A front desk that can put the phone down and help the dog in the lobby
The phones ring hardest when the lobby is full. Owners call about appointments, refills and a pet that ate something it should not have. Referral hospitals send records, and clients want to text a photo instead of describing a rash. Here is how a clinic sets PBXflex up to handle all of it.
What gets in the way, and what fixes it
The phones and the lobby peak together
A call queue holds callers in order and connects each one to the next free person at the desk. Owners who would rather not wait can hang up and be called back without losing their place.
An owner can show you faster than tell you
Clients text the clinic number, and the front desk answers from it in a shared inbox. A picture message carries a photo of the wound, the rash or the label on the packet the dog chewed. Anyone on the team can open the thread and pass it to a technician.
Reminders take an afternoon of calls
Scheduled messages go out from the clinic number when you choose, so tomorrow's appointment reminders can be written today. When the desk is closed, an away message says when to expect a reply.
The doctor is in the back
Paging speaks to a group of desk phones at once, and intercom speaks to one extension on speaker without making it ring. The desk can reach the treatment area without walking back there.
Calls after closing need a clear answer
An IVR plays a different greeting after hours. It can give the number of the emergency hospital you refer to, send urgent calls to the on-call vet's mobile, and take everything else as a message for the morning.
Records and lab results still arrive by fax
A fax extension receives faxes as documents in a shared inbox. There is no machine, no dedicated line and no paper unless you print it.
What an owner hears when they call
A starting call flow for a clinic with two vets and a front desk of three. You can change any step in the app, any time.
The menu answers
Press 1 for appointments and refills, 2 to speak to a technician about a pet already in our care, 3 for billing. Each option rings the people who handle it.
IVR | Interactive Voice ResponseThe desk takes calls in order
Appointment calls wait in a queue and go to the next free person. An owner who cannot hold presses a key to be called back instead.
Call QueueThe desk pages the back
When an owner needs a technician, the desk pages the treatment area or speaks to one phone on intercom. Nobody leaves the desk to find them.
Intercom/PagingAfter closing, the greeting changes
A different greeting gives the emergency hospital's name and number. Urgent calls for your own patients can ring the on-call vet's mobile, and everything else goes to a shared voicemail box for the morning.
Common Voicemail Box
Essentials includes one IVR, ring group or shared voicemail, and call queues, callbacks and paging are add-ons. Business includes every call-flow feature.
A typical starting setup
- Incoming call
- Wait in order
- Next available teammate
Callers can also request a callback and keep their place in line.
- IVR | Interactive Voice Response
Main number menu, with an after-hours greeting that names the emergency hospital
- Call Queue
Front desk line for appointments and refills
- Callback Extension
Lets owners hang up and keep their place during the rush
- Business SMS/MMS/RCS
Photos from owners, and reminders sent from the clinic number
- Intercom/Paging
Reaches the treatment area from the front desk
- Fax Extension
Records from referral hospitals and other clinics
- Common Voicemail Box
Messages the whole front desk can see
Every setup here fits the Business plan, which includes every call-flow feature, texting and fax. Essentials includes one IVR, ring group or shared voicemail, and more are available as add-ons.
On Business, a team of 5 pays $200 a month, before taxes and government fees.
The year on the phones
Before you switch
Move your numbers for free, and keep your old service running until they arrive. Set up the menu, the queue and the after-hours greeting before the first busy morning.
Spring and summer
Vaccines, parasite prevention and boarding fill the book. Schedule reminder texts a day ahead, and let the queue offer callbacks when the desk falls behind.
Holidays
Change the after-hours greeting for the days you close, and check the emergency hospital number it gives is still right.
When the team changes
Add a user for a new hire. Invitations last seven days. When someone leaves, remove them, and the client threads stay with the clinic.
Questions we hear
Can patients and clients text our main number?
Yes. Business texting uses your business numbers in a shared inbox, so the team replies as the practice or firm rather than from personal mobiles.
What happens when the front desk is slammed?
Queues hold callers in order, ring groups ring several people at once, callbacks let callers hang up without losing their place, and shared voicemail keeps messages from being stranded. For texts, away messages and unanswered-message alerts make sure nothing waits too long.
Do we still need a fax machine?
No. Fax is included on every plan as a shared electronic inbox. Incoming faxes arrive as documents, and every outbound fax gets a PDF delivery confirmation.
What happens to our texts when an employee leaves?
They stay with your business. On PBXflex, texts live in shared inboxes on your business numbers, and every conversation belongs to your organization, not to one person. Remove the user, and the rest of the team keeps the history.
Should we cancel our old phone service before we switch?
No. Keep your current service until your numbers have moved to PBXflex, so callers can reach you the whole time. Porting is free on every plan.
Do we need to buy desk phones?
No. Every extension works in the web app and on mobile, so you can start without desk phones. If you want them, desk phones can be rented from $5 a month or bought from $89.
Start with the lines you need today
Create your account and add users as you grow. Remove them when you don't need them.
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