No-Show Rates Are Climbing. Here's What's Actually Working.
No-Show Rates Are Climbing. Here's What's Actually Working.
No-Show Rates Are Climbing. Here's What's Actually Working.
Your no-show rate isn't 15% anymore. It's 22-25% in most practices. The usual suspects aren't moving it: text reminders help 4-6%. Email campaigns do almost nothing. Phone calls work, but cost you $8-12 per appointment reminder.
What operators are actually seeing results with? Confirmation calls 24 hours prior combined with a $25 rebookable credit if you cancel with notice instead of ghosting. One DSO tracking this reported dropping no-shows from 24% to 16% in six months. That's 40-60 extra completed appointments per chair annually. At $180 average production per appointment, that's $7,200-10,800 recovered revenue per operatory.
The psychology matters more than the tactic. Patients who get asked "Can you commit to this time?" report higher show rates than those who just book. Your front desk isn't a calendar; it's your commitment verifier.
Stop chasing magic tech. Train your team to get actual agreements on the phone.