By the Numbers

Reminders Cut No-Shows Across the Studies

A 2016 meta-analysis of 21 studies in BMJ Open, covering more than 16,000 patients, found that reminders cut the no-show rate from 21% to 15%. A 2013 trial in BMC Health Services Research found that people who received a phone reminder missed 10.2% of their appointments, compared with 11.7% for people who received a text.

Those studies come from medical offices, where no-shows are tracked closely. The same idea applies to any business that sells time, because an empty slot costs the same in every industry.

What Happens on the Call

Four Things a Confirmation Call Covers

• The details. The receptionist states the date, the time, and the location so nothing is left to memory.
• A clear answer. The customer confirms, asks to reschedule, or cancels, and the receptionist records which.
• Any changes. A new phone number, a second person coming, or a question about parking goes into the notes.
• A report to you. You see the confirmations and the changes, so you can refill an open slot early.

The Cost of Not Knowing

An Empty Slot Costs the Same Whether the Customer Forgot or Cancelled

The difference between the two is whether you found out in time. A customer who cancels a day ahead lets you offer the hour to someone else. A customer who simply does not show up leaves you with an empty room and a lost hour.

A confirmation call turns more of those silent no-shows into early cancellations, and early cancellations are the ones you can recover from.

A Sample Call

What the Customer Hears

The receptionist introduces themselves as part of your team and says the appointment is tomorrow at 2 p.m. at your office. The customer says they can make it, or asks to move it, and the receptionist notes the answer. Before hanging up, the receptionist asks whether there is anything the customer should bring.

The call takes about two minutes, and the customer arrives knowing exactly where to go and when.

Human First, Technology Second

A Person Makes the Call, the Technology Keeps the Schedule

Our receptionists handle appointment confirmation calls as part of your assistant package. Technology handles call routing, call recording, appointment scheduling, and CRM integration, and a person finishes the conversation. Your customers can also visit the office and meet the people who call them.

In Lakewood

Estimates Need Someone Home

A Lakewood roofer or contractor who drives to an estimate and finds no one home loses an hour and a fuel stop. A receptionist who confirms the visit the day before makes that trip less likely. The same call also gathers a gate code or a note about the dog.

Getting Started

What to Decide Before the First Round of Calls

Decide how far ahead the calls should go out, such as the day before or two days before. Decide what to say when no one answers, and where changes should be sent. Share your calendar or appointment list with the receptionists, and they take it from there.

Review the first week of calls and adjust the timing if customers say the call came too early or too late.

Watch

Watch: Your Business Simplified

The video shows how our team answers calls, takes notes, books appointments, and follows up so you get hours back every week. It also mentions the 30-day money-back guarantee.

Why Intelligent Office Lakewood Is Built Around Real People

Our Lakewood team answers your business calls from 8 to 5, and you are welcome to visit the office and meet the people who pick up your phone.

Learn more about Intelligent Office Lakewood

Sources

Entagl, How to Reduce No-Shows: What 21 Studies Actually Show for the BMJ Open and BMC Health Services Research figures.