Result
2.9%
no-show rate, down from 8.1%
We did not want to charge everybody a deposit. Now we only ask the people who have missed before.
Dr Nia Roberts, principal dentist
Reminders people actually answer
Harbour Lane sends one reminder three days ahead and another the evening before. Both ask for a one-word reply: YES to confirm, CANCEL to free the chair, MOVE to see other times.
Patients who reply MOVE get three alternative times in the same text. Most pick one without phoning.
A deposit only where it helps
The practice turned on deposits for patients with two missed appointments in the last year. Everyone else books without paying up front.
Six months in
The no-show rate fell from 8.1% to 2.9%. The hygienist’s list, which used to have the most gaps, is now the fullest in the practice.