Proper Verbiage to Reduce Failed Appointments

Appointment failures, either by cancelling last minute or not showing, result in the loss of staff hours and production for practices. We hear this in just about every office we walk into — “Today’s schedule was beautiful when we left yesterday, but then the phone started ringing today…” 

There is no single best way to handle appointment failures. We’ve all been told that we can help eliminate these failures by impressing upon patients the importance of keeping their appointments. We can do this by using correct and professional verbiage.  

Rescheduling appointments at the last minute:

Thank you for calling Dr. Molar’s office. This is Denise. How may I help you?

Hi Denise, this is Melissa Smith. I need to reschedule my appointment for today.

Hi Melissa – I’m so sorry that you can’t keep today’s appointment. Is the time bad or the entire day? (I’m trying to salvage my day)

It’s the whole day.

Ok – the reason I ask is because our next hygiene appointment is ________ (6 weeks away). Is there anything I can do to help you keep today’s appointment, Melissa? (I’m still trying to salvage today)

This will also determine if it’s really important for her to miss today's appointment. It could be money related and she just doesn’t want to say it.

You will notice that I gave a date 6 weeks out – even if tomorrow is wide open, it’s still 6 weeks out. 

This is called training your patients to respect your schedule.

If you give them an appointment tomorrow or the next day, they realize that they can cancel and get right back in quickly. If it’s scheduled out, it makes them stop and take notice. 

For prime time appointments – early morning, late afternoon, Saturday – it may be months before I can get them back in.

Later on in the day, if tomorrow is still wide open, I can call Melissa back and say:

Hi Melissa – this is Denise at Dr. Molar’s office. I know that you were unable to keep today’s appointment and I couldn’t get you back in for several weeks. However, I wanted to let you know that this may be your lucky day - we had a change in our schedule for tomorrow at 2:00. Would that work for you?

Suddenly you are her best friend and you are really watching out for her. Patients will appreciate that.

Then there is the patient that is notorious for RESCHEDULING APPOINTMENTS. I hear this often when I attend morning huddles – Mr. Jackson is scheduled at 4:30, but he probably won’t show or will call to cancel.

Why even have someone like that on your schedule? These are called Schedule BOMBS!

Once someone does that to my schedule twice, I put them on my ‘same day only’ list. 

Thank you for calling Dr. Molar’s office. This is Denise. How may I help you?

Hi Denise, this is Bob Jackson. I need to reschedule my appointment for today.

Hi Mr Jackson – Is there any way that you can keep today’s appointment? 

No – it’s just not gonna work today. 

Ok – why don’t you call me when you have a day with some time available and we will see if we can get you in for your cleaning?

No – I think I just want to schedule. 

Unfortunately Mr. Jackson – this is the 3^rd time that you have had to cancel your appointment at the last minute and it adversely affects our schedule. We have so many patients that are waiting to come in for a cleaning. How about if we wait until you know you can keep your appointment.

If Mr Jackson insists – you may request that he put down a deposit to reserve his appointment time; that’s up to you. 

I don’t like schedule bombs!

While proper scripting helps to retain possible broken appointments, there are things that can be done as the appointment is being scheduled. Emphasizing the importance of keeping appointments and your policy in the event that it needs to be cancelled or rescheduled.

Here are some steps to consider to help cut down on broken appointments in your schedule.

1. Repeat – Repeat – Repeat — When a patient makes an appointment with your office, whether in person or on the phone, make a point of stating the date and then repeating the date and time with the patient two more times. It doesn’t need to sound robotic, but casual. At the conclusion of the conversation, stating “OK, Mrs. Jones, we will see you on ----- at ----,” 

2. Get enough information — It’s a given that you get new patients’ names and phone numbers, but consider asking for an alternate number as well as an email. In the event the patient doesn’t have or want to give out the email, get a physical address. This way if the number is not a working number, you have alternate means of contacting the patient.

3. Send the appointment information to the patient — For new patients, as soon as you hang up the phone from scheduling their appointment, send an email with the appointment time, the office address and phone number, and possibly even directions to your website so they can fill out their paperwork. Sometimes patients actually forget where the appointment was made. Many of the patient confirmation programs will do this automatically.

4. One-month-out hygiene postcard — Emails or texts can be sent out as a reminder to patients of their upcoming appointments. Many companies offer this service so it is automatic, and it doesn’t require the office staff to remember to do this task.

5. One-week-out hygiene value calls — This is a phone call to the patient that requires actual contact with the patient. If a voicemail is received, the office leaves the following message — “Dr. Molar wanted me to contact you prior to your appointment next week. Could you please return my call at 210-555-1212?  Thank you.” 

• When you get the patient on the phone, begin with a little relationship building conversation, such as: How is your spring? Do you love this mild winter? Do you have any vacation plans this summer?

• Ask if they received your email or text last week. If not, confirm the email/phone number on file.

• You continue with the fact that the doctor wanted you to contact the patient and ask a few questions before the appointment next week.

1. Anything bothering you in your mouth? Document what they say.

2. Do you have enough pre-med? (If applicable) Or does the office need to call some in for the patient?

3. Any changes in your medical history since your last visit? Any surgeries? Hospitalizations?

4. Confirm current medications.

5. Ask whatever the doctor needs to know prior to the appointment next week.

6. Thank the patient very much for their time, and that you’ll see them on this date at that time

6. Document – Document – Document! Anything that the patient tells you at this time needs to be documented in the patient’s chart.

It is important to pre-appoint hygiene appointments in order to maintain proper oral health. The use of correct and professional verbiage when scheduling appointments helps patients understand the importance of keeping their recall appointment. By taking a few extra steps to contact your patients prior to their appointment, you help them remember their appointment, and you have a chance to emphasize the importance of keeping that appointment. This value call allows you ample time to fill the hygiene appointment if the patient must reschedule.

Denise Ciardello, Consultant

Denise is co-founder of Global Team Solutions. A professional speaker and published author, her enthusiasm and knowledge about the dental profession has helped many dental teams. She brings experience, insight, and creativity into her management style, along with a sense of humor. In a profession that can cause anxiety in some dental employees.

Denise’s consulting approach is to partner with doctors and team members to help them realize the dream of creating a thriving, successful practice.

Denise can be reached at: denise@gtsgurus.com