How a Clinic Network Cut No-Shows by Running Outbound Reminder Campaigns
A 12-location healthcare network deployed voice AI for inbound scheduling and outbound reminder campaigns, reducing no-shows by 35% while freeing front desk staff to focus on in-person patient care.
About A Multi-Location Primary Care Network
This primary care network operates 12 urgent care and primary care clinics across a major metropolitan area. With 200+ providers and 80 front desk staff handling 15,000 patient calls monthly, their mission is accessible care. But their phone system had become the biggest barrier to that mission—especially for their Spanish-speaking patient population.
The Challenge
Long hold times were frustrating patients and contributing to a no-show problem that cost the network real money every month.
- 8+ minute average hold times during peak hours—many patients gave up and didn't reschedule
- 18% no-show rate translated to roughly $50,000/month in unfilled appointment slots
- Front desk staff spent 70% of their time on phone calls instead of helping patients standing in front of them
- Coordinating schedules across 12 locations and 200+ providers meant frequent booking errors
- Reminder calls were inconsistent: staff only had time to confirm next-day appointments, missing the 48-hour window that actually reduces no-shows
- No after-hours scheduling meant patients had to leave voicemails and wait for callbacks—or just not book at all
- Spanish-speaking patients faced longer waits because only certain staff could help them
The Solution
The network deployed Arbol voice agents for both inbound scheduling and outbound reminder campaigns—creating a closed loop that captures bookings and ensures patients actually show up.
An inbound scheduling agent answers calls 24/7 in English and Spanish, checking real-time availability across all 12 locations and matching patients with appropriate providers
Patients book, reschedule, or cancel through natural conversation—the agent understands appointment types (annual physical, sick visit, follow-up, specialist referral) and routes accordingly
Batch campaigns run automated outbound reminder calls 48 hours and 2 hours before appointments, with each patient tracked as a row in the campaign dashboard
Reminder calls confirm attendance, offer one-tap rescheduling, and collect pre-visit information—patients who need to move their appointment can book a new slot immediately
The campaign dashboard shows real-time metrics: calls completed, confirmations received, reschedules processed, and patients who couldn't be reached for follow-up
Clinical keywords (chest pain, difficulty breathing, severe symptoms) trigger immediate transfer to nursing staff with full conversation context
Implementation
1 week (phased rollout)Calendar Integration
Connected provider calendars across all 12 locations with appointment types, durations, and availability rules
Inbound Agent Configuration
Built scheduling flows for appointment types, location preferences, provider matching, and insurance verification questions
Reminder Campaign Setup
Created outbound campaign templates for 48-hour and 2-hour reminders with confirmation and rescheduling options
Escalation Protocol
Defined clinical triggers for immediate human transfer: symptom keywords, medication emergencies, mental health concerns
Pilot Location Launch
Started with highest-volume clinic, refined conversation flows based on real patient interactions and staff feedback
Network-wide Rollout
Expanded to remaining 11 locations over 5 days, with location-specific customizations for specialty services
The Results
Every clinic felt the impact within the first month of full deployment.
No-show rate dropped from 18% to 12% within 60 days—$17,500 in monthly recovered revenue from filled appointment slots. The batch campaign dashboard showed 95% patient contact rate compared to 40% when staff made manual calls. Patient satisfaction scores for phone accessibility jumped from 3.8 to 4.8 out of 5. Front desk staff reported dramatically reduced stress and could finally focus on patients in the waiting room instead of managing hold queues. The most surprising finding: 22% of all appointments now come from after-hours bookings—demand that was always there but previously invisible. The network is expanding to outbound campaigns for preventive care outreach and chronic condition check-ins.
Before
- 8+ minute average hold time
- 18% no-show rate ($50k/month lost)
- Front desk 70% on phones
- Inconsistent manual reminder calls
- No after-hours scheduling option
- No campaign-level visibility into reminders
After
- Zero hold time—instant answer on every call
- 12% no-show rate (35% reduction, $17.5k recovered)
- Front desk focused on in-person patient experience
- 100% of patients reached via automated campaigns
- 24/7 scheduling captures previously lost bookings
- Dashboard tracks every reminder call outcome in real-time
Key Takeaways
Outbound reminder campaigns with easy rescheduling options are the key lever for no-show reduction
Healthcare requires robust escalation protocols—clinical keywords must always reach humans
Batch campaign dashboards provide visibility that manual reminder processes never could
After-hours scheduling reveals significant latent demand that previously went unserved
Freeing front desk from phones improves both staff satisfaction and in-person patient experience
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