How flexible should a dental practice be with scheduling when a patient finally says yes to treatment?
Completely flexible, even when it requires breaking normal scheduling patterns. The patient who has worked through the entire selling process, weighed the options, consulted with their veto-holder, addressed their questions, and now says yes is the most valuable patient the practice has in the moment. The case is one yes away from becoming real revenue and real patient impact. If the patient wants to schedule their first treatment appointment at one in the afternoon when the practice does not normally schedule treatment at one, the right answer is to make an exception immediately and book the slot. The cost of opening a non-standard appointment is small. The cost of friction at the yes moment is large. Patients who experience scheduling flexibility at this moment feel valued and arrive at treatment energized. Patients who experience rigid scheduling resistance often hesitate, defer, and sometimes never come back. The right operational rule is to remove every friction point between yes and the first treatment appointment.
If the answers you are finding here resonate with you, my team and I work with a small group of clients each year. The next step is a complimentary Discovery Consultation and Practice Review with Dr. McAnally.