Using Dental Appointment Postcards Is Great!
Using dental appointment postcards can be very beneficial. And there are great reasons to use them! And fabulous ways to put them to good use! But before I go into all of that… I want to encourage you to do one thing first! Create a card of your very own! That’s right! Try not to use the generic cards that you can buy anywhere. You know which ones I mean! They are cute. I’ll give you that. But they are not you! Put your logo or photo to use and promote who you are even more!
Promote your team’s creativity! And build enthusiasm within the team by designing your own postcard! Excitement comes with new creations. And you will see more energy from the team when they are included in this fun project. Not to mention that patients will also be able to identify your mail more quickly. And even pass their postcards on to neighbors, family, and friends who might be in need of a dentist too!
What To Know Before Sending Dental Reminder Postcards
Privacy is very important to people. As it should be! So, don’t forget to talk with patients before sending them their postcards. I don’t mean every single time. But just in general. If you plan to mail postcards to patients, ask their permission first. You can do this with each new patient very easily. Simply ask if they would like to receive reminder postcards of scheduled appointments. And also if they would like to receive postcards in the mail if they are overdue for an appointment.
Check with existing patients as well. Unless you have been sending postcards all along. But if this is a new venture, ask your patients if they would like to receive reminder postcards. For those patients who would prefer not to receive cards, simply mark their accounts. There are privacy settings available within our dental software systems. So you can make sure cards only print for patients who do prefer to receive them!
Using Dental Appointment Postcards For Hygiene
Using dental appointment postcards to remind patients of a scheduled hygiene appointment is helpful when done well in advance of their appointment. I mean, well in advance of the appointment. And I prefer to send them out a month ahead of time. Just be sure to have your continuing care settings perfect for the month. And the best way to do that , is to run an unscheduled hygiene list for the upcoming month before the office mails out any cards. Just double check those unscheduled patients to be sure they really are not scheduled. If you have any questions about continuing care settings, or what I’m talking about, please ask. I’m happy to answer any questions!
Postcards can also be used for unscheduled hygiene patients. When I am unable to reach a patient by phone, email, or text, I try a postcard too! It’s impossible to predict which form of communication a patient will choose to eventually respond to. But I like to try every possible venue available to me. Why not? I can at least say I’ve tried everything I could to reach my patient! Remember to customize your postcards!
Postcard Reminders For Restorative Appointments
What about those restorative appointments? Does anyone use postcards to remind their patients of a scheduled restorative appointment? It can be helpful if the patient was scheduled more than 2 weeks out! Because our lives and our days can be so hectic, it is very easy to forget. Hopefully, you are using an automated text and/or email reminder system too! And patients are sent a text and or email reminder 2 weeks prior to their appointment.
Send reminder postcards for patients who scheduled 3 weeks or more before. That’s my golden rule. Because I want to know in advance, as much as possible, when a patient needs to reschedule! Maybe you want to use a different postcard for your hygiene schedule and your restorative schedule. That’s one possibility. Or maybe you want to change the wording on the postcards themselves. Be careful not to say exactly what the appointment is for. But have some fun with it!
Technology Is Everything!
Automated communication is absolutely necessary today. While postcards are an option and definitely something to consider, technology is a must! And you want the best technology you can get. Something you can customize and use easily! Schedule your FREE demo today.. and take your technology up a notch! You’ll be so glad you did!
