One Dentist Eliminated No-Shows with SMS Appointment Reminders
![sms appointment reminders](https://dox4euoyzny9u.cloudfront.net/images/fastsms/One-Dentist-Eliminated-No-Shows-with-SMS-Appointment-Reminders.png)
No-shows are a serious issue in dental offices. Some surveys estimate they account for as much as 10% of appointments, resulting in thousands of pounds lost each year. Many practices send reminders via post or email, but simple appointment reminders aren’t always that effective. Not only is there a loss of revenue, but other negative side effects as well.
According to dentist Andrea Kowalczyk in an article on rdhmag.com (part of the Dentistry Network), “When hygienists and team members have too much downtime, it breeds a host of negative feelings and frustrations that permeate the practice, particularly if salaries are paid based on production numbers.”
There is something that can be done about no-shows, and it’s a simple use of technology everyone has: SMS messaging.
No-show rate "eliminated"
Today’s lifestyles are on-the-go and mobile connected. Sending a paper reminder in the mail, or even an email, just won’t get the attention you need it to. SMS messaging though, is a perfect way to get appointment reminders in front of your patients, and offer them the chance to cancel or confirm with a simple reply.
Kevin Morgester, DDS, reported that after they began using automated reminders, their no show rate “has been eliminated”. They sent messages via email or SMS (patient preference I assume) but the article reads as though text was their main method.
To get such a reduction, they send out three reminders per appointment. The first goes out a month before, the second one week before, and the final one the day before. This combination gives enough opportunity for patients to make changes or cancel, and their practice has been buzzing ever since. They now service 70% of their practice “online” and they even send post-operative care information via text and email. It works so well because as Morgester notes, “Like us, patients also work during the day and may not be able to take phone calls, but they can text or email.”
"Lost patient syndrome"
Sometimes when a patient cancels or doesn’t show up for an appointment, they can get lost. Not lost in real life, but lost in the mass of paperwork or computer records at your practice. Unless you have a method for identifying those people who haven’t been in for a year, or two, or ten they may be lost forever.
In an article on DentalEconomics.com, Linda Miles comments on the impact these lost patients have, which is similar to that of many no-shows. “Dentists see major declines in their hygiene departments, which result in major declines in the operative and restorative side of the practice. Within 90 days of this decline, panic sets in,” she says. “The doctor and staff begin to sound and act desperate, which leads the patients to suspect that something is wrong.”
If your patients begin to feel nervous about you and your practice they may not come in for their next visit, or may find another place to go. In her article, Miles details the extensive amount of work required to call each and every patient and try to get them to come back in for their regular check-ups. She estimates it can take 20-40 hours a month per dentist for this activity alone.
By using SMS messaging, you can stay in contact with your patients in a way that takes much less time, but also can prevent them from getting lost. Here’s how it works:
- You send an appointment reminder via SMS
- They cancel via SMS reply
- A month goes by (or some predetermined time period)
- You send a short SMS reminding them they need to reschedule
- They call and reschedule
This is a simple example, and it may need to be repeated at intervals until the patient reschedules (not too often or they’ll just get annoyed).
By integrating SMS appointment reminders into your practice, you can reduce no-shows and lost patients. Both can save you time, money, and keep moral high in your practice.
Related Articles
Proof SMS Messaging Gets Results: Customer Service
All sorts of companies are finding SMS messaging works much better than traditional customer support channels like phone calls and emails. In this post, you’ll see examples of how businesses are keeping their customers happy and seeing great results with SMS.
SMS Messaging Helps New Mothers Stay Healthy
New mothers face many challenges in the days and weeks following the birth of their child. Any parent will know most of them well with lack of sleep being a primary one. But many women are also at risk for other conditions that could be prevented by regular monitoring - enter SMS.
How to Use SMS Messaging to Improve Customer Service
Global brands are increasingly taking advantage of a Short Message Service (SMS) to connect to customers and improve customer communication and engagement. This trend is taking root amongst small companies too, as they grasp the potential to not only communicate effectively in real-time but use SMS to save time and money in their customer relations procedures.
A2P SMS Messaging Market is Complex, But Growing
I came across an interesting article regarding the A2P market. It’s entitled “Growing Employment Rate to Benefit BFSI A2P SMS Market in Switzerland.” The contents summarise a new report from Transparency Market Research about the A2P market in Switzerland, specifically how it relates to BFSI or Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance (BFSI). You might be thinking that sounds boring rather than interesting, but what drew my attention was the relationship of employment to A2P SMS messaging.
SMS Marketing for Tradespeople
3 Reasons Your Customers Want You to Use SMS Messaging
In my last blog I looked at five reasons you want to use SMS messaging in your business. In this blog we're looking at the same topic, just from the consumer's point of view. For example, how do you really know your customers want you to send them messages via SMS? Isn't email or a phone call good enough? Is it worth your time to learn how to use SMS messaging in your business?
5 Reasons to use SMS for Transactional Messaging
People rely on their mobiles for everything these days. They check them up to 200 times a day! Any business that communicates with customers can take advantage of that by using SMS messaging for transactional information. Read on to see the top 5 reasons why.
SMS Messaging Streamlines Corporate Accounts for Private Hire and Taxis
Years ago I worked for a company that required a lot of travel. Fortunately, the company arranged and paid for transportation from my home to the airport and back again. It was great, but I always felt it could have been better, and now I think SMS could have been the answer, here's why.
SMS messaging helps both job seekers and recruiters
How does SMS messaging helps recruitment agencies? Just as importantly how does it help job seekers? This post explains several benefits for both recruiters and candidates. Perhaps the key issues are the speed of communication with SMS and also the innate privacy of SMS messaging.
3 Golden Rules for Sending Your SMS Messages at the Perfect Time of Day
Have you struggled to find the right time to send your SMS messages? Have you gotten complaints because customers found your messages too annoying? You might be sending them out at the wrong time of day. Follow these three simple rules and discover the perfect time for your messages.