How do I judge how a dental practice sets up its patient communication and appointment reminders?
Ask how patients are reminded, how often, by what method and who sends the messages. Look at sample messages, how replies are handled and whether the system and patient contact settings stay with the practice after a sale. A good setup should keep the schedule full without depending on one person’s memory.
Begin by asking how a patient is contacted from the moment of booking. Are reminders sent by text, email or phone, and how many go out before an appointment? Ask to see sample messages. They should be clear, polite and easy to answer. Ask what happens when a patient cancels or does not reply.
Next, ask who runs the system. Is it handled by a person at the front desk, a shared tool or a service paid for monthly? Find out who holds the logins and the contracts, and whether the system will keep working when ownership changes. Ask how patients’ contact preferences are recorded.
Then look at the results. Ask how many appointments are missed and how openings are refilled. Watch the front desk during a visit, if the seller allows it, and see how calls are answered. Ask your lawyer what is needed to keep contacting patients after the sale, and your accountant about the monthly costs of the tools. Ask how patients can opt out of messages and how those choices are recorded, since a system that keeps contacting people who asked it to stop causes trouble.
Key takeaways
- Review sample reminder messages and how replies are handled.
- Confirm who holds the logins and contracts for the system.
- Ask how missed appointments are tracked and refilled.
- Ask how patients opt out and how those choices are recorded.
Related reading
12 pages on the same subject, grouped by topic.
Legal
Buying
- Expert answerHow do I judge the quality of a dispatch service’s driver communication routine?
- Expert answerHow do I check how a dietitian practice gets its new clients?
- Expert answerHow do I judge a tattoo studio’s walk-in traffic versus booked appointments?
- Expert answerHow can I check the vaccine reminder system at a vet clinic before I buy it?
- Expert answerHow do I find out what share of a chiropractic clinic’s patients come from word of mouth?
- Expert answerWhat should I ask about a chiropractic clinic’s care plans that patients prepaid?
- Expert answerHow do I judge the age of an equipment rental fleet and its replacement cycle?
- Expert answerHow do I judge a bookstore’s returns arrangements with its publishers and distributors?
Sources
This answer is checked against primary sources. Links were last confirmed on the dates shown.
- 01Business Development Bank of CanadaGovernmentHow to conduct due diligence when buying a business
- 02Business Development Bank of CanadaGovernmentWhat are the steps to buying a business?
Deavo is an advertising and listings platform, not a brokerage, law firm or valuation firm. This page is general information, not legal, tax, accounting or valuation advice, and rules differ by province. Confirm anything you rely on with a qualified professional before you act on it.