The dental consultants at Bryant Consultants recommend consistently providing a great experience and striving to ensure that each patient has an outstanding encounter during their appointments, giving them positive reasons to return.
Avoid asking patients to change their appointment days or times, as it can lead to patient frustration, a lack of respect for your schedule, and doubts about your organization. And they may feel like, “It’s no big deal. They change my appointment all the time too”. Exceptions can be made for patients on the priority call list.
Utilize your patient communication system: Set up a reliable interval for reminding patients of their appointments. Relay positive messages that encourage patients to confirm. Do not give the option to cancel or change their appointment via text. Address unconfirmed appointments promptly. If a patient has not responded to appointment reminders the day before their appointment, proactively call them to confirm their appointment. Do not repeatedly text without picking up the phone.
Choose positive communication and avoid using the term “cancellation or cancel” as it implies that cancellations are expected and common. Instead, use a gentle approach when discussing appointment changes. Our dental consultants at Bryant Consultants recommend encouraging patients to keep the appointment already reserved for them, reminding them that rescheduling can delay their appointment for weeks or months (depending on your schedule). Handle same-day cancellation attempts by using empathetic and supportive language when responding to patients attempting to cancel on the same day, encouraging them to keep their reservations. Document conversations and the results in the patient’s notes.
Be on time and respect patients’ time. Make a concerted effort to stay on schedule, ensuring that patients are seen at their appointed times. Allocate sufficient time for each procedure or appointment type. In the event you’re running behind, be sure you’re communicating with the patient. Don’t let them just sit in the reception area without updating them.
Provide treatment plans and financial agreements. Ensure that patients scheduled for treatment have received a copy of their treatment plan and a clear understanding of the financial arrangements in advance. You don’t want any confusion about what the appointment is for, how long the appointment is, and what the patient’s expense is. Empower patients to afford treatment: Offer assistance in finding budget-friendly ways to cover treatment costs, such as partnering with financing options like Care Credit.
Dental consultants at Bryant Consultants recommend handling patients with a history of no-shows by asking them to call for their future appointments or same-day appointments. If you notice you have a repeat offender scheduled in advance, you can call a week out and ask if they’re still on target to keep their scheduled appointment. If you’ve been at any dental practice for any length of time, learning which patients are late, short-notice cancelers, or no-shows does not take long. This will allow you ample time to fill the appointment when there is a change in the schedule.
Hollie Bryant
CEO & Founder
