It’s a safe bet that your UPbook business has to deal with broken appointments—no-show clients, chronically late clients, or clients who cancel at the last minute are challenges that any operation must face head-on. Since broken appointments can affect your business’s revenue in a big way, it’s time to put an end to them. Here are a few tips on using the power of the front desk to keep appointments intact.
Remind, Don’t Confirm
Your client’s appointment has already been confirmed with your UPbook business. It happened at the time the appointment was set! When sending out reminder calls, texts, or emails, do just that: remind your client of their appointment, don’t confirm it. That places the responsibility on the individual, not your UPbook business, to keep their promise.
Use Scarcity to Your Advantage
If your client feels that they have a wide-open schedule to pick from when making their appointment, they’re less likely to keep it. Conversely, clients have every reason to show up when they feel that they’re lucky to have secured a spot at your UPbook facility.
Use effective language at the front desk to promote scarcity. Instead of “when are you available to come in?” say something like, “Our next opening is at 3:00 this Friday… are you available?” You’ll notice more consistency within your UPbook business’s schedule in no time!
Chain-Book Appointments
Chaining appointments together, one after the other, is the most efficient scheduling method for your UPbook business’s front-desk team. Consider the alternative: say your business keeps 20-minute appointments. If the front desk books one client on the hour, then another at 45 minutes past the hour, that leaves a 25-minute gap in between appointments! That time could have been better utilized serving another client.
Be proactive about scheduling appointments one after the other. Remember: your UPbook business is not at the mercy of your clients’ schedules—it’s the other way around.
Retrain Late Clients
Last-minute cancellations and chronically late clients are some of the biggest frustrations for your UPbook business’s front desk team. Again, language can prove to be a game-changer in this area.When a client calls to reschedule an appointment, don’t say “No problem, we can fit you in later today.” Say “Let me see when we can fit you in next…” Ideally, you’ll want to schedule their appointment a few days later. This serves to subtly retrain those clients that their lateness or need to cancel makes things more difficult for them. Don’t reward late clients with a convenience!
Put simple strategies like these to work for your UPbook business, and you’ll start to see a shift in no time. Less late clients or cancelled appointments means more office visits on the books—that means consistent revenue and added growth!
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