Why the first answer wins
A new patient does not research one practice. Assume they have three open on their phone and sent the same message to each, usually in the evening. Their attention is on the question for a few minutes. The practice that replies inside that window, by name, with a time, gets them while they are still deciding. The practice that replies the next morning is talking to someone who already booked. None of this is about the quality of your work; the reply came first, so the reply won.
There is a second mechanism. A fast, human reply tells the patient how the practice runs. If the desk answers in a minute, they assume the appointment will start on time and their questions will get answered. A slow reply says the opposite before they have met you.
How fast to reply, channel by channel
| Channel | The reply to aim for | What the first reply contains |
|---|---|---|
| Phone call | Answered, every hour of the day, by someone who can book | Their name, the treatment by name, two times |
| Missed call | A text within a minute, a call back within the hour | 'Sorry we missed you, Jess. I can get you in Tuesday at 2 or Thursday at 11' |
| Text | A reply within a minute, from a person or an agent that knows the menu | An answer to the question, then two times |
| Instagram or Facebook DM | A reply within minutes, in the same thread | The same answer the desk would give, then a move to text or a booking link |
| Web form or ad lead | A text within a minute and a call within five | Their name, what they asked for, two times, the provider's name |
Why after hours is where bookings leak
Some of the messages that decide a booking arrive when nobody is at the desk: in the evening, at lunch, on a Sunday. The after-hours column in your own log will show your share. The desk cannot answer at 9 pm and should not be asked to. An auto-reply that says 'we will get back to you' is a receipt, and the patient treats it as one. The after-hours lead needs the same thing the daytime lead needs: an answer to their question and two times, from something that knows your menu and your calendar.
How to measure yours this week
- Open the inbox for each channel: the phone system's call log, the texting tool, the Instagram and Facebook inboxes, the form notifications. Take the last 30 new-patient conversations from each.
- For each one, write down two timestamps: when the patient's first message arrived and when the first reply that answered their question went out. An auto-reply does not count.
- Sort them into business hours and after hours. The after-hours column is the one to read first.
- Take the middle value of each column. That is your speed to lead, by channel, by time of day.
- Next to each conversation, note whether the patient booked. Put the two columns side by side and the pattern will be hard to miss.
The fix
- Put every channel into one place, so the desk is watching one inbox and not five.
- Answer after hours with an agent built on your menu and your calendar, one that replies in the patient's words, says it is an assistant when asked, and books the appointment.
- Text back every missed call within a minute, with two times, and call back within the hour during business hours.
- End every first reply with two times. Speed gets the patient's attention; the two times turn it into a booking.
- Put the response time on the same page as bookings and read it weekly.
What to do next
NorthCore's Answer every patient solution replies on every channel in seconds, every hour, on your number and your social accounts, and books into your calendar. Scoped in writing and covered by the promise on this site: results in 90 days, or we keep working until you have them.
