Cancellations and no-shows will always happen. But how well are you filling those gaps? In this episode of Metric Mondays, Kirk Behrendt brings back Miranda Beeson, ACT’s director of education, to break down capacity percentage. They share the keys to maintaining a productive and efficient schedule even when your patients fall out. Don't settle for 84%! To learn how to proactively fill your schedule, listen to Episode 916 of The Best Practices Show!

Learn More About Miranda:

• Send Miranda an email: [email protected] 
• Follow Miranda on ACT’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/actdental
• Send Courtney an email to learn more about ACT: [email protected] 

More Helpful Links for a Better Practice & a Better Life:

• Subscribe to The Best Practices Show: https://the-best-practices-show.captivate.fm/listen
• Join The Best Practices Association: https://www.actdental.com/bpa
• Download ACT’s BPA app on the Apple App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/best-practices-association/id6738960360
• Download ACT’s BPA app on the Google Play Store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.actdental.join&hl=en_US
• Join ACT’s To The Top Study Club: https://www.actdental.com/ttt
• Get The Best Practices Magazine for free: https://www.actdental.com/magazine
• Please leave us a review on the podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-best-practices-show-with-kirk-behrendt/id1223838218

Episode Resources:

• Watch the video version of Episode 916: https://www.youtube.com/@actdental/videos
• Register for ACT’s To The Top Study Club (July 18th, 2025): https://www.eventbrite.com/e/climb-with-us-register-for-july-18-2025-ttt-study-club-tickets-1205460116659
• Register for ACT’s To The Top Study Club (July 25, 2025): https://www.eventbrite.com/e/climb-with-us-register-for-july-25-2025-ttt-study-club-tickets-1205497959849

Main Takeaways:

• Your capacity percentage benchmark is 94% or higher.
• Pre-schedule your patients’ next appointments before they leave.
• Utilize ideal day or block scheduling. Protect your high-value time blocks.
• Have someone own and review your schedule two days to two weeks in advance.
• When you have cancellations and no-shows, quickly fill those gaps using priority lists.
• Utilize customized bulk texting to reach out to patients. At least one patient will say yes.

Snippets:

0:00 Introduction.

1:49 Why this is an important metric.

3:33 Capacity percentage, explained.

6:34 How capacity percentage impacts the practice.

8:38 Indicators that this percentage is going well.

10:23 Indicators that this percentage is not going well.

12:24 Countermeasures.

15:15 ACT’s BPA.

Miranda Beeson, MS, BSDH Bio:

Miranda Beeson has over 25 years of clinical dental hygiene, front office, practice administration, and speaking experience. She is enthusiastic about communication and loves helping others find the power that words can bring to their patient interactions and practice dynamics. As a Lead Practice Coach, she is driven to create opportunities to find value in experiences and cultivate new approaches.

Miranda graduated from Old Dominion University, and enjoys spending time with her husband, Chuck, and her children, Trent, Mallory, and Cassidy. Family time is the best time, and is often spent on a golf course, a volleyball court, or spending the day boating at the beach.