724: Unlock the Power of Patient Commitment: Strategies to Drastically Reduce Cancellations – Christina Byrne, Miranda Beeson, & Dr. Barrett Straub

Cancellations are a big deal. It lowers morale, profitability, and your overall practice success. So, what can you do to reduce them? Today, Kirk Behrendt and the ACT team share their proven and effective strategies to decrease cancellations and recover lost time. Patients will cancel — it happens. But you can proactively fill your schedule with the right patients and the right tasks. To learn the best ways to handle open time in your day, listen to Episode 724 of The Best Practices Show!

Learn More About Christina, Miranda, & Dr. Straub:

• Send Christina an email: christina@actdental.com 
• Send Miranda an email: miranda@actdental.com 
• Email Dr. Straub for ACT’s Capacity Tracker and 10 Best Practices for Reducing Cancellations: barrett@actdental.com 
• Join Dr. Straub on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/barrett.d.straub
• Send Gina an email: gina@actdental.com 

More Helpful Links for a Better Practice & a Better Life:

• Subscribe to The Best Practices Show: https://the-best-practices-show.captivate.fm/listen
• Join The Best Practices Association: https://www.actdental.com/bpa
• Join ACT’s To The Top Study Club: https://www.actdental.com/ttt
• See the ACT Dental/BPA Live Event Schedule: https://www.actdental.com/event
• Get The Best Practices Magazine for free: https://www.actdental.com/magazine
• Please leave us a review on the podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-best-practices-show-with-kirk-behrendt/id1223838218

Episode Resources:

• Watch the video version of Episode 724: https://www.youtube.com/@actdental/videos
• Watch ACT’s previous webinar with Dr. Straub: https://www.actdental.com/105
• Register for Miranda’s admin course (September 20, 2024): https://www.eventbrite.com/e/act-dental-administrator-live-course-september-20-2024-tickets-754782152737?aff=oddtdtcreator

Main Takeaways:

• Start with data. Track capacity percentage and patients’ behaviors.
• Get out of the habit of saying, “It’s okay,” when patients cancel.
• Stop chasing patients who have a history of cancellations.
• Appointments are confirmed when they are reserved.
• Make sure patients know why they need to show up.
• Language matters. Reduce minimizing language.
• Always have a cancellation fee, but never use it.
• Never make it easy for patients to cancel.
• Don't accept email or text cancellations.
• Teach patients it’s not okay to cancel.
• All cancellations start at the chair.

Snippets:

0:00 Introduction.

2:21 ACT’s TTT, BPA, and coaching.

9:31 Why this is an important topic.

12:24 The two types of cancellations.

14:22 Stop saying, “It’s okay.”

17:39 Make sure there's a firm reservation.

19:59 Appointments are confirmed when scheduled.

21:36 Take advantage of automated reminder systems.

22:29 Q&A: Do you typically request a confirmation reservation deposit?

23:59 Create high value for patients.

25:37 All cancellations start at the chair.

26:04 Avoid minimizing language.

27:53 Q&A: Do you ever remove patients from the automated reminder system?

28:45 Never schedule patients at six months.

29:21 Language matters.

31:04 Start coding patient behavior.

32:33 Define what things mean for your practice and draw boundaries.

35:05 Communicate and calibrate with your team.

36:14 Have a cancellation fee, but don't use it.

38:55 Don't make it easy for patients to cancel.

41:28 Q&A: Is there any good language in place of, “It’s okay”?

42:23 Put patients on hold when they cancel.

44:12 Put the onus on patients to call you.

46:39 Q&A: Preservation fees.

53:27 Q&A: How do you hold constantly canceling patients responsible?

55:12 How to recover lost time.

1:00:14 Know how your software tracks broken appointments and cancellations.

1:02:06 Track capacity percentage.

1:03:29 ACT’s Capacity Tracker version 1.0.

1:06:28 Final takeaways.

1:08:44 Q&A: Only A patients will actually pay the cancellation fees.

1:09:35 Q&A: Get good at asking good questions.

1:11:10 Q&A: Where to register for Miranda’s admin course.

1:11:22 Q&A: How can we do reservation fees for patients getting treatment with no copay?

1:14:51 Q&A: More opportunities to learn from ACT.

Christina Byrne Bio:

Christina Byrne has been involved in dentistry since 1985. Over the years, she has held many positions on the dental team, including dental assistant, business office, and dental hygienist. Christina’s extensive knowledge of the front office and clinical procedures is a great asset, and she loves to impart her knowledge to guide dental teams do the best they can to achieve a Better Practice, Better Life!

Miranda Beeson, MS, BSDH Bio:

Miranda Beeson, MS, BSDH, has over 25 years of clinical dental hygiene, front office, practice administration, and speaking experience. She is enthusiastic about communication and loves helping others find the power that words can bring to their patient interactions and practice dynamics. As a Lead Practice Coach, she is driven to create opportunities to find value in experiences and cultivate new approaches.

Miranda graduated from Old Dominion University, and enjoys spending time with her husband, Chuck, and her children, Trent, Mallory, and Cassidy. Family time is the best time, and is often spent on a golf course, a volleyball court, or spending the day boating at the beach.

Dr. Barrett Straub Bio:

Dr. Barrett Straub practices general and sedation dentistry in Port Washington, Wisconsin. He has worked hard to develop his practice into a top-performing, fee-for-service practice that focuses on improving the lives of patients through dentistry.

A graduate of Marquette Dental School, Dr. Straub’s advanced training and CE includes work at the Spear Institute, LVI, DOCS, and as a member of the Milwaukee Study Club. He is a past member of the Wisconsin Dental Association Board of Trustees and was awarded the Marquette Dental School 2017 Young Alumnus of the Year. As a former ACT coaching client that experienced first-hand the transformation that coaching can provide, he is passionate about helping other dentists create the practice they’ve always wanted.

Dr. Straub loves to hunt, golf, and spend winter on the ice, curling. He is married to Katie, with two daughters, Abby and Elizabeth.