Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
A better way of handling it imo is make the person give a small deposit which is refunded on appointment or cancellation with adequate notice. That way no need to bother with a phone call or email or sms. Not everyone has the time or forgets to respond to them.
It seems like the people who know the best way of doing things are the people not actually doing those things.
Again, it's not the confirmation so much, but the cancellation that is the issue if you do not confirm. Is this common? I think not.
To answer this... I've never let it get to the 7 reminder point so I personally have no idea what my dentist's policy is on the matter. Just confirm and the problem is solved. And you or your wife won't be getting yourselves in a twist over it.
To answer this... I've never let it get to the 7 reminder point so I personally have no idea what my dentist's policy is on the matter. Just confirm and the problem is solved. And you or your wife won't be getting yourselves in a twist over it.
Maybe 7 reminders should have been a clue that they are serious about getting confirmation? It would be pretty obnoxious to send 6 reminders to someone who confirmed the first one so clearly they are tracking the response or lack of response. That should tell you they are not just an automated reminder that goes out a day or two earlier to jog your memory.
Let me create an analogy. Let's say you make plans to meet up next month for lunch with an old friend and set a date/time/place. You typically only see or hear from each other once or twice a year. A few days before you send a text to see if you're still on for lunch, since you know life happens and it's a bit of a disruption to your routine. You send an email too. You get no response. You keep sending texts and emails over the next few days and get no response. Are you still going to take extra time off from work and drive 30 minutes to the place in the hopes that they show?
Maybe 7 reminders should have been a clue that they are serious about getting confirmation? It would be pretty obnoxious to send 6 reminders to someone who confirmed the first one so clearly they are tracking the response or lack of response. That should tell you they are not just an automated reminder that goes out a day or two earlier to jog your memory.
Let me create an analogy. Let's say you make plans to meet up next month for lunch with an old friend and set a date/time/place. You typically only see or hear from each other once or twice a year. A few days before you send a text to see if you're still on for lunch, since you know life happens and it's a bit of a disruption to your routine. You send an email too. You get no response. You keep sending texts and emails over the next few days and get no response. Are you still going to take extra time off from work and drive 30 minutes to the place in the hopes that they show?
Yes, maybe if we had some stats on this type of thing. With all the Drs offices, hospital and individual ones across the country and hundreds of thousands of patients (millions) I would imagine the amount of people who don't show up, don't confirm or cancel on short notice is enormous.
Yes, maybe if we had some stats on this type of thing. With all the Drs offices, hospital and individual ones across the country and hundreds of thousands of patients (millions) I would imagine the amount of people who don't show up, don't confirm or cancel on short notice is enormous.
The total time is probably less then the amount people wait in the waiting room for their appointment.
Maybe 7 reminders should have been a clue that they are serious about getting confirmation? It would be pretty obnoxious to send 6 reminders to someone who confirmed the first one so clearly they are tracking the response or lack of response. That should tell you they are not just an automated reminder that goes out a day or two earlier to jog your memory.
Did they ask for or agree to receive and reply to confirmation requests? Or are you of the mind that anyone who obtains your email or telephone number has therefore the right to contact you repeatedly and also to get a response? I wouldn't agree with that at all.
I agree with the person who said you have confirmed your appointment when you made it. If they cancel it, they, not the patient have reneged on the agreement.
I also think the OP can and should opt out of unwanted confirmation requests. Whenever I get a text confirmation request it says something like "reply STOP to stop these texts."
My wife had this happen by our dentist recently. They made many attempts to confirm - one email, texted 2-3 times, and left 2-3 voicemails. No fee charged, she showed up on time but was told her appointment was cancelled due to not confirming in advance.
My wife is not tech savvy, cannot bring her phone into her workplace (security will not allow), and she is terrible at checking it after hours after working.
Most doctors will send emails and maybe texts, and may even call to confirm appointments. And of course it is not uncommon to be charged a fee if you do not show up for an appointment. But I usually do not confirm, and I have never heard of this policy of cancelling before if not confirmed. And between me, my wife and her mother, we go to a lot of doctors.
I have always had the doctor honor the appointment time, period. You make the appt, then you show up at that appt time and there is never a problem, whether you confirm or not. It always seemed that confirming in advance was only to fill out paperwork, which can be done upon arrival if necessary.
We switched to this dentist about 1.5 yrs ago, but I don't remember being informed about this policy. I'm sure that there have been other times in the last year and a half that we did not confirm, but this is the first time they have enforced it.
Is this a common practice? Or maybe the "new normal"?
It is common courtesy to respond to someone reaching out; in this case confirming an appointment which takes a chair, assistand and dentist.
Your wife being terrible at checking her phone after work is something personal.
Not responding to 7 reminders strongly indicates a no-show patient for whatever reason.
I set my mobile to block unknown callers, and sms messages from unknown callers won’t show a notification.
Never had this issue with Dental Appointments. Some made me do a deposit, others did call or text to confirm but I didn’t confirm and they didn’t cancel.
I’ve had restaurants cancel my reservation for not confirming, though I successfully argued my way to a table.
For people who are not Tech savvy or people like me who receive literally dozens of calls/texts an hour, it can be hard to keep up. Just do a deposit that covers the initial purpose of the appointment (or something like that) and be done with silly games.
No idea why some here are taking it personally as if they’re the Dentist themself.
My wife had this happen by our dentist recently. They made many attempts to confirm - one email, texted 2-3 times, and left 2-3 voicemails. No fee charged, she showed up on time but was told her appointment was cancelled due to not confirming in advance.
My wife is not tech savvy, cannot bring her phone into her workplace (security will not allow), and she is terrible at checking it after hours after working.
Most doctors will send emails and maybe texts, and may even call to confirm appointments. And of course it is not uncommon to be charged a fee if you do not show up for an appointment. But I usually do not confirm, and I have never heard of this policy of cancelling before if not confirmed. And between me, my wife and her mother, we go to a lot of doctors.
I have always had the doctor honor the appointment time, period. You make the appt, then you show up at that appt time and there is never a problem, whether you confirm or not. It always seemed that confirming in advance was only to fill out paperwork, which can be done upon arrival if necessary.
We switched to this dentist about 1.5 yrs ago, but I don't remember being informed about this policy. I'm sure that there have been other times in the last year and a half that we did not confirm, but this is the first time they have enforced it.
Is this a common practice? Or maybe the "new normal"?
I don't know if my dentists/drs would cancel if I don't confirm, since I always confirm if they send me a text or email.
It makes sense to me that they'd cancel, since they get so many no-shows. They have patients waiting who'd like to take that earlier spot. It's the business of keeping schedules full to extent possible and seeing other patients as soon as possible.
Did they ask for or agree to receive and reply to confirmation requests? Or are you of the mind that anyone who obtains your email or telephone number has therefore the right to contact you repeatedly and also to get a response? I wouldn't agree with that at all.
I agree with the person who said you have confirmed your appointment when you made it. If they cancel it, they, not the patient have reneged on the agreement.
I also think the OP can and should opt out of unwanted confirmation requests. Whenever I get a text confirmation request it says something like "reply STOP to stop these texts."
They probably did. Most people fill out forms and don't bother to read the fine print.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
