Communication Policy

Communication from the Director

• All phone calls, text messages and emails are to be answered immediately upon receipt, even if only to acknowledge you have received the communication.
• You must answer your mobile phone if the clinic director calls, unless you are consulting with a client. If you are unable to take the call, either briefly answer to say you will call back soon, or send an automatic text that says “I’ll call you back soon”.
• Emails sent from the clinic director must be replied to immediately, even if only to acknowledge you have received the email. If you do not have time to answer fully, state this in your reply, and follow up the email at your earliest convenience.

Communication via Email

• During business hours, all emails received from clients are endeavoured to be answered within 2 hours.
• If an email is received outside business hours it is to be answered as early as possible on the following business day.
• If an email is directed to a specific person and is sent to the front desk email address, it is to be forwarded immediately to the relevant person, and that person is to acknowledge receipt and deal with the email accordingly.
• If an email is intended for the clinic director and it is an issue that can be resolved immediately by administration staff, the administration staff is permitted to reply to the email, stating that you have passed the message on to the clinic director. Then cc the email to diane@goldfieldsphysio.com.au.
• If an email contains confidential client information it is to be treated in accordance with our Confidentiality Policy, and securely passed on to the relevant practitioner.
• If a practitioner receives an email from a referrer it is to be replied to on the same day and then again at the next contact with the relevant client.

Communication by Phone

• All phone calls to the clinic are to be answered within 4 rings. Aim to answer within 2 rings if possible.
• It is essential that you use the prescribed phone scripts at every opportunity.

Hand Written Communication

• Handwritten Notes between Administration staff are to be written in the Administration communication notebook with the date and time of the message.
• When written communication has been read, enacted and completed it is to be crossed off with a diagonal line through the page with the date and time of completion and the initials of the person responsible.
• Post-it Notes may be used to provide messages and one-off requests to team members.

Social Media

Please refer to our Social Media policy for details regarding what is acceptable and unacceptable use of communication with social media.