Reducing No-Show Rates - Strategies and Tools

Whether you oversee a dental practice or dog grooming services, no-show appointments are a major source of lost income potential. There’s no way to sidestep this problem entirely, as your clientele can fail to show up for numerous reasons—timing conflicts, transportation issues, etc. However, multiple studies report that forgetfulness is the number one reason people miss appointments.

With this in mind, setting up a well-thought-out strategy for notifying patients and clients ahead of their appointments is the most effective way to reduce no-show rates. This, paired with purposeful communication, can ultimately strengthen relationships, optimize scheduling efficiency, and drive better outcomes for your business.

Comparing Ways of Reminding Clients About Upcoming Appointments

SMS–Your Best Option For Reducing No-Shows

Text messaging is an ideal way to remind clients or patients about their upcoming visits for numerous reasons:

• Real-world data proves that text message is the most effective way of reducing no-shows. This study showed that notifying medical patients before their appointments boosted attendance rates, with those receiving text messages showing a higher likelihood of attending compared to those contacted via phone calls.
• Text messages may be the more economical alternative to phone calls. The above-mentioned study also highlighted that the “cost per attendance” was lower for SMS than for phone calls. In general, SMS tends to deliver a high ROI.
• As noted by Media Research, most millennials overwhelmingly prefer texting to phone calls, and they’re not alone. In fact, this same survey found that “75% find text reminders for appointments, deliveries, payments, promotions, and surveys helpful.”
• Texts provide convenient documentation of the date and location to help avoid misunderstandings. People are fallible—they may incorrectly document the time when making the appointment or perhaps fail to take note of the address before stepping into their car. Having all such information readily available in a single text makes it easy for clients to access the correct information when needed most.
• Messaging can include helpful information and resources. This can include what to bring (like a form of ID and insurance card), and links to any directions or forms.
• Texts have an an unbeatable 98% open-rate, ensuring your appointment reminders don’t get overlooked.
• Clients can easily cancel or reschedule visits by responding directly to the text, lessening the likelihood of them failing to show without warning. To learn about the full extent of two-way texting capabilities through Voxie, click here.

SMS is preferable to calling, especially for younger generations

We can’t discuss why SMS is ideally designed for appointment notifications without acknowledging another option companies commonly choose: an automated call system.

Why calling clients is not your best option for reducing no-show appointments:

• Phone calls are considered disruptive, and voicemail is cumbersome. More than 63% of survey responders considered text to be “less disruptive” and 19% “never check voicemail.”
• Phone calls don’t provide a written record of the appointment time. One common cause of no-show appointments is the misrecording of the date and time. A text message gives clients a backup source of this information they can easily check.
• Nowadays, many people don’t pick up the phone for numbers they don’t recognize. The rise of spam calls and malicious actors has made many people hesitant to answer calls from unfamiliar numbers.
• Voicemail messages don’t allow ease of two-way communication. As previously mentioned, texting allows someone to cancel their appointment by simply texting a short response. There’s no such luxury with many automated phone systems.
• Automated voices are considered off-putting. Let’s face facts—no one enjoys listening to a robotic script when a simple text can convey the same information quickly and clearly.

Don’t rely solely on email to reduce no-show rates

Unless you and your clients maintain strictly professional communication, email is one of the least reliable methods for notifying clients about upcoming appointments. Emails not only have lower open rates but they are often read days after being sent, reducing their effectiveness for time-sensitive reminders. Moreover, if you send out other email-based communications, like newsletters, the appointment reminder could be mistaken for generic promotional materials.

Email can play a role in your broader client outreach strategy, such as sending appointment confirmation messages or thank-you notes when bookings are made. However, for critical reminders—like 48-hour or same-day notifications—rely on text messages.

When in doubt, ask how clients like to receive notifications

If you have multiple channels of automated communication setup, consider asking new clients how they’d prefer to be notified—text, call, or email.

When to Send Appointment Reminders

To effectively reduce no-shows, we suggest sending notifications at the following milestones:

• After the appointment is initially scheduled to confirm the details
• 48 hours before the deadline for them to cancel the appointment without penalty
• 5-7 days out from the appointment to give them time to make necessary travel and coverage arrangements
• 24-48 hours out from the appointment

The above are just broad guidelines that you can modify to fit your business model and clientele. For example, studies show that Gen Z and millennials are more likely to miss medical appointments compared to older generations. You can leverage this knowledge to automatically send an extra notification to individuals within this age bracket.

