In a world where technology rules our lives, no one should forget a doctor’s appointment. Yet, many clients fail to show up. For those that finally make it, they turn up late forcing you to inconvenience others. As a service provider, the smooth operation of your business relies heavily on punctuality of clients. A missed appointment can therefore be disastrous. Imagine having scheduled the patients you intend to see in perfect order. Everyone, nurses and other support staff included, knows this and waits in anticipation. As soon as one misses their slot, you quickly reschedule only for them to show up.

Avoid the confusion

Thankfully, you can avoid this nightmare and restore order in your otherwise peaceful professional life. An appointment reminder service significantly reduces cases of lost business opportunities. How this system works is that it sends a notification to clients and prompts them to confirm, cancel or reschedule their appointments. Once you have this feedback, you can fill in the vacant slots with customers you had placed on a waiting list. At the same time, a client who was previously queued way down the list now gets their chance.

How the reminder system works

1. First reminder – several weeks before

A few weeks before a customer’s appointment, the software sends a message to the client’s phone. The content can be a simple text stating that they were booked to see you in a week or two. Your patient is free to indicate their preferred mode of reception, it could be a text message or email.  So, once your client receives the communication, they do not have to respond.

2. Second reminder – a few days before service date

As the appointed date approaches, another prompt goes out. Unlike the first one, clients need to confirm that they will turn up. The service will, upon successful reception of the message, prompt the customer to respond. Thankfully, you hardly find someone who ignores such a prompt especially if the service is of an urgent nature.

3. Third reminder – 2-3 hours before appointment

On the actual day, the auto reminder sends another message in a span of between 2 to three hours prior. However, the client does not have to respond.

Expected benefits

It minimizes cases of clients failing to show up. Indeed, patients do forget to attend a scheduled visit to a doctor. At times, other commitments may arise forcing one to skip the session. Regardless, any client who fails to show up results in lost income. Had the person been there, you would have had an assurance of earning a consultancy fee at the least. Moreover, the number of clients on the waiting list reduces which enables you to keep them from seeking similar services from a competitor.

Appointment reminders keep your clients on their toes. Through the service, you obtain  assurance that a customer will either honor the visit or not. Bombarding a customer with prompts minimizes forgetfulness. Lastly, the service protects your business from loss of potential income.