How to eliminate missed appointments and increase diary profitability.
So, along with diary zoning, recall efficiency and a bit of reception team magic…what other options are there to increase the effectiveness of your booking systems and potential profits?
Some months it feels like the average missed appointment rates go sky high, often for no other apparent reason than items such as school holidays, the weather or some other notable time of the year. Then the following month it dips back to a really healthy average and nothing different has been done.
Aside from ensuring you produce your monthly Key Performance Indicators (which you all do of course) and are tracking any patterns, and are doing the usual confirmations, either by phone or , email or text, then you need to look at extra ways to protect your time.
Queue dramatic music!
ASK FOR DEPOSITS!
If you think about it, yes, a patient comes to you for a particular treatment, but what you are actually selling (aside from beautiful, healthy happy smiles, according to your marketing) is your time.
A well run, efficient, profitable practice will know how much you need to be earning and therefore charging, per hour, per chair, to cover your overheads and achieve your required hourly rate. Taking into account the odd missed appointment or unutilised diary space is fine, but opening the floodgates to more potential white space should be addressed.
There seems to often be a general feeling of cheekiness asking for a payment to reserve time in your diary, but in other retail sectors there isn’t a problem… and if your patients have the intention of coming to their appointment then why would it be a problem? A patient that fails appointments or cancels very late, is not a patient that you should desire. In my experience and opinion, a patient that objects, is a patient that is most likely to be a regular offender in your appointment book, and should maybe be encouraged to seek care elsewhere.
One of the highest failure rates in a diary, comes from new patient appointments… quite often practices allow a total stranger to book out 30-40, maybe even an hour of their dairy without securing a payment or at least a deposit of some sort… all to avoid what they think is an awkward conversation… a very high price to pay in my estimation.
- Train your team, to ask for the deposits or full payment up front.
- Ensure they use the correct terminology and have a positive attitude towards it when interacting with the patients.
- Make it a habit and patients will come to expect and accept that it is your policy to do so.
- Practise conversations… be confident and direct but friendly… instead of “would you like to pay today” say “To reserve your appointment today, it is £50; would you like to pay by card or cash?”
- Finally, then do your KPIs, and see the difference it makes to your bottom line.