Like most cavity-fearing Americans, I get my teeth cleaned twice a year. The appointments are booked 6 months in advance. My most recent appointment was set up for January 15.
It was added to my calendar. All set.
On January 1, I received a text reminder.
On January 12, I received a text reminder.
On January 14, I received a text reminder.
I guess I am a unicorn in that I note my appointments and show up for them. My understanding is the no-show rate is quite high. Charging for that time is challenging, I would imagine since most people would first fight the charge and then resent the charge enough to switch dentists.
But three text messages?
Communicating with a client regarding an order can be similarly challenging. Where’s the balance?
Once a delivery date has been established, the most important part is the confirmation once you have confidence in the ship date. Two days ahead of time, a thumbs up/thumbs down message is a good first step. From there, it depends on the critical nature of the job as to whether a second message is warranted. You should also learn a client’s preferences ahead of time as everyone is different and while you want to provide good customer service, you don’t to be as irritated as I am with my dentist.
I am tempted to take the following actions:
- Call them to leave voicemail and acknowledge receipt of their texts;
- Call them the morning of the appt. early enough so I once again get voicemail to let them know I am on my way and remind them to get ready for my cleaning;
- Call them from the parking lot to tell them I’ve arrived and will be there shortly.
Alas, I have been advised not to irritate someone who will stick sharp objects inside my mouth and just write a blog instead.
[sigh]
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Bill Farquharson’s clean mouth cranks out a lot of valuable content and it has been captured inside The Sales Vault. Go to SalesVault.pro or call Bill at 781-934-7036.
