On a private book, a no-show is not a minor gap — it is a lost high-value appointment you rarely refill the same day. The good news: no-shows are one of the most fixable problems in dentistry. Here is the cadence that works.
The lever that matters most in London
Most no-shows are forgetfulness, not intent. A simple, disciplined system recovers the majority. Run these five:
Confirm the moment the slot is booked, then remind 24 hours and again about 2 hours before. Most private no-shows are simply forgotten, not deliberate.
A passive reminder is easy to ignore. Ask the patient to reply "YES" to confirm — committing in writing sharply lifts turn-up rates on high-value slots.
Keep a short waitlist and offer any freed slot instantly. On a private book, a gap that fills itself is revenue you would otherwise lose for the day.
A small deposit filters out the least-committed bookings and cuts no-shows most where they cost most. Serious private patients never mind.
Reach out the same day to rebook. A forgetful patient recovered today is far cheaper than a new private patient won tomorrow.
The other half
A private London patient decides on your Google reviews and how fast you respond. Both are winnable.
Nudge every happy patient for a Google review, so your profile out-shines the practice down the high street.
Every enquiry answered at once and booked — a fast, polished response is what a private patient expects.
Daily Google profile work to hold the map pack in your borough.
01This system cuts no-shows.
02Sending every reminder and chasing every gap by hand never lasts.
03ChairFill reminds, reconfirms and refills the slot for you.
Confirm at booking, remind 24 hours before, then again about 2 hours before. Ask for an active "reply YES" reconfirmation rather than a passive nudge — it commits the patient.
Yes, especially for new patients and longer procedures. A small deposit filters out the least-committed bookings and sharply lifts turn-up rates where it matters most.
Offer the slot to a waitlist immediately. A gap that refills the same day protects the revenue a private book cannot afford to lose.
Yes — it sends the reminders and reconfirmations, runs the waitlist, and follows up no-shows to rebook. See pricing.
ChairFill reminds, reconfirms, refills cancelled slots and rebooks no-shows — so your private chairs stay full.
See it work on your practice