It makes sense that the best way to reactivate patients is not to lose them in the first place. All patients should be scheduled for their next visit before they leave your office. However, sometimes this isn’t possible or they cancel their next appointment and your staff can’t get them to commit to a next appointment.
Dental practice specialist Laura Hatch recommends using a variety of communication approaches with patients. Postcards are good reminders for cleanings and regular visits, but they can also be helpful for grabbing the attention of your lapsed patients. Email is another way to reach patients who might just toss postcards in the trash. Hatch is a big advocate of a texting method, because she has seen great success with that tool. She notes that most people don’t answer their phones when their dentist’s office calls, but they are very responsive to texts.
So when do you throw in the towel and take lapsed patients off your list? Never, says Hatch. She believes that you should call once a month, and text or email once or maybe more each month. The only reasons to stop contacting them are the following:
- They tell you to stop calling them
- They tell you they are going to another dentist or have moved out of the area
- They pass away
To read more, see the full article from Front Office Rocks.
The post Lapsed Patients: When Do You Let Them Go? appeared first on GPP Dental.