Appointment reminders....do we really need reminding ?

[Carys]

My dental practice have a policy of ringing people the day before their appointment, to remind them of the impending visit. I suspect many/most practices do this ?

I know why they ring, of course, they must get lots of people forgetting and just not turning up. Time of the dentist being wasted, loss of earnings and other patients not being able to take those appointment slots must be a huge annoyance for them.

Here is the thing though, I've had 1 or two appointments a week for the last few weeks - they are etched on my brain with searing heat and I actually am struggling to FORGET the appointments and not think of them ! I've never not turned up, never been late even and wrote the appointment straight from the piece of paper they gave me into my diary. I only saw them a few days ago !

I don't know what the point of this post is really, just annoys me a bit that the practice feels I need reminding, especially when I am trying to not think about it today. Just wondered if any DFC people ever forget their appointments...I bet all of you know the date and exact time of your next one !!!!

 

[carole]

Hi Carys, Well I get a text message from mine and I like it.
Not because I will forget but it makes me feel that they care and want me to go. As somebody that worries about upsetting them or the dentist I sometimes wonder if they get fed up with me being nervous, at first its okay because when you are new it's understandable to be nervous, but when you've been at the practice and seen a dentist you trust for a while, you should in effect be okay going.

But I don't get used to going and even with a dentist I trust, I am and always will be nervous. It is a massive thing that I get treatment, and I am pleased that I can manage to go.
So that is why I like the reminder because it says to me, 'we are expecting you tomorrow and pleased you are coming'.

I had one that didn't do reminders and gave the impression that from reception to dentist that I was a pest and that patients were very inconvenient and ruined their personal telephone conversations, their manicures and in all disturbed their day.

 

[Carys]

Carole, that is certainly a different way of looking at it, and I shall attempt to internalise your positive perspective. I am somewhat more cynical I guess and think 'kerching' rather than 'we'd really like to see you, looking forward to it...' Mind, maybe I am bitter because of how much money I am giving them every week

 

[carole]

Ah but is the cup half full or half empty.
It depends how you look at things, I know going to the dentist can be expensive, but if you put it into prospective, against other things we spend money on it might not seem so bad. I think that everybody spends way more in most cases on other things without thinking, I do think sometimes dentists get a bad rap.

I think we spend more without thinking on hobbies, vehicles and the costs in running them, the road tax for one and insurance for which you in effect see nothing. Our homes and deco, we go to hair dressers, and other forms of pampering ourselves, clothes, animals and their keep and vet bills which are quite high but we seem to be able to reason all this. There will be many more things we spend on, I personally don't have all these things but I can pick some of them out.

Teeth we actually need to survive and have any quality of life, be it crowned, bridged, inplanted, dentures, or whatever we may have to enable us to eat and interact with others, they effect every waking and sleeping moment of our lives.

Sometimes dentist visits cost more, sometimes less, but if we all do our best to try and get them healthy and stay healthy then the costs would in effect be less. I think sometimes we gasp but if we look and think maybe sometimes it's not so bad.

At least we have something to show for the cost, with cars for example often we are buying fresh air, so to say.

What do you think?
Sorry gone a bit off topic here hope you don't mind.

 

[Carys]

What do I think ? I don't think it is off topic, that is cool with me.

Well I was only being light-hearted about the money aspect really. I think my dentist deserves every penny I give him...there are two people 'employed' in that room with me for 1 1/2 hours and they both have great skill and dedication. I appreciate their genuine concern for me, and I think it is money well spent, but practically it is a business that is being run and losing custom from people not turning up and forgetting must be very frustrating. I think it is this element that strikes me when I get the reminder phone call, I am reminded of the financial aspects of dental care and I guess I feel like a 'customer' rather than a 'patient'. That probably makes no sense, oh I don't know......

 

[kitkat]

I never forget my appointments although some days I wish I could. My dentist always calls to remind me the day before to confirm that I'm coming. My chiropractor's office does the same thing and I find that I usually appreciate their calls even though I'm annoyed at my dentist for doing the same thing. I was driving to my chiropractor appointment the other day completely relaxed, anxiety free. No feeling of impending dread and not shaking in the waiting room. I thought "why can't I be like this at the dentist?!" It doesn't make sense to me. For some reason, I think that most of the no shows at the dentist are more to do with "selective memory" than anything. Personally, I obsess about my dental appointments for weeks in advance and try to get them off my mind. Funny story, my dentist once tried to tell me I was 30 minutes late for my appointment and we got into an argument about it. I felt like saying "I've been obsessing about this date at this time for weeks! Trust me, I know my appointment time!" I was surprised I was assertive enough to fight with her about it but that was the one thing I was sure about if nothing else! lol

 

[Lizwhite28]

Mine does but I asked them not to as I don't like the reminder when I'm trying to forget about it that they have stopped. They know I'm a phobic so they understood.

This post has just reminded me I'm goin in Friday lol.

 

[carole]

Carys I know you were being light about payment it just made me think about the thoughts I put above.
I was meaning that as an nhs patient I have received very good care and attention from my dentist and a lot of dentists don't want nhs patients as they are not as cost effective as private patients.

