patient frustration, as you immediately provide an easy alternative for booking! Plus, it saves you time since you’ll only need to answer cases that truly require a call!
5. Set clear expectations about response times
Indicate how long it takes you to respond to non-urgent messages. Example:
“We respond to all non-urgent messages within one business day.”
This way, if your patients need to be called back, they know how long to expect.
6. Say what information to leave (to avoid back-and-forth)
Specify the information needed to handle the request effectively:
“Please provide your name, your phone number, and a brief summary of the reason for your call.”
This avoids unnecessary back-and-forth and saves everyone time!
Our solutions to reduce administrative time
Bonus: 4 voicemail message examples you can use right away
Example 1: During office hours (in consultation)
“Hello, you’ve reached Dr. Jean Dupont’s practice. If you are facing a medical emergency, hang up and dial 144.
We are currently in consultation. To book an appointment, you can search for ‘Cabinet Jean Dupont’ on OneDoc or visit our website: www.cabinetdrjeandupont.ch.
For any other request, please leave your name, your phone number, and a brief message. We will call you back as soon as possible. Thank you!”
Example 2: Outside office hours (evening)
“Hello, thank you for calling Dr. Jean Dupont’s practice. We are currently closed and will reopen tomorrow at 9 a.m. In case of emergency, dial 144 or go to the nearest emergency room.
To book an appointment, you can use OneDoc or our website. For any other question, please leave your name, your phone number, and the reason for your call. We will call you back as soon as possible. Thank you.”
Example 3: Weekend or public holidays
“Hello, you’ve reached Dr. Jean Dupont’s practice. The practice is closed for the weekend and will reopen on Monday at 9 a.m. In case of emergency, dial 144 or go to the nearest emergency room.
Appointments can be booked anytime via OneDoc or on www.cabinetdrjeandupont.ch. Leave your name, your phone number, and your request, we will call you back on Monday morning.”
Example 4: Vacation message
“Hello, this is Dr. Jean Dupont’s practice. We are on vacation until July 28. In case of emergency, dial 144 or go to the nearest emergency room.
For an appointment starting July 29, go to OneDoc and search for our practice or directly visit our website. For non-urgent requests, please leave your name, your phone number, and the reason for your call. We will get back to you as soon as the practice reopens.”
Reduce calls to the practice today!
You are now ready to record your voicemail message. We recommend testing the length of your message so that it lasts about 20 to 30 seconds.
By applying these best practices or using these examples, you provide communication that is clear, reassuring, and helpful, even in the absence of staff to answer. Result: a better patient experience and lighter call management for your team!
