Appointment Reminders have been shown to increase no-shows by as much as 80%. This staggering number is a direct effect to any businesses’ bottom line. But, more importantly, how you use this feature can have a big impact on your results and your customer experience. Here are three tricks everyone should know when they use appointment reminders.
Learn Your Magic Number
Sending out an appointment reminder can be tricky business. Too many and it becomes annoying. Too little and it becomes ineffective. Every audience will vary slightly, which is why it’s important you know and understand your audience. Depending on your practice, your magic number may vary.
One way to know for sure if you’ve hit that magic number is to simply ask your patients. Patient feedback is very important to the vitality of a practice. Appointment reminders and SMS communication can be a useful tool in collecting feedback. You can send out surveys directly to your patients with these platforms and offer a convenient way for them to respond. So don’t be afraid to ask if your reminders are effective or if you need to scale them back a touch.
Send Your Reminder Before Your Cancellation Fee Kicks In
Every practice has a cancellation policy. While the policy itself may vary, most do include some version of penalty once the policy has been violated. Regardless of your policy or penalty, sending an appointment reminder before the cancellation fee kicks in can prevent your patient from an unpleasant experience.
Platforms like appointmentreminders.com allow you to send an appointment reminders up to one hour before the appointment. This feature can save your patient from showing up late, not showing up at all, or even help to fill a last-minute cancellation.
Ask For Confirmation
While appointment reminders are a key tool for any practice, knowing how to use them effectively is equally as important. Don’t forget to ask your patients for confirmation! You can simply request they reply with a “C” via text message if you are using SMS reminders. Or you can have them opt-in to your website or online platform to confirm. Either way, don’t skip that step. Automated phone calls will require the patient to press a certain key to confirm their appointment and record their response.
If your staff is still taking time out of their day to make phone calls for appointments, they are managing a huge time sucker. Calling and leaving a voicemail leaves your staff with waiting for the patient to call back and confirm. This leads to higher call volume and more for your staff to manage.
It’s time for you to take advantage of the amazing benefits of appointment reminders! Start with a free 30-day trial so you can see how it works for yourself and your practice. Use this time to evaluate the effectiveness of appointmentreminders.com and give your staff their time back. Sign up now!
