If you see at least 20 clients per week in your private practice, you already know how frustrating it can be when people don’t show up or they cancel at the last minute. I have worked with quite a few practitioners who see this as one of the greatest practice struggles they face. From lost revenue to a choppy schedule, missed appointments can severely undermine the positive momentum of a practice. Let’s talk about a couple of simple ways to prevent this from happening in your practice.
There are 5 main tips I want to share with you:
1. Make sure that you have a set cancellation policy for your practice. I recommend $50 for less than 24 hours notice. I will usually be flexible for the first no show or late reschedule if I think the client had a genuine reason and they are otherwise committed to the process.
2. Tell your client this (or have your receptionist do so) as you are checking them out for their first appointment– “I run a really busy practice here, so if you need to reschedule or you are going to miss an appointment, please just do your best to give me 24 hours notice. I have a cancellation policy of $50 if I don’t get 24 hours. Is that agreeable with you?”
Get your client to nod in agreement.
Stating this directly to the client and having them agree to these terms will heighten their commitment to be responsible and respectful within your practice. People need to hear this directly in order to take it seriously. Plus, when they hear you state your cancellation policy, they will know that you are serious about enforcing it.
3. Create a welcome letter to your practice that goes in your new client welcome packet for all new clients, and clearly state your cancellation policy in writing on that letter. Refer to this letter when you are in step 1 above with the client. Once they hear it from you and then see it in writing, it adds yet another level of formality that makes them realize that they are dealing with a professional business that has set policies.
Some practices even have the client sign a form that states their cancellation policy. I would recommend this if this issue has been a major concern within your practice.
4. Offer pre-pays and automated billing – If it’s legal in your state, this is a great way to minimize the financial damage caused by no shows or last minute cancellations. If the client pre-pays or is on an automated billing cycle, then you will be compensated automatically for a violation of your cancellation policy. Just be sure the client is aware of this when they initially sign up for their package.
5. Investigate any limiting beliefs about your self-worth — You may be ‘attracting’ less than ideal clients because of certain beliefs you are holding onto about the value you can offer. If people regularly don’t show up or disrespect your policies, you want to do both an external and internal audit to assess what is causing this to happen. This external audit has to do with ensuring that you have the right policies and systems in place to prevent potential problems. The internal audit is all about carefully examining your own belief system to see if there are some less than helpful story lines running the show that are undermining your success.
If you follow these tips closely, you should see a dramatic reduction in no shows and last minute cancellations. The theme that ties this all together is conveying the impression of being a highly professional business owner who deserves to be taken seriously. Make sure that your office environment, attire, practice website, brochure, and business card all convey professionalism.
I hope this short post helps you out and enables you to run your practice with less stress than before..
keep me posted,
Kevin
