When there’s a hole in the schedule, it generates so much stress for the practice. However, that empty chair is more than just an empty chair—it’s negative profit for your practice. You need to keep your schedule full, and to do so, you must focus on maximizing your capacity by improving your patient retention. Attrition is a problem in every practice, but when you can plug that leaky bucket, you can turn the situation around and start improving your profitability. As Kirk says, “Sometimes the best way to fix the schedule is within the schedule,” so it’s time to look for the opportunities that are already in your practice instead of chasing new patients.
There’s one simple, yet powerful way to harness these patients who are currently unscheduled: the Recare Follow-up!
- Hygiene Recare
The power of the Hygiene Recare Follow-up is in helping to create value for the patient’s next visit, which will enable you to pre-appoint them. Ideally this occurs while the patient is still in the office, but if they leave the practice without a hygiene appointment, there needs to be something there to catch them and prevent them from remaining unscheduled; this is where this system comes into play. You need to be able to contact these patients, so it’s crucial that you document and utilize the following information:
- Designated times to follow up
- Multiple contact options
- Personalized messaging so the patient feels unique
Remember, this is an ongoing process that should always exist in your practice, not just something that gets pulled off the shelf when the schedule is light, so you need to create consistency.
- Unscheduled Treatment
The Unscheduled Treatment Follow-up is similar to the Hygiene Recare Follow-up, but it focuses specifically on recapturing those patients who have been recommended treatment yet remain unscheduled. This process must also be systemized and documented thoroughly, contain the same elements, and be implemented with the same degree of consistency. One shortcut to managing this system is to utilize your Practice Management Software, as most of them have options for follow-ups built in.
What makes these systems even more powerful is that you can duplicate them for your unscheduled new patients, ensuring that your schedule is always full. The secret is making sure that your Practice Management Software has accurate recall and treatment info with notes so you can easily implement these systems. And to take it a step further, you need to create accountability by ensuring that each system has an “owner” who regularly checks and updates as needed. When you use these systems, you’ll find yourself communicating with your patients more, which will improve your relationship by increasing trust, respect, and loyalty. As your relationship strengthens, the likelihood of losing them decreases, and your practice improves exponentially.
To learn more about ACT and how we can help you build a Better Practice and a Better Life, reach out to Gina!
Tune in next time and learn how you can build more trust and improve communication through the power of a check-in!
