Practice Uses Broadcast Messaging and Smart Features to Save Staff Time and Increase Revenue

How Landers Family Chiropractic Uses Broadcast Messaging and Smart Features to Save Staff Time and Increase Revenue

Landers Family Chiropractic has been using Zingit for the past five years, and the results have been nothing short of impressive. This chiropractic practice has found innovative ways to use Zingit's various tools to increase their patient base and maximize their appointment schedule. Through the effective use of Zingit's text communication, broadcast messaging, and mobile-friendly web pages, Landers Family Chiropractic has experienced significant growth and success.

About Landers Family Chiropractic

• Practice Offerings: Comprehensive Chiropractic Services
• Location: Arab, Alabama
• Size: Approximately 600 patients per month
• Competition: Located in a small town. One second-generation practice in the area.

Functional texts make the difference.

The practice originally tried text through their practice management software program. “We knew the value of text, but the platform offered through the PMS wasn’t working,” says Landers. The system was text-to-email, which means messages could be sent to patients via text, but it was based on an email platform—responses coming back would go to email. The timing wasn’t reliable. Patients would receive messages long after they were sent, or reply and their message wouldn’t be seen until much later. “It was very complicated for us—slow to go out, and slow to come back. That’s really frustrating for practices who need to get stuff done,” says Landers. “We don’t have that problem with Zingit.”

Automated Messages Reduce No Shows

Prior to using Zingit, the practice had a 17% missed appointment ratio. Immediately upon using Zingit, the ratio dropped to 11%. The practice uses Zingit’s automatic appointment reminders, which send text reminders the day before and one hour before appointments, bringing people into the practice. “That 6% was huge: first, because patients are getting the care they need; second, because of revenue and cash flow. It paid for itself immediately and still does,” says Landers.

Pre-Appointment Messages Ease Path to the Office

When Landers Family Chiropractic moved locations in 2016, Google street view was slow to keep up. The image showed the building under construction for months after the practice opened. The office used Zingit to solve the problem, creating a mobile web page that showed an image of the new building, and they sent this image to new patients prior to their appointment. “New patient appointments are the worst to reschedule, and we stay booked out two to three weeks. If they miss it, it’s not easy to get them back in, and we lose them, hurting the business,” says Landers. “When trying to fill the calendar and grow the practice, we figure out how to patch the holes in the buckets, eliminate those weird things that happen. That’s one use of Zingit that has contributed to that lower missed appointment ratio.”

Huge ROI on Special Event Marketing

Every year, Landers Family Chiropractic hosts a patient appreciation event. Typically staff spends a day addressing and mailing postcards to 300-400 patients. The cost of stationary and postage was around $500. In 2021, instead, the practice sent a mobile web page to patients, inviting them digitally via text. “It took five minutes and worked like a stinking charm,” says Landers. “People responded back instantly and I got them scheduled. Zingit paid for itself multiple times over with just this event.”

Improved Staff Efficiency

The office has found that pre-written templates for messages have both saved staff time communicating with patients and kept the voice of the practice consistent. “Staff doesn’t have to type or think about messaging. They pull up a template, search for a name, and send it,” says Landers. “Zingit has built-in messages they give you out of the gate. And you can create as many as you want.” The office uses message templates for autopay declined, balance due, missed appointments, new patient information, recalls, and more.

In addition, setting up scheduled texts has improved patient communication and saved staff time. “Our office opens at 7AM, and I don’t want to text people that early, unless they missed an appointment. Staff takes 10 minutes, schedules future texts that drop at 9AM, and move on to do something else in the office. It creates some efficiency,” says Landers. They also use the feature to send payment reminders on particular days, or any time a future reminder would be helpful.

Rescheduled Missed Appointments

When a patient has missed an appointment, the practice has found text to be the most reliable way to connect and reschedule the appointment. “We send a text saying, ‘We missed you. Is everything okay?’ That has salvaged appointments that day. With voicemail, the likelihood of same-day rescheduling goes way down. People are going to answer their text messages,” says Landers.

In addition, the practice had to close when staff contracted COVID. When Landers and her husband were able to return to the practice two weeks ahead of everyone else, they were able to successfully reschedule 150 out of 160 missed appointments using texts. “There is no way we could have done this without text. That was key to us staying on track during that time,” says Landers.

Review Growth Establishes Leadership in the Area

The practice is located in a small town, with only one other chiropractic in the area—an established second generation practice. When Landers Family Chiropractic opened 10 years ago, it was difficult to break through the idea of being young and new. “Having good Google reviews has made a difference,” says Landers. “People see us as a leader in the community now.”

Z-Forms Add Even More Value

Landers Family Chiropractic will soon implement Z-Forms, which will take their forms digital. “Right now, our forms are online, paper, and print. They all look different,” says Landers. “With Z-Forms, everything will be uniform and all in one place.”

The practice is also drawn to the fact that forms save as they are completed, and you can see where patients are at when completing forms. “Right now our online forms don’t save,” says Landers. “The fact that patients can start and stop adds to the level of forward thinking, leaning into technology as a small practice. It sends the message to patients that we are with the times.”

“There are so many benefits to Zingit that every practice should just go try it. Zingit continues to add service and value—they want customers for life. So far they are nailing it, because I’m not going anywhere.”

All of these efforts have led to incredible results. Landers Family Chiropractic experienced revenue growth in 2020, and is on target to grow even more in 2021. “I’m sure Zingit had a lot to do with that,” says Landers. “There is so much we couldn’t do without them.”

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