Cost · ROI · Staffing
Answering Service Cost
Per-minute fees, minimums, and the quality gap of script-based agents.
Per-minute fees add up while quality and clinical fit vary.
Define the cost problem
- •Scripted agents with variable quality
- •Transfer fees and per-minute billing
- •Limited context for patients
Hidden costs
- •Rework from bad notes/transfers
- •Patient frustration with scripted agents
- •QA time to monitor vendor
Rough ranges
- •Per-minute + transfer fees + minimums
- •QA and corrections add hidden cost
- •Poor experience can hurt retention
Compare options
- •Keep service; accept quality variance
- •Switch vendors; still per-minute
- •Bring more in-house; adds headcount
- •Use AI for consistent intake; humans for escalations
AI reception advantage
- •Consistent tone and scripts every time
- •Full transcripts for QA/compliance
- •Predictable cost vs. variable minutes
What to do next
- •Total current per-minute + QA cost
- •Pilot AI on a subset of calls
- •Keep humans for clinical/edge cases