How to set up custom actions for medical vs cosmetic visi…

• You have a Chatref agent set up and trained on your practice information (services, hours, accepted plans). If not, start with uploading your practice details.
• You have separate paths for medical and cosmetic visits ready: a scheduling link, a calendar, or a named team member for each.
• You’re familiar with the Dermatology Practices guide on training your agent with the right clinic information.

Custom actions work by collecting details from the patient and triggering your own tools – like opening a booking URL or handing off to a human. You’ll create one action that asks the visit type and then routes accordingly.

1. Open the Custom Actions tab. In your Chatref dashboard, go to the agent’s settings and choose Custom Actions. Click Add Action.

2. Name the action clearly. Use something descriptive like “Route medical or cosmetic visit”. This name won’t be shown to patients; it helps you manage the action later.

3. Define the patient-facing prompt. In the action’s configuration, set the opening message the agent will deliver when it suspects the patient needs an appointment. For example:
   “To get you to the right team quickly – is this for a medical concern (like a rash, mole, acne) or a cosmetic treatment (like Botox, filler, laser)?”
   You can also provide two quick-reply buttons (Medical / Cosmetic) to make it easier.

4. Add the routing logic.

   • Create a sub-action for “Medical”: set it to open your medical scheduling link (e.g., a Calendly URL for acne/skin checks) or to transfer the conversation to the medical assistant’s queue.
   • Create a sub-action for “Cosmetic”: open your cosmetic consultation booking link or route to the aesthetics coordinator.
     If your tool supports it, you can also collect the patient’s name and preferred time right in the chat before forwarding.

5. Set a fallback if the patient hesitates. If they don’t choose, the agent can gently repeat the question once, then hand off to a human. Add a final step: “If no selection after two prompts, transfer to front desk.”

6. Save and publish the action. Make sure the action is enabled so the AI agent can invoke it during conversations.

Note: You can also build two separate custom actions (one for medical, one for cosmetic) and let the agent pick the right one based on the patient’s words. The multi‑action setup above keeps the conversation smooth and gives you a single place to manage the flow.

Test the routing in your agent’s playground or on your staging site:

• Type: “I want to book a Botox appointment.”
  The agent should ask if that’s cosmetic (or directly classify it as cosmetic) and provide the cosmetic booking link.
• Type: “I have a new mole that’s changing shape.”
  The agent should route to the medical team, possibly with a note about urgency.
• Type a vague request like “I need an appointment.” The agent should ask the clarifying question before routing.

If the booking link opens but redirects to the wrong calendar, check the URL in the action’s settings. Run through each scenario once with your team watching to confirm the handoff works as intended.

What causes medical vs cosmetic visit routing problems for Dermatology Practices?

Patients often reach out with vague language like “I need to see someone,” without specifying whether the concern is medical or cosmetic. Busy front-desk staff may not always ask the right screening questions, leading to mismatched appointments, long wait times, and frustrated patients.

How do I improve medical vs cosmetic visit routing for Dermatology Practices?

Implement a clear classification step at the beginning of every inquiry. Use Chatref’s custom actions to ask, “Is this for a medical concern or a cosmetic treatment?” and route based on the answer. Supplement this by training your AI agent on distinct vocabulary – medical terms (mole, rash, acne, screening) vs cosmetic terms (Botox, filler, laser, peel) – so it can auto‑detect intent and reduce the need for manual sorting.