I like my reminder because for this reason it makes me feel they want me there, because in a lot of cases if you don't turn up for appointments a lot of them do a warning and are very nasty, if you are even late they class it as a missed appointment, and on the second occasion they chuck you out and refuse to see you again. I never miss or turn up late but I have seen how some practices treat people that do.

Also a lot of nhs dentists don't send reminders at all. I suppose if I was paying out hundreds or in some cases thousands of pounds I might view it through different eyes.

 

[griffinej5]

My dentist does, but only because I said it was okay to do so. I'm going to a dental school, and it is my actual dentist who calls me. She did ask first if I wanted her to. I didn't tell her that the reason I wanted her to call is because I think she has the most adorable accent ever (she's Indian but from London... I happen to think British English spoken by Indians is adorable regardless of gender).

 

[mango]

I preempt the dreaded phone call by phoning them the day before to confirm that I know I have an appointment and will be there. This means I don't have to fear every phone call and gives me more control.

 

[kitkat]

I preempt the dreaded phone call by phoning them the day before to confirm that I know I have an appointment and will be there. This means I don't have to fear every phone call and gives me more control.

I have totally done this before!

Funny story: Once when the dentist office called me I didn't recognize the number so I assumed it was a phone solicitor and told them it was the wrong number. They proceeded to say my correct number to confirm they dialed it correctly and I lied and told them that the number was correct but they had the wrong person. So I hang up and a 'light bulb' goes off..."that was my dentist..." and they just crossed off my number!!! So I had to call back a few minutes later and pretend that I was just calling to find out what time my appointment was the next day and confirm that I was coming but hadn't spoken to them already. The receptionist was like "how weird! I just dialed this number and some girl answered and said it was the wrong number" and I said really and I told her my number and she's like "yeah that's the one I dialed! I must be losing it!" Now she either thinks I'm crazy or she is! lol Moral of the story: those phone reminders are a big hassle!

 

[Carys]

kitkat- that is flippin hilarious !!!!!

 

[Pianimo]

Funny story: Once when the dentist office called me I didn't recognize the number so I assumed it was a phone solicitor and told them it was the wrong number. They proceeded to say my correct number to confirm they dialed it correctly and I lied and told them that the number was correct but they had the wrong person. So I hang up and a 'light bulb' goes off..."that was my dentist..." and they just crossed off my number!!! So I had to call back a few minutes later and pretend that I was just calling to find out what time my appointment was the next day and confirm that I was coming but hadn't spoken to them already. The receptionist was like "how weird! I just dialed this number and some girl answered and said it was the wrong number" and I said really and I told her my number and she's like "yeah that's the one I dialed! I must be losing it!" Now she either thinks I'm crazy or she is! lol Moral of the story: those phone reminders are a big hassle!

This cracked me up!

As for original question, my previous practice would ring two or three days before appointments and remind me, and I never liked it - I already have a phone phobia so phone + dentist is not the best combination!

That said, my new practice don't do this, which I hadn't even noticed/thought about until you mentioned it in this thread...but I've now decided I acually partially miss it! I think it's the fact that it made me feel I 'belonged' to the practice - like Carole says, it implies they would actually care if I didn't go. (And since I'd paid up front for much of my treatment, most times they had their money whether I went or not!) Also, sometimes I'd know that the receptionist calling knew who I was, so it didn't feel like an impersonal call - all of which helped me to feel like a known and valued patient/customer, which in turn made me feel safer and more comfortable about going into and being in the building when the day came.

 

[carole]

Well how funny, I usually get a text from my dentist the day before I am due to go for my appointment, but today at about 3pm I got a phone call to remind me, I am glad though because she told me the plan was for my dentist to finish a rct I need before he leaves. I nearly had a heart attack when I knew who it was on the phone, I thought they were going to cancel. Whatever way they use to remind me I like it.

 

[Carys]

I understand why you feel slightly differently to me Carole, about the reminder phone call. As in so many ways, it s interesting how differently everyone views the reminder. I might do what mango does, and next week call the day before to say that I know about the appointment.

 

[carole]

Yes you could, maybe tell them you don't need the reminder call. I don't think they will mind.

I really like this thread it's nice to have a light hearted conversation in between stressing and panicing.

 

[kitkat]

OR you can have some fun messing with the receptionist's mind and tell them the number is wrong when they call and then call them right back and ask them why they haven't called you yet!

 

[carole]

Kitkat, Carys can't do that, her practice know exactly who she is and so do the patients that were waiting when she saw her dentist today. The whole building was in up roar with her shinanigins. They know her voice and no doubt about it.

For anybody needing further explanation go to the 'unplanned dental procedures' thread, and all will become clear. I do warn you though have some tissues ready to dry your eyes.

 

[kitkat]

Kitkat, Carys can't do that, her practice know exactly who she is and so do the patients that were waiting when she saw her dentist today. The whole building was in up roar with her shinanigins. They know her voice and no doubt about it.

For anybody needing further explanation go to the 'unplanned dental procedures' thread, and all will become clear. I do warn you though have some tissues ready to dry your eyes.

Flooding the office does tend to leave an impression!

 

[carole]

It most certainly does.

Kitkat where can I get that rolling all over the floor laughing man from. I love it.