The starting point
A group of three dental clinics shared the same problem: 18% of patients missed their appointments without notice. Reception had three people dedicated to phone confirmations, but the contact rate was low and the empty slots went unfilled.
The solution we deployed
We deployed Contestia, our WhatsApp virtual receptionist. The bot sends a confirmation 24h ahead with the visit details, handles changes by proposing alternatives from the live calendar, frees the slot if the patient cancels and notifies the waiting list, and escalates to the human team only in sensitive clinical cases. Integrated with Google Calendar and the patient record.
How we did it
Four weeks. Week 1: audit of missed calls and mapping of the 12 most common scenarios. Week 2: pilot at the main clinic with controlled volume. Week 3: integration with the calendar and patient record. Week 4: rollout to the two remaining clinics.
The verified results
Three months after rollout: no-show rate down from 18% to 11%. Reception recovered 22 hours a week (the equivalent of half a full-time role), redirected to in-person care, quote management and patient acquisition. Patient satisfaction rose 0.8 points out of 10. The investment paid for itself in under a month.