You arrive to the office Tuesday morning ready for a full day. At 8:05 the phone rings and Ms. Smith is calling to say she cannot make her 10 am crown prep appt – and it was for 3 crowns! Or at lunch Mr. Jones leaves a message that he cannot make his 2pm SRP hygiene appt that has been blocked for 2 hours.
Sound familiar? Happens all the time. And most front office team members spend a ton of time working to fill these last minute openings.
What should an office do? Do you charge a Missed Appt or a Broken Appt fee? Do you let them off the hook and fill that opening day after tomorrow? Charging becomes a punishment for bad behavior. I recommend rewarding for wanted behavior. And if you write if off once, it is now expected and loses the reason for it to begin with.
It is all about expectations. At the office, we become frustrated when patients do not show, however, we shrug it off and say something like “Well, we had them sign a form stating they would be charged”. Do you remember everything you signed? Most likely not or there wouldn’t be so much anguish over PPO requirements for reimbursement!
Here are the steps you can take to help retrain your patients:
- Build value for the next reservation. It is not a cleaning, it is a 6 month hygiene services reservation with your periodic exam, visual oral cancer screening, bone and gum health check, and your necessary hygiene services.
- Get your confirmation when you make the reservation. “Ms. Smith, we have you scheduled with Susy Hygiene on October 14th at 2pm for 60 minutes. That time is reserved just for you. You will be able to make the reserved time, correct? Thank you. You will receive your reminder about 2 weeks before the time you have reserved, so if you have a conflict you have time to adjust your schedule. Please respond to that reminder so we know you plan on showing up. If we do not hear from you, your reservation may be removed and I would hate that to happen to you. Can you do that for me? Perfect! If for any reason you choose to not to keep this reserved time and you do not let us know 2 business days (or whatever time your office chooses before the time of the appt) it will result in a longer wait time for your next scheduled time with Susy.”
- If the patient has more than 2 broken or last minute cancels, I would seriously consider not rescheduling them. They have shown they do not value your time. Ms. Smith, if for any reason you choose not to keep this reserved time and you do not let us know at least 2 business days before, I will not be able to reschedule you.
- If your patient values your time, you need to value theirs. Do not run late. If you are, call the patient and give them a heads up.
- Thank your patient for showing up ON TIME! If you appreciate it and they know it, they will want to repeat the behavior.
- If you do choose to charge, consider a set fee that the office matches as a donation to a local animal shelter or food bank. At least some good can come of it!
If your office needs help with Scheduling or Phone Skills and Customer Service training, Dental Concierge Coach can help. Contact us for more information on coaching and innovative team training.
