Answering calls at a drug rehab center can be challenging under the best of circumstances. However, the task becomes truly problematic when callers aren’t sober. While this situation can occur in many different types of businesses, it obviously comes with the territory at an addiction treatment center. You should know the best ways for dealing with difficult phone calls.

Dealing With Difficult Phone Calls: What Should You Do When Callers Are Under the Influence?

More than a few callers will be impaired when they contact your rehab center, especially when they call late at night. They may be incoherent, or confused, or angry. They may say all sorts of wild things, depending on the substance being abused. If you aren’t prepared for this eventuality, you will be stressed and frustrated during the conversation.

It’s quite possible that this call won’t be productive, simply because the caller is in no frame of mind to conduct a rational conversation or remember afterward anything discussed. Frequently, the best option is to get callers’ names and promise a follow up call when they are in better mental and physical condition. In fact, a follow-up call may startle them in a very good way. If you call and say, “I’m following up on our phone conversation last night,” and they have absolutely no recollection of that call, you may have provided added incentive for them to take action against their addiction.

However, there is one vital function that you can achieve in this call. After listening to what has been said, you should determine if there is any indication that this caller could be suicidal. If so, you may literally be the only thing standing between this person and death. You can’t simply hope such callers will regain their senses once they come down from their substance of choice. It may be necessary to contact authorities if it seems as if the caller talks about ending his or her life.

To increase admission rates at your drug rehab center, you need practical customer service tips for those individuals who answer your phones. Dreamscape Marketing’s Whitepaper entitled “10 Things You Should Know Before Answering the Phones at a Drug Rehab Center,” is an ideal resource for addiction treatment centers that need to increase admissions.