Facilities have been prepared and staffs are ready, now all you have to may be the client. Appointment based businesses must account fully for one factor that their business relies upon, but it is not of their control: the client cancelled TV shows. However, there are better ways to manage this uncertainty without facing consequences of lost productivity, financial loss and inactive staff. Therapists, medical centers, personal trainers and salons can turn into many new and original methods to minimize the possibility of a customer to forget an appointment.
What's a no-show?
A "No-Show" is somebody who makes an appointment, then fails to attend without giving a prior notice. They may even call ahead to cancel, but leave inadequate time for that appointment to be refilled, leading to a clear time slot. Some clients are genuinely struggling to attend as a result of emergency or unforeseen circumstances; however others don't appreciate the fee their actions might have on a business and the significance of letting someone know in advance. The time which was allotted for them goes on unproductively, yielding no profit and leaving staff inactive, which is often very damaging for a business, especially when it occurs on a typical basis.
Traditional methods for minimization
Many businesses have sought to combat this issue but with little success, as traditional measures are generally either time consuming or damaging to the connection involving the client and business. The price advantages of phoning clients prior to their appointment to avoid a no-show may be offset by the assignment of the duty to a member of staff. The time and resources that get into making telephone calls may effectively defeat the objective of the exercise.
Threatening cancellation fees for failing to exhibit around an appointment may be off-putting for potential clients, in the exact same way as 'lock-in' contracts are undesirable. Cancellation fees may also punish clients with genuine reasons for failure to cancel in advance, and must therefore get consideration before implementation. And finally, the propensity for clients to get rid of appointment cards means they are not worth the cardboard they are written on. Luckily, there's a hassle-free alternative waiting to be snapped up by businesses for which the method of appointment making is just a necessity.
New methods for minimization
One short, fast reminder text message can go a long way in today's digital communication environment, with the SMS reminders being a popular and widely accepted way to obtain in touch. Research in the medical arena has indicated that sending clients an indication message about their appointment can dramatically decrease the incidence of no-shows, so there's already proof available to guide the relatively new practice.
The practice of SMS reminders became popular so quickly that services are actually emerging which take care of the reminders on your own behalf in a professional and reliable manner. These services really are a small investment considering the time and resources saved on having a member of staff send painstaking messages out to every client. So instead of looking forward to a customer that doesn't show, you will want to be proactive and send them a message now instead?
