Are empty blocks of time on the practice’s schedule causing you anxiety? Relax, there’s no need to get angsty, get proactive! Forward booking---when done right--- is an effective strategy for filling those appointment slots well in advance.
There are many advantages to implementing forward booking and that is why a number of service industries swear by it, including: dentists, stylists and even car dealers. They get it…there’s value in ensuring clients are locked in to an appointment. Not only are they more likely to return when an appointment is scheduled in advance, most importantly, as in the case of veterinary practices, compliance with the forward booked appointment will ensure the health and well- being of their pet.
However, to paraphrase a well-known axiom, “Forward booker beware.” There is a right way and a wrong way to forward book. A colleague shared the following story. She had purchased a car in May and the dealer wanted to schedule routine maintenance for December. She reluctantly agreed with a bit of a protest. Her remonstrations were typical …it’s too far in advance, I’ll forget.
The dealer assured her that a reminder would be sent in advance and she had the option to switch the date if it no longer worked. Lo and behold, December rolled around and she opened an email and found a service reminder---sent approximately 12 hours before the appointment. Havening forgotten about the appointment she could not rearrange her schedule to keep it so she cancelled. Weeks passed and the dealer did not call to reschedule. Eventually she initiated the call.
What started with good intentions fell off the rails. Bravo to the sales associate who got the appointment on the books. After that, the appointment went into a black hole. The reminder came too late and the dealer never followed-up to reschedule warrants two thumbs down!
The moral of the story is, if you are going to implement forward booking, take it on whole-heartedly so your clients see the value. Keep these suggestions in mind:
- Get the buy in and commitment of your entire staff.
- Train staff and provide them with a script for all types of responses.
- When you book, follow through
- Provide adequate time to remind clients
- Contact clients by multiple platforms (email, text, phone)
- If an appointment falls through and there is no follow-up by the client, be sure to contact the client and reschedule.
Periodic review, feedback from clients and follow-up will help to improve the protocol and ensure the procedures are relevant and applicable over time.
VHMA's Preventive Pet Healthcare: Your Guide to becoming a PRACTICE CHAMPION provides a step-by-step guide that helps managers establish a forward booking policy in their practice. It's as easy as1...2...3...AND IT WORKS!
Don't just take our word for it.....check out these Forward Booking Success Stories.
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