If you are new to private practice, you may not even know that there are “right” and “wrong” ways to telephone your client.
The Do’s
- Get your client’s permission to call her. Don’t just assume it’s OK to do so.
- Ask where your client prefers to be called. On her cell phone? At home? Work?
- Ask where your client does not want to be called. At home because of an abusive partner? At work because she will get in trouble?
- Verify who you are talking to. It may or may not be your client.
- Ask if there is anywhere you can leave a message on voice mail? Remind her that voice mail is not 100% secure – at home family members may have access, at work employers may have access, etc
- When returning phone calls, ask how early / late you can call.
- Turn down or turn off the volume of your own answering machine so that others cannot hear the messages you have received. Better yet, listen to them in private.
- If someone other than your client answers the phone, do not identify yourself or leave a message unless you have written permission from your client to do so.
- Always ask “Is this a good time to call?”
Use a land line to make your phone calls.They are much more secure than cordless and cell phones that put.[Updated 10-16-14 – According to IT security specialist Roy Huggins, this is no longer necessary.]
The Don’ts
- Don’t call your client by name if you are in a public setting. This includes the front of your office if other clients or colleagues are present.
- Don’t call without your client’s permission.
- Don’t allow / encourage clients to call between appointments for non-emergencies and non-logistical issues. This is about helping your client learn about appropriate boundaries and also protecting your off-the-clock time.
- Don’t leave detailed personal information about your client on voice mail.
- Do not give others access to your voice mail code that allows you to receive messages.
Is there anything here that you didn’t know? Did I leave anything out? If so, let’s chat!
Jennifer! Thanks so much for the tweet! I do appreciate you sharing my post with your followers!
Great information! I’ve been looking for something like this for a while now. Thanks!
Thank you for this info. It’s very helpful. I do see that that most of these tips look to be regarding established clients. What about calling a potential client back, though (someone who has left a message for you, inquiring about potentially becoming a client). In that case you do not know anything about the client, usually, except a name and phone number and usually not much more. As well, you do not have their listed requests of when to contact, how to contact, etc., other than the phone number they leave. If that person answers, you can follow the above advice, but if they don’t, then what should you leave on their voicemail? Thanks.
Thanks, Rob, for asking this question! It’s an important one that I overlooked. Assuming the potential client has asked for me to return the call and also left a phone number, I call and say “Hi, this is Tamara returning your call. I’m so sorry to have missed you! I’ll be back in the office on Monday at 8 a.m.. I hope to hear from you then!”