Business Hours Optimization Guide for Chiropractors

Before you change your hours, pull 30 days of call data from your phone system (or your call logs): time of day, day of week, missed vs answered, and whether the caller was new or existing. In chiropractic, new patient calls behave differently than existing patient calls. New patients tend to call in pain (acute low back, sciatica flare, neck pain after sleeping wrong, post-MVA) and they often call multiple offices until someone answers. Look for patterns that are common in chiropractic: - Monday morning spikes (“weekend warrior” flare-ups) and Monday lunch hour calls. - Late afternoon calls (3:30–6:30) from people leaving work who want same-day or next-day. - After car accidents: calls surge the day of the accident and 1–3 days after (insurance questions, “Do you take PIP?”, “Do I need a referral?”). - January/early spring: “New Year, new back” resolution calls and posture/desk pain. Track two numbers that matter most for revenue: 1) Missed new patient calls per week. 2) How many of those missed calls would have been a $75–$200 consult plus a likely follow-up adjustment ($50–$100) and possible care plan ($500–$1,500). If you miss even 5 new patient calls a week and only 2 would have booked, that can easily be $150–$400 in consults plus downstream care. Use a simple sheet with columns: Date, Time, New vs Existing, Reason (sciatica, MVA, “cracked back,” price, hours), Outcome (booked, voicemail, lost). After one month, you’ll know exactly where your schedule and your phone reality conflict.

Chiropractic is hands-on. Answering mid-adjustment is not just inconvenient—it looks unprofessional and breaks your focus. Instead, separate your schedule into: - Treatment hours: when you’re in rooms doing exams, adjustments, soft tissue work, or running rehab. - Patient-facing phone hours: when calls are answered live and appointments can be booked. A practical setup for many clinics: - Treatment blocks: 90–120 minutes with no phone interruptions. - Call-handling windows: 10–15 minutes between blocks (or a dedicated front-desk window). This lets you stay present with the patient on the table while still offering fast responses. If you’re solo (no CA/front desk), your patient-facing hours can still be strong without you picking up every ring. The key is making sure callers get a fast answer and a clear path to book. Recommended baseline hours (adjust to your call data): - Monday: add earlier availability (e.g., start 8:00–9:00) because of weekend flare-ups. - Two late days per week (e.g., until 6:30–7:00) to catch after-work callers. - One mid-day option (a short lunch-time “new patient call window” or limited appointments) because many callers can only call on break.

The lunch hour is a major leak for chiropractors because pain patients call on their break and won’t leave a voicemail. If your greeting says “We’re at lunch, call back,” you’re training them to call the clinic down the street. Three lunch-coverage options that work in real clinics: 1) Staggered lunches: if you have a CA, have one person cover phones while the other eats. 2) Call-back promise with a timer: if you’re solo, set a rule—every missed call between 11:30–1:30 gets a call back within 15–30 minutes (between patients). Put it on your wall, not in your head. 3) Automated booking for lunch hour calls: let callers book a consult or next adjustment without waiting for you. What to say during lunch (in plain language): - Confirm you treat their issue: “Yes, we see sciatica, acute low back pain, and neck pain.” - Give next available: “We can usually get you in today or tomorrow.” - Explain new patient flow: “New patient visit is about 40–60 minutes. We’ll do history, exam, and your first adjustment if appropriate.” If you use SkipCalls, this is one of the highest-ROI spots to use it—your AI receptionist can answer during lunch, filter spam, and book the $75–$200 new patient consult while you’re eating.

