How to Prevent No-Shows: Dentists

In many dentist surgeries, it isn't just your clinical revenue figures that no-shows hurt - it's all of the other patients that depend on your service. In many areas of the country dental services are stretched to breaking point, and when a patient fails to keep an appointment there is often someone, somewhere, that was turned down for an appointment and now must wait with a toothache unnecessarily. Today we check out some of the methods best suited to dentists for preventing no-shows, including scheduled SMS messages, signage and employee training.

Have a dedicated cancellation contact point

This could be an option on your call distributor, or even a reply service to scheduled SMS reminders. Make it easy for patients to call and tell you they can’t make it, or they might not bother.

Send reminders … in several forms!

For patients with a single no-show against their name in your booking system, you could simple schedule SMS reminders. For patients with 2 no-shows against their name, consider sending a letter and an SMS closer to the date. For patients with 3 against their name, you should call, send a letter and SMS your reminder. These few dollars in stamps, phone calls and employee times will save many more dollars in missed appointments. However, their most valuable return is in showing your patients that no-shows matter to you, and that you need to know when they can’t keep an appointment.

Use signage to remind customers

Pop up signs reminding people that you have a dedicated cancellation line, that there is no penalty for cancelling within a set period, and that they'll be doing other patients a favor.

Shorten any automated reminder messages

If you have an automated reminder, make it snappy - otherwise many patients think it's telemarketing and hang up.

Consider overbooking

It may be worth overbooking your schedule by around half the usual rate of no-shows in order to preserve income.

Create standby appointments

Maintain a list of patients that can come in at a moment's notice - clear and rebuild this weekly. When you have a no-show, simply call in a new patient. One sister strategy to this is to make your SMS appointment reminders compulsory-reply; if your patient doesn't reply to an SMS reminder by 15 minutes before the appointment is due, tell them it will be rebooked.