The problem
A routine nail care patient cancels on the morning, and the slot stays empty because ringing round takes longer than the appointment. If a podiatrist gets 4 late cancellations a week at $60£45€54A$86C$85 each and fills none of them, that's about $1,029£774€921A$1,486C$1,455 a month of empty time (4 x $60£45€54A$86C$85 x 4.3).
What the AI does
Zanda lists a waitlist on both its plans: patients can add themselves through the client portal, you store their preferred times, and when a slot opens you can text available times to waiting patients. You book whoever replies. You decide who goes on the list, and patients with an urgent problem still ring.
A worked example
A solo podiatrist in York sees about 35 patients a week and gets about 4 late cancellations. They move to Zanda Starter, keep a waitlist of routine patients happy to come at short notice, and text it when a slot opens.
Before
4 late cancellations a week, none refilled: about $1,029£774€921A$1,486C$1,455 a month of empty slots
After
About 2 a week refilled from the waitlist: about $515£387€461A$743C$728 a month back
What it's worth
About $412£310€369A$595C$583 a month in profit, at an assumed 80% margin on $515£387€461A$743C$728 of refilled appointments (2 a week x $60£45€54A$86C$85 x 4.3), since the podiatrist is in clinic anyway and only consumables are extra. Zanda Starter is $20£15€18A$29C$28 a month, plus about $11£8€10A$15C$15 of texts if 20 go out a week at 9p.
How to set it up
- Start Zanda's 14-day trial and check its UK pricing page: Starter is $20£15€18A$29C$28 a month for 1 practitioner, and texts are 9p each.
- Turn on the client portal and the waitlist, and ask routine patients if they'd like to join it.
- Record each patient's preferred days and times so you only text people who can come.
- When a slot opens, text the time to a handful of suitable patients and book whoever replies first.
- Keep nail surgery and new diabetic foot patients off the self-serve list, and book those yourself.
What goes wrong
- Texts can be read by anyone who sees the phone. Keep them to the practice name and a time, with nothing about the reason for the visit.
- If two people reply for one slot, someone is disappointed. Tell patients slots go to the first reply.
- Zanda's pricing page doesn't say where UK data is hosted. Ask, and get a data processing agreement before moving patient records.
- Starter covers 1 practitioner; a second podiatrist needs Growth at $33£25€30A$48C$47 a month plus $20£15€18A$29C$28 for each extra practitioner.