The need for a dentist to stay on top of his appointment diary and ensure people attend when they should is essential for the successful running of their business. A failure of people to attend when they should results in many being denied vital dental work and sees the dentist see less clients. This may result in less money coming into the surgery but certainly results in a frustration for the dentist.
There are a number of ways that a dental practice can remind clients of their dental appointments but one of the best has to be using the SMSmemo service. Sending letters or emails are not always guaranteed to reach the recipient in time or be read in advance of the appointment. This is why sending a SMSmemo is the best way to keep people informed of their appointments. The timing of the message can be tailored for each client, depending on their wishes. Some clients prefer to have a weekly or 24 hour reminder of their appointment to remind them to ensure it is in their calendar.
The message can be sent at a time that suits the client
Other clients will prefer to be reminded at the start of the working day their appointment is scheduled for or even an hour or two before the appointment is due to take place. The timing of the reminder can be sent according to the client’s wishes in order to help them be reminded in the most effective way possible.
In addition to reminding a client of a scheduled appointment, other information relevant to their appointment can be passed onto the customer. If the client is advised to eat nothing on the day of their appointment, a message can be sent the previous evening to remind them of this fact. This may encourage clients to have something to eat before they go to bed, which will hopefully reduce any hunger pangs they may experience during the day. Similarly, if the client is required to bring any documentation with them to the appointment, this can be relayed to them in advance to increase the likelihood of them bringing the correct information.
If anything changes, let people know straight away
If a dental surgery is going to be closed or has to temporarily close due to unforeseen circumstances, clients can be informed through use of the SMSmemo service. Any client who has an appointment on that day will be grateful for receiving information about their call-off before they arrive at the surgery. This is an area where providing good customer service is crucial because if a client arrives at a surgery for an appointment that has been cancelled, they will not be happy. Keeping clients informed of any changes to the surgery is crucial to ensure they are kept up to date.
It may be that the dental practice wishes to inform customers of new services or products available. There has been a greater switch to cosmetic dentistry in recent years and many dental practitioners are providing services of this nature. Informing customers by means of the SMSmemo service is a great way to ensure people are fully aware of the full range of services offered.
In addition to this, many dental practices offer other products such as toothbrushes, cleaning products and other dental accessories and if these are on special offer, using the SMSmemo service is a great way to remain in contact with clients.
Communicating to clients is important but the communication should always be two-way. Many people are wary of promotional activities that are only sent one way but the SMSmemo service enables people to respond and reply to messages. This can see clients confirming they will attend an appointment or it can allow a dentist to see if there is a demand for a change in opening hours or for a new range of cosmetic products.
It is important to determine if there is a demand for new services before implementing and the two way nature of the communication offered by the SMSmemo service is a great way of ensuring this. Feedback, even in the medial related services of the dental industry, is crucial for providing a great service and maintaining a positive image.
An industry that is so reliant on appointments and sticking to a schedule requires a good way communicating with others and the dental practice definitely requires this. Use of the SMSmemo service should ensure that clients can be informed of any upcoming appointments but also of changes to the practice or new products on offer.
