38% fewer missed appointments

The starting point

A group of three dental clinics in Barcelona shared the same problem: 18% of patients missed their appointments without notice. Three receptionists spent their days phoning patients to confirm, but few were actually reached and slots went unfilled.

The solution we deployed

We deployed Contestia, our virtual receptionist on WhatsApp. The assistant sends a confirmation 24 hours ahead with the appointment details, handles changes by offering alternatives from the live diary, frees the slot if the patient cancels and notifies the waiting list, and escalates to the human team only for sensitive clinical cases. It integrates with Google Calendar and the practice management system.

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 on limited volume. Week 3: integration with the calendar and practice management system. Week 4: rollout to the remaining two clinics.

Verified results

Three months after rollout: no-show rate down from 18% to 11%. Reception recovered 22 hours a week (the equivalent of a half-time post), redirected to front-desk care, treatment quotes and new-patient acquisition. Patient satisfaction rose by 0.8 points on a 10-point scale. The investment paid for itself in under a month.