Some of my patients are not showing up for consults even if we call them 24 hours prior to the appointment. I wanna know your thoughts on your no-show rates. I read that it ranges from 35-50%. How do you implement this in your clinic? Do you succeed in collecting these?

Sounds great. But if I had to enforce that in my practice, a lot of patients will complain..and even if I put that policy up, it might even be harder to collect those fees. Just my 2 cents.

Our consultations are complementary, but because our time is limited and peopole forget to cancel appt they don't want to keep, we charge $50 dollars to hold reservation (cancellations must be made 48HRs in advance). This simple policy has decreased no show rate from about 30% to about 10%

...and we also do not reschedule patients who don't show up for the consults.. unless they pay their $30 dollar fine. too harsh eh? time is precious.

Are you finding patients resistant to providing a credit card to "hold" their appt? How are you all dealing with this issue?

DDG

At our clinic, we call the patients 24h ahead to remind them of their next day appointment. We also post a sign in our clinic that there will be a charge for unexcused no-shows. This policy is being strictly enforced and our no-show rate is low.

if it keeps happening, I recommend charging a fee right then and there. It is so hard because it is a waste of your time that you could have filled other wise

Don't charge a fee, you will lose them. Do confirmations 24-48 hours prior to consultation. Make a phone call to remind them of their appointment. But if all else fails.. be diplomatic.

I put up a big sign that clearly indicates there is a charge for an appointment not cancelled with 24 hours.

If you call them to remind them, they may feel more obligated to show up or they could change the time if needed.

We have a cancellation policy. It is clearly stated on our website and we also have it in print on the clinic. When they book an appointment, we take their credit card number. Just in case they don't confirm their appointment 24-48 hrs, we charge $30. This way, we have enough time to fill in our schedules. And of course, this policy implies that you mean business.

Command the respect you deserve. Don't be afraid to enforce a no show policy. Time will come that your clients will change the way they treat you.

Many clients don't think about the effect not showing or cancelling at the last minute, but when you explain it, most are sympathetic. And if the charge is reasonable and not the full amount of the appointment, many are happy to pay it, if only to compensate their feelings of guilt.

When you initially book a new client, make your policy clear! Then it's their choice to agree or not. We rarely have someone who disagrees. If you feel your time is valuable, you should feel comfortable having a cancellation policy.