Wondering Why More of Your Recall Patients Aren't Calling You Back?
...Stop Wondering and Take Action!
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Many orthodontic practices we work with or consult with, tell us that a falling conversion rate for their practice has, unfortunately, become an annoying trend. When we ask these practices what they do to ensure their recall patients return to their practice to start treatment, most tell us:
a) they send out a recall postcard reminding the patient to return for their visit.
b) they call the patient to schedule the follow-up appointment.
c) they do both.
Before we tell you there's a better, more profitable way to increase new starts from your recall list, let's break out your recall patients into 3 categories:
1. Those patients you diagnosed as "Ready To Start Treatment" but the family
went home "to think about it" and never came back.
2. Patients you put on recall, they come back for their recall visit(s) and are now
diagnosed as "Ready To Start Treatment" and now they become category 1 patients.
3. Patients you put on recall, who never return for their recall visit.
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Category 1 patients frequently are seeing other practices for another opinion. Numerous times, orthodontists have asked us "why market to these patients during the year? ....they're not ready to start treatment." To which we always reply, "What is your competitor telling these patients when they visit their practice for another opinion?" If your competitors are telling these Category 1 patients that they should start treatment now, you may be losing a potential future patient. |
| Rather than do little or nothing during the time period your patients are on Recall, your practice can send out the GetOrthoCases Quarterly Recall Newsletter to stay in touch with your Recall patients and remind them why you put them on Recall, educate them regarding the orthodontic process (consumers especially appreciate this), differentiate your practice and illustrate why it is their best option, and demonstrate how easy and convenient your practice makes the entire orthodontic experience. |
These newsletters are also an excellent tool to use to send relevant, educational information to your referring dentists, who, in turn, can provide to their patients to educate them as well.
And for the patients in the 3rd category, your practice doesn't know that these patients are going to be unresponsive until after the recall period has elapsed, they received their recall postcard and/or phone call, and didn't respond. It would be far better to communicate and educate these Recall Patients 4 times throughout the year, which undoubtedly would increase the percentage of these Category 3 patients who would show up for their Recall visits and potentially start treatment. |
Don't know what to include or have time to write anything each quarter? You don't have to! The GetOrthoCases Quarterly Recall Newsletter includes access to our newsletter article archives, which are all customizable to your practice. To view a sample of one of our GetOrthoCases
Quarterly Recall Newsletters,
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We do all of the copywriting, graphic design, and handle the bulk mailing of your newsletter, as well. All you have to do is send us your logo and recall list for that quarter, and your work is done. We even send you a digital version for posting on your website, at no additional charge.
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In conclusion, it's not uncommon for our clients to put 60 patients/month on recall and have 20 of these monthly patients never come back (240/year), not to mention those patients you diagnosed "Ready To Start Treatment", but never did start. If even 1 of these patients comes back and starts treatment due to the steady educational communication, your practice will have recouped its entire annual investment in these Quarterly Recall Newsletters. Just 2 incremental starts produces positive ROI for this marketing tool. Usually, this effort and consistent education will generate far more incremental starts than 1 or 2.
And if you're presently doing nothing more than sending out postcards or making reminder calls to your Recall List, you owe it to yourself to take action and increase new starts from your Recall list. This is an EASY way for any orthodontic practice to inexpensively generate additional profits for their practice.
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Practice Marketing System |
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Best regards,
Andrew Zuch
GetOrthoCases
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