Chiropractic demand isn’t flat. Your hours shouldn’t be either. Build “season rules” so you aren’t scrambling: High-demand times (extend access without extending your body): - January–February: posture/desk pain and resolution-driven calls. Add one extra early morning or late afternoon block per week. - Post-holiday weekends: Monday mornings get slammed with flare-ups. Add a Monday early slot and keep your phone coverage tight. - After snow/ice or storms: more slips and acute back/neck pain calls. Offer a same-day triage slot. - After local sports events: “tweaked my back” calls spike. Low-demand times (protect your energy): - Summer vacations: consider shorter Fridays but keep phone answering strong so you don’t miss the few high-intent calls. - Back-to-school weeks: parents call midday—offer a mid-day booking window without adding full clinic hours. A smart way to add availability without more adjusting: - Add “new patient intake-only” slots (history + exam + report of findings scheduling) during peak weeks. - Add telephonic insurance verification windows for MVA/PIP questions so those callers don’t churn. Always announce seasonal changes 2 weeks ahead on: - Your Google Business Profile - Your voicemail greeting - Your appointment reminders (text/email) - Your front door signage This prevents “I drove over and you were closed” complaints.

Holidays create two risks: callers in pain can’t reach you, and existing patients get confused about closures. Set a holiday plan that keeps you reachable even when you’re off. For major holidays (New Year’s, Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas): - Publish holiday hours 3–4 weeks ahead. - Keep at least one “triage contact path” open: a way for callers to book next available or request a same-day call back. Chiropractic-specific holiday scripts to include: - Acute pain: “If you’re having a severe sciatica flare or you can’t stand up straight, leave your name and number and we’ll return calls in order. Most patients can be seen the next business day.” - Post-accident: “If you were in a car accident, tell us the date of the accident and whether you have an insurance claim number. We can help you figure out next steps.” Avoid the vague message: “We are closed. Please call back.” That loses patients. Instead, give: - The exact reopen date/time - The next 2–3 appointment options (even if they’re general) - A clear booking method (online booking link or callback queue) If you run a small clinic, this is another spot where SkipCalls can keep you from losing holiday-week new patients. It can answer, capture the reason (sciatica vs MVA vs “price of adjustment”), and book into your next open consult slot.

Patients don’t check your website first. They check Google and they call. Keep your hours consistent across: - Google Business Profile (most important) - Apple Maps / Bing Places - Your website header + contact page - Your appointment reminders - Your voicemail greeting - Your front door sign Chiropractor-specific wording that reduces back-and-forth: - Instead of “Open 9–5,” use: “Phone & booking: 8:30–6:00. Adjustments by appointment.” This sets the expectation that you may not answer mid-treatment, but you’re still reachable. Add one line that addresses urgency: - “Acute back pain or sciatica? Ask for the first available appointment.” - “Car accident? Tell us the date of the accident and we’ll guide you.” Update rules: - Any change to your schedule gets updated on Google the same day. - Your voicemail greeting must match your current schedule (patients notice when it doesn’t). - If you do walk-ins (some clinics do), list the walk-in windows clearly (e.g., “Walk-in adjustments: Tue/Thu 3–5, limited spots”).

Off-hours calls are where you lose the most new patients—especially people in pain who are calling multiple clinics. You need rules that balance fast response with your sanity. Set up three call paths: 1) Business hours (live answer): calls get answered and booked. 2) Treatment blocks (no interruption): calls route to a system that captures info and books or queues a callback. 3) After-hours: calls capture the reason and offer next available booking. A simple off-hours decision tree for chiropractic: - If the caller says “car accident,” “rear-ended,” “whiplash,” “PIP,” or “lawyer”: capture accident date + preferred time and prioritize callback early next business day. - If “can’t walk,” “severe sciatica,” “threw my back out”: offer the first available urgent slot and a next-day option. - If “price,” “how much is an adjustment,” “do you take insurance”: give clear ranges ($75–$200 new patient, $50–$100 adjustments, X-rays $100–$300) and push booking. - If existing patient wants to reschedule: route to scheduling link or queue. Protect your personal time with boundaries: - No personal cell pickup after a set time (e.g., 7:00 pm). - Commit to one after-hours check-in window (e.g., 6:30–6:45 pm) to review messages and set next-day priorities. - If you do true “urgent” slots, limit them (e.g., two per week) so your schedule doesn’t turn into chaos. The goal is not to work 24/7. The goal is to never force a new patient in pain to start over with another clinic just because they called at 6:10 pm.