Chiropractic practices run on volume. Twelve to twenty patients per provider per day, fifteen-minute adjustment slots, tight scheduling. A no-show rate above 15% isn't a nuisance — it's the difference between a sustainable practice and one running on fumes.
The cadence that works
Three SMS touches, sequenced over the 72 hours leading up to each appointment:
- T-72 hours: Confirmation request. Reply C to confirm, R to reschedule. Personalization (patient name, provider name, appointment type) lifts response rates ~20%.
- T-24 hours: Second reminder for any patient who hasn't confirmed. Same one-tap options.
- T-4 hours: Day-of prompt with parking instructions, the front desk's direct number, and an "on my way" reply path.
What we observe
Across roughly 35 chiropractic scans we've run, practices that adopt this cadence see:
- Same-day confirmation rate climbs from ~30% to ~75% within two weeks.
- No-show rate drops from 18-25% to 12-15% within 60 days.
- Recovered slots translate to ~$3,500 per provider per month in billable hours that previously sat idle.
Caveat
The cadence works when paired with same-day rebooking. If a patient replies R for reschedule and nobody acts on it for 48 hours, you've moved the no-show problem upstream. The AI receptionist closes that loop automatically — that's the multiplier.