Additional Tips for Reducing No-Show Appointments

Allow patients to leverage SMS to reschedule or cancel

The harder you make it for clients to cancel, the more likely they are to skip the process and simply not show instead. Barriers to canceling in advance include:

• Having to call during business hours
• Having to listen to a long pre-recorded phone message
• Having to talk to a “real” person—yes, phone anxiety is real

Most people greatly prefer text or online scheduling systems.

Document clients who have previously failed to make appointments and send extra reminders for future appointments

SMS software like Voxie enables you to segment your contact list automatically and/or manually. Leverage this feature to create a designated group for clients who were previous “no-shows” and send them extra reminders about upcoming appointments. For instance, if your standard practice is to send a 48-hour reminder, this group could also receive an additional 12-hour notification.

Issue warnings (and follow through) to clients who are repeated no-shows

Many medical practices and businesses adopt a “three strikes, you’re out” policy. This requires maintaining a list of “offenders” and cross-referencing it when booking new appointments. Additionally, it’s crucial to word both the warning and the refusal of future appointments with care. The goal is to strike a balance between clarity and compassion.

Weigh the pros and cons of implementing a no-show fees

The goal of penalizing no-show clients is not to recover lost fees but to reduce no-show rates. To achieve this, make sure clients are well-informed about the fee—at the time of booking, through SMS reminders, and in the appointment form. The more you notify clients, the less likely they are to be surprised when the fee is applied.

Though this approach should help reduce no-shows, it comes with some drawbacks. Collecting a penalty fee requires obtaining payment information upfront, which could deter new clients. Additionally, those charged may be less likely to return and could leave negative reviews.

Evaluate your own customer experience

Consider who is missing appointments—are they new clients or repeat visitors? A high no-show rate may indicate a poor experience within your facility, especially in a medical practice.

For example, if appointments frequently run late and patients are left waiting for long periods, they may feel their time is being disrespected. This can lead them to mirror that behavior by not showing up on time for future appointments.

Setup Your SMS System With Voxie

Focusing exclusively on SMS, Voxie provides medical practices and service-oriented businesses with advanced texting capabilities presented with an easy-to-use platform. Features that can help you reduce no-show appointments include:

• Bespoke software integrations - Our Customer Success team takes pride in providing hands-on solutions specific to each client. We handle software integrations for you, ensuring our texting platform seamlessly interacts with your scheduling tools in real-time.

• Sophisticated drip campaigns If someone confirms via text 72 hours before their appointment, they may not need any further notifications. However, if they didn’t respond—whether positively or negatively—a follow-up might be necessary. Our software lets you craft multi-path text chains that respond directly to recipients’ specific interactions.

• AI-supported conversational intelligence Advancements in AI technology have made 24/7 SMS-based customer service a reality. Clients can text inquiries like “When is my visit?” “I want to change my appointment,” or “Do you offer free parking?” and the Voxie system’s AI will generate thoughtful responses, escalating issues to your customer service team as needed.

• Automated personalization A text reminder with personalized details is far more engaging than a generic message. It not only captures attention but also fosters a stronger relationship, which can play a key role in reducing no-shows. For example:

  Hi Shannon! We look forward to seeing you at Chestnut Locks Salon on March 25th at 10:00 AM for your root touch-up and blowout. Free parking is available behind the salon, located at 1234 Main Street.

  Hello Shannon. Your appointment at Wilson Dentistry is on Jan 9th, 3:00 PM (please arrive by 2:45). Reply YES to confirm or NO to cancel. Reply RESCHEDULE to pick a new appointment time.

• Contact groupings The text message you’d send to a first-time customer should differ from what you’d send to a repeat client. Similarly, you may want to send an increased number of notifications to clients who were previous no-shows compared to those who have “clean records.” Voxie gives you the ability to automatically segment your contact list.

Additional SMS features that can benefit your business include:

• Zero party data collection
• QR code capabilities
• Multi-levels of platform access
• KPI reporting
• Contact imports
• Contact file push
• API endpoints
• AI Message Assistant

See how Voxie’s innovative platform can transform your SMS outreach. Schedule a demo today and find out how our user-friendly dashboard can help you reduce your no-show rates.