TeleVox expands Agent Chat functionality to reduce inbound call volumes

TeleVox, an industry provider of omnichannel patient relationship management platforms, is aiming to solve the challenge of overworked healthcare call centers and frustrated patients waiting on hold. TeleVox has launched Agent Chat, which utilizes a secure, web-based experience to connect patients to a staff member who can address the patient’s needs.

TeleVox said that patients calling into healthcare offices spend an average of eight minutes on the phone with 63% of calls being transferred, wasting both time and resources. With Agent Chat, a secure conversation is initiated to quickly connect a patient to the healthcare facility, greatly reducing call volumes and wait times while also improving staff productivity and Net Promoter Scores.

“Whether after-hours or while in a public setting, there are times when patients can’t or don’t want to talk on the phone but still need to get their questions answered in a timely fashion,” said Vijay Verma, vice president, product at TeleVox. “Agent Chat provides them a secure channel to connect with their provider while reducing the burden on contact centers to manually staff hundreds of phone calls per day.”

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For healthcare staff, Agent Chat offers an enhanced contact center experience that allows providers to deliver automated and at scale service around the clock, driven by:

• Intelligent routing – Chats are routed to appropriate queues based on screening questions or direct access URL links.
• Concurrent conversations – Instead of 1:1 phone calls, agents can accept multiple concurrent chats to boost efficiency.
• Real time agent metrics – Key metrics provide insights into chat engagement, keeping both agents and patients satisfied with results.

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• Message templates – Quick responses that allow staff to hold multiple, concurrent chats.

Agent Chat is ideal for referral outreach, managing appointments and assisting patients with bill pay. It also can be used for general patient questions, filling care gaps and much more.