The mediums of communication have been changing for a long time now. Starting with letters; communication shifted to telephone calling, mobile calling, and email and today, texting is the most commonly used means to connect.
Staying connected with your patients is crucial to keeping your business running. And, personal messaging is more appealing than a generalized message, which makes texting a popular choice to communicate. Text messages have a 98% open rate which implies if you want your message to be read; this is the method you should opt for.
When it comes to messaging your patient; you need to have the perfect balance of professional and personal tone. Your messages should not be spammy and actually be useful for your patients.
Have you been using texting appropriately and effectively as a dentist? If not, now is the time to incorporate it into your practice.
Your services might be providing dental memberships. Maintaining records of these memberships, connecting with patients, and remembering their personal details is as laborious as it sounds. This is why several software solutions are available to ease up the stress for you.
The dental membership plan software featurescreating new members, editing member accounts, verifying member eligibility and subscription statuses, managing members’ recurring billing preferences, viewing members’ account history and so on. In addition to this, you can also view and reconcile all member payment activities. All this makes connecting with your patients a lot easier.
Let’s now delve into the 5 ways to text your dental patients. All of these are made simpler and more efficient with the usage of the software.
1) Dental Appointment Reminder Text
The easiest way to text your patients is by sending them an appointment reminder text. Engage your patients with a message about their next visit. It will not just depict how you are upgraded with the modern tech but also remind them of their appointment in case they have forgotten. This will also be beneficial to you since the no-shows in your practice will be reduced significantly.
2) Text To Reschedule
Your patients have their own demanding schedules. There are chances that they miss your text reminder of their appointment. What do you do then? The solution is simple; follow up by texting again. If you have a no show or cancelation, the best way to get your patients back on schedule is to text them right away. Make sure the procedure they have to follow to reschedule is not complicated. For instance, instead of asking the patients to call at the reception to get a date of rescheduling, design a message using software that sends the patients a link, which when clicked on, reschedules the appointment with ease. This can also be done to fix future appointments.
3) Post Care Text
Once the patient visits you and you adhere to their needs by providing them with the appropriate treatment, the communication doesn’t have to stop. Most dentists give verbal guidance to the patients on the instructions they need to follow post-treatment. Some write them down on paper and some send an email. Texting, however, is a more feasible alternative since the patient might need timely reminders to effectively follow the instructions.
The post care could be a long-term thing and it’s very likely that the patient skips or forgets an instruction or two over time. Texting will make sure the patient is following the right steps and ensure timely recovery. It gives you the opportunity to share instructions that must be followed within varying time frames.
4) Text Billing
Online payments rule the world today. Most of the population is preferring cashless transactions. Since you are already informing patients of their appointment, post-care instructions and reschedules through text; it is only right to text them their invoices too. Since texts have a high opening rate, the chances of a patient missing a message are low and you will always receive timely payments. Certain software also permits you to collect payments.
5) Two-Way Messaging
Patients want only the best from their health care providers. They are loaded with queries and therefore, solely a great dental treatment doesn’t suffice. Patients desire a personalized experience and what will serve that better than text messages. Patients can have basic questions about the procedure or aftercare. They might want to reach you for something minor but are held back due to the official standards. Texts allow them to communicate anything and everything with you, giving them a great experience and making them feel cared for.
These are just a few ways to effectively text your patients and offer them personalized care wherein they feel you are with them throughout and are genuinely striving to give them the best. This will not only let you retain the patients but will also help you gain more through referrals.
Avoid using your personal cell phone as an instrument to converse with your patients. The constant queries and notifications can get exhaustive. Communication is the only way to let your patients know you are there for them and help them achieve good oral health and there’s no better way to communicate than through texts!