It is Sunday evening. Someone has put off finding a new dentist for months, and they finally sit down to sort it out. They search, find three practices nearby and send enquiries. Two practices see the messages on Monday morning, among dozens of others. One has already answered the questions and captured the person's details. That practice gets the new patient.
Sunday evenings, and evenings generally, are when many people plan their healthcare. Dental practices that are closed then can still be available online.
Why Sunday evening
People plan the week ahead on Sunday. They think about things they have been meaning to do, and finding a dentist is often one of them. They have time to research, compare and ask questions. What they do not have is anyone to answer, because every practice is closed.
The wider pattern of patient enquiries after hours is covered in patient enquiries that arrive after the practice closes.
What new patients ask
- Are you taking new patients?
- How much does a check-up cost?
- Do you offer payment plans?
- When is your next available appointment?
- Are you open evenings or Saturdays?
- Do you treat nervous patients?
- Do you see children?
- Where are you, and is there parking?
All of these are administrative and can be answered from the practice website.
Where Monday morning fails
By Monday morning, the enquiry has cooled. The person may have booked elsewhere or simply forgotten. Reception is busy with phone calls and patients in the building, and the Sunday messages wait until mid-morning or later.
Answering on Sunday
SpideyChat for dental practices answers new patient questions from your own pages at any hour and captures the person's name, contact details, what they are looking for and their availability. Reception sees a list of ready-to-contact new patients on Monday morning.
Visitor: Are you taking new patients? Assistant: Yes, the practice is currently welcoming new patients. The new patients page explains the first visit and costs. If you share your name, contact details and when you're usually free, the reception team will get in touch to arrange an appointment.
Pain and emergencies
Some Sunday evening enquiries are from people in pain. A website assistant must not assess symptoms or advise on treatment. It should point to the practice's published urgent care information or out-of-hours route, and capture the details if appropriate. How to handle urgent enquiries safely is covered in after hours emergency triage.
The cost of covering evenings
Practices sometimes consider staffing evenings or using an answering service. The costs are compared in the cost of covering evenings and the cheapest way to cover after hours enquiries. Answering routine questions online is usually far cheaper than staffing extra hours.
Nervous patients
Many people who delay finding a dentist are nervous. A reassuring, clear answer at the moment they finally ask can make the difference. Publish what your practice does for nervous patients, and let the assistant share it. That might include longer first appointments, a chance to meet the dentist before treatment, or simply a promise to explain every step. Nervous patients often read these pages several times before they get in touch, so plain, warm language matters.
Families and children
Parents looking for a family dentist often ask about children's appointments on the same Sunday evening. Explain what age you start seeing children, whether appointments can be arranged together for the whole family and what a first visit for a child involves. A family that registers together is several new patients in one enquiry.
Getting started
Make sure your new patients page answers the common questions, then let people get answers when they are searching. Try SpideyChat on your own site, or see what can be captured on the features page.