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PatientNow Reschedule and Cancellation Calls
Katie takes PatientNow reschedule and cancellation calls at any hour, states your policy, records new preferred times and flags the opening for staff.
Why a moved appointment is not a lost one
A patient who calls to reschedule a laser session is telling you she still wants the treatment. The risk is what happens next. If the call goes to voicemail at lunch and nobody calls back until Thursday, the reschedule quietly turns into a cancellation, and sometimes into a patient who never returns.
In aesthetic practices that matters twice over. The open slot needs filling, and the patient's treatment series falls out of rhythm, which can mean a less satisfying result and a less satisfied patient. Reschedule calls also cluster at awkward times: early morning, lunch, and the evening before an appointment.
What Katie records when someone cancels
When a patient calls to cancel or move an appointment, Katie collects what your team needs to act without a second phone call.
The reason matters more than it seems. A patient moving a laser session because of a fresh sunburn is a detail your clinical team will want to know about, not just a scheduling note. The summary covers:
- Which appointment, by date, service and provider
- Whether the patient wants to rebook or cancel outright
- Days and times that would work for the new visit
- The reason, if the patient offers one
- Which parts of your cancellation policy were explained on the call
Policy reminders without the awkwardness
Front desk staff often dread the moment they have to mention a late cancellation fee. Katie states your policy calmly and the same way every time, using your wording. She does not waive fees or argue about them. Consistency protects your staff too: nobody has to defend a version of the policy they improvised on a hectic day.
If a patient disputes a fee or asks for an exception because of illness or a family emergency, the summary flags it for the manager who makes those decisions. The patient hears that a person will review it, which is usually what an upset caller wants to hear.
Freeing the slot for someone else
A cancellation at night is only useful if your team sees it before the morning schedule starts. Because Katie and Annie answer 24/7, a late evening cancellation becomes a summary waiting for your coordinator when the office opens, so the slot can be offered to a patient who wanted an earlier date.
MedReception AI is live with practices on PatientNow, and your staff make each change there themselves, which keeps the calendar under the control of the people who manage it.
Frequently asked questions
- Can Katie move the appointment in PatientNow?
- Your staff make the change in PatientNow, so the calendar stays under your control. Katie captures the full request: the appointment, the new preferred times and any policy she explained.
- What if the patient is moving a surgery date?
- Surgical date changes usually involve deposits, pre-op appointments and operating room time. We suggest routing them straight to the surgical coordinator, and Katie can transfer the call while you are open.
- Will Katie try to talk patients out of cancelling?
- No. She offers to rebook, as your practice asks her to, and respects the patient's answer. Pressure on the phone tends to cost more goodwill than it saves appointments.
- Can patients reschedule after hours?
- Yes. Annie answers evening and weekend calls and records reschedule requests the same way Katie does during the day, so the patient does not have to remember to call back once you open.
Ready to implement this for your PatientNow practice?
Book a demo and we'll walk through your consult intake, treatment inquiry handling, scheduling, financing questions, and post-treatment call rules for PatientNow.