Of all the tasks that a medical office front desk receptionist needs to take care of in the day, a large portion of them are handled over the phone. However, the large majority of received phone calls can be handled by an automated 24/7 backup receptionist. A good and efficient system will give office hours, take messages, transfer calls, schedule appointments, and even register new patients!
In the past, all these tasks were assigned to a part time receptionist. However, this service can only be available for a short time during a 24 hour period. Hiring a backup receptionist for evening hours as well, for example, was not cost-effective at all.