Are appointment 'No-Shows' costing you money?

You may have decided that missed appointments are just a fact of life. Some people forget and you just have to factor in the costs to your business. But have you ever really considered just how much it costs you? And if there is a cost effective solution.

How MEMOTXT Differs

• Most businesses already try to help their client's remember appointments by providing them with a reminder card containing the appointment details. But as the card is normally given at the time the appointment is booked, which is many months ahead, the small card can easily be mislaid well before the due date.
• Other businesses send expensive appointment reminder letters, which can be easily ignored, not taken in, and easily forgotten about.
• Some other businesses make reminding phone calls to next day appointees, which takes up staff time, can require call backs, and also costs more than text messaging.
• MEMOTXT differs in that the whole reminding process is automated, cheap, and has guaranteed delivery direct to the appointee - to their mobile phone, where they can't miss it.

If you charge for your services like most businesses, and are unable to claim any compensation from your clients for the revenue you loose when they fail to show up, then the most direct cost to you is in the lost revenue you cannot replace.
Even if you run only a small business, you probably loose at least €50 of irreplaceable income every each time one of your clients fails to show.

• Most businesses have busy periods when most clients wish to be seen and it is sometimes difficult to fit everyone in.
• But when a client fails to show at peak time, it can be very frustrating for you and your staff as they stand idle whilst you know you have just been turning other custom away.
• And just as the missed appointment draws to an end, the (sometimes) apologetic and (sometimes) embarrassed client calls in and desperately needs a replacement appointment!
• The time spent re-arranging and confirming new and replacement appointment is a significant extra load on you and your staff that also dilutes everyone's contribution.

And then there's your Overheads

So whilst your revenues are down, and possibly your staff's commission with it, you still need to pay staff their wages, along with all the other overheads for keeping your business open.

If you normally make just a small profit from each client's visit, then the cost of a single No Show is disproportionately higher as you will have no contribution towards your overheads and so practically the full €50 or more loss will come straight off your bottom line.

So even a small reduction in No Shows will make a very significant positive impact on your profits or contribution to reducing costs.

Just think, if your business normally makes a 10% net profit, after a 10% loss in revenues or increased costs from 'No Shows', you would almost double your profits if the majority of your 'No Shows' were avoided.

Stand out from your competition

It takes a lot of time and good service to build a loyal client base that appreciates the quality of the treatment they receive and become to expect from each visit.

Whatever services you offer, whether you look after your client's teeth, hair, etc, it is often other aspects of your service that clients really appreciate and sets you apart from your competition, such as an inviting environment and a free coffee.

Missing an appointment with you and suffering the inconvenience that goes with it means that most of your clients will be just as frustrated at missing their appointment as you are. The question is, could you do more to help make sure they always keep their appointment or let you know they need to cancel.

Maybe your clients would also appreciate a friendly reminder from you via text message, particularly if you have a younger client base. It would certainly set you apart from your competitors.