First response time

A patient asking about prices from abroad often writes to several clinics at once. The clinic that replies first, answers their questions and asks for photos is the one that starts the conversation. Replying the next afternoon to an enquiry sent at night can mean the patient is already talking to someone else.

Measuring it takes two moments: when the enquiry was recorded and when the team's first call, message or e-mail to the person was logged. Setting a team target, such as 15 minutes during opening hours, and looking at the enquiries that missed it shows whether the problem lies with a person or with the rota.