Adding automated appointment reminders to your practice will help reduce cancellations and no-shows, improve efficiency in your practice, support ongoing treatment plans, and enhance the overall client experience.

Missed appointments are a fact of life for most veterinary practices, but they can be devastating to smaller practices and a hindrance to more established ones. A recent survey estimates that over 30% of clients don’t make their pet’s veterinary appointments, leading to millions in annual losses over the entire sector. 

Practices have developed plenty of strategies to deal with no-shows, including wait lists, written cancellation policies, and reminder calls. 

These manual strategies still require extensive resources to be successful but work extremely well when automated. 

What Are Automated Appointment Reminders?

Automated appointment reminders replace the traditional practice of making phone calls to clients a few days before their scheduled consultation. 

These calls let clients confirm their availability while also reminding forgetful clients about their next appointment. 

Automating the process using a specialized client manager lets practices send out reminders at set times without any manual intervention.

High-end veterinary appointment reminder software, such as what we offer at Chckup, even allows clients to choose how they receive reminders whether it's by text message or email.

Combined with online booking systems, this software enhances client communications and frees up valuable resources that help your practice grow.

The Benefits of Automated Appointment Reminders

Some practices are reluctant to implement new platforms, but automated appointment reminders are relatively simple to implement and offer an impressive ROI. They offer many benefits that make them essential to any modern veterinary practice. 

Reduces Missed Appointments

Missed appointments cost money, not only in terms of lost revenue but also disruptions and unused capacity. 

Clients miss appointments for various reasons, including emergency situations, anxiety about treatments, lack of transportation, and sheer forgetfulness. 

Reminders address many of these issues. They remind clients of upcoming appointments while allowing them to confirm or reschedule their bookings. 

They also reassure clients that the practice cares about their pet’s well-being and offers a quality experience for pet owners. 

Improves Front Desk Efficiency

Front desk staff are usually extremely busy. They spend most of their time going through a call list and trying to reach every client before their appointment. This is time-consuming, frustrating, and often ineffective. 

Clients rarely answer their phones, especially in 2023. This means that front desk staff have to call repeatedly before getting a response. 

Automation frees up a lot of the manual drudgery associated with appointment reminders, giving staff more time to focus on essential tasks that require human intervention. 

Even better, a reduced workload often results in higher motivation and increased efficiency while providing better service to clients. 

Supports Ongoing Treatment Plan Adherence

Very few clients remember when they last brought their pet’s to the vet. This makes it almost impossible to reliably schedule annual check-ups without intervention from your front desk staff. 

Pet owners that require ongoing support for their pets often forget appointments. This can disrupt their treatment schedule and result in added work for everyone in your veterinary practice. 

Most modern booking systems allow for setting appointments well into the future, streamlining yearly and quarterly appointments. 

Automated appointment reminders enhance this system by automatically reminding clients about their upcoming appointment. 

Enhances Your Client Experience

Automated appointment reminders make it easier for clients to manage their bookings as well. 

Reminders allow clients to confirm, reschedule, or cancel their appointment, giving them flexibility while letting the practice fill their slots efficiently. 

Many practices benefit from combining online booking systems and automated appointment reminders, giving clients significant control over their schedules. 

Pet owners appreciate this extra level of care and convenience. The fewer roadblocks a pet owner experiences, the more likely they are to show up for their appointment. 

Automated appointment software will even let practices tailor client communications based on past interactions and stated preferences. 

If a client prefers email communication, you can tell the software to send them an email reminder instead of a text message. 

These small touches show that your practice cares about its clients and is willing to go the extra mile to meet their needs. 

Take Your Veterinary Practice to the Next Level

Even simple automation tools can help veterinary practices take their service to the next level by providing many benefits to their staff and clients. 

If you’re considering moving to a streamlined, digital workflow, automated appointment reminders are a great place to start.

At Chckup, we provide veterinary practices with actionable solutions to common practice problems, including enhancing practice performance, managing client bookings, and automating many routine tasks. 

Whether you need help writing a veterinary appointment reminder email or want to integrate our systems into your existing practice management system, Chckup is here to help. 

Schedule a demo with someone on our team today!