If your appointment book is consistently full, but your no-shows are frequent, then it’s time to make some changes. Every practice should be free of no-shows, but getting there is tough. No shows can wreak havoc on your bottom line as each one is lost revenue. Over time, the dollar amount associated with each no-show can grow to surprising numbers.
Understanding Why Patients Miss Appointments
Fortunately, other dental offices have tried techniques that end the trouble of patient no-shows. Before solving the no-show problem, dental offices need to understand why patients don't show up for their scheduled appointments.
Some patients miss their appointments because they are scheduled too far in advance and they simply forget. Some don’t show up because they don't feel obligated. Others don’t show up because they don't feel valued by their dental office.
Dental offices don't need to reinvent the wheel when it comes to creating solutions to no-show problems. Instead, they should try techniques that other offices have successfully used.
Use Reminder Technology
Patients rely on their smartphones for nearly everything. Automated reminder technology makes it easy to set up automated appointment reminders. Send patients reminders a few days before each appointment and ask them for an electronic confirmation.
Once the patient confirms, your automated system should reply with one follow-up message. If they don't confirm, the system should send replies until the patient confirms. If you don't receive a reply after a certain period of time, then the office staff should follow up with phone calls.
Reminder systems can be customized to patient preferences. Some patients prefer to receive phone calls and others may prefer postcards in the mail. When they set their appointments, ask for their reminder preferences. Record their contact preferences and only send reminders in this way.
Speed Up Wait Room Time
For patients, time is important. If the wait time in your office is too long, they will look elsewhere for dental care. If you don't value your patients’ time, then they will not value your time. Rather than cancel an appointment, patients will no-show as they search for Centennial dentists who keep their time commitments. If long wait times are a regular occurrence at your office, you should figure out why this is happening.
Schedule Appointments as Soon as Possible
When new patients call for their first appointment, your office staff should attempt to schedule it as soon as possible. If the appointment is too far into the future, patients forget or look elsewhere for something sooner. Some offices have implemented the technique of leaving openings throughout the week for urgent appointments and for new patients.
When you schedule new patients quickly, they will see that you value their business. This way, patients are more likely to keep their appointments and they may even refer you to their friends and family.
Build Relationships with Patients
If you want your patients to remember their appointments, make your office a place that cares about patients in a friendly and professional way. Take time to build a friendly relationship with your patients. Get to know details about them so they see you as a friend.
How do you build relationships with a plethora of patients? You provide helpful information and send holiday greetings.
It is important to have a presence on social media by having informational blog posts and monthly newsletters. When your patients visit, talk about your social media accounts and invite them to follow you. Then update your sites with special deals and useful information so your patients stay informed and interested.
Another tool that successful dental offices use is the monthly newsletter. You can send them in the mail in addition to posting them online. Your newsletters should include helpful dental-care tips, patients of the month, and photos of your dental office staff out in the community.
Birthday cards to your patients are another great technique to show them you are thinking of them and value them. The signatures on the card should be real, not photocopied, so the birthday wishes look authentic.
Develop an Anti-No-Show Plan
Patients who want to see their dentist will show up to their appointments. With helpful reminders, minimal waiting room time, and quick appointments, no-shows will decrease. Working with your office staff, you can develop a plan that fits your practice and reduces no-shows.