A hole opens up on the surgery schedule with zero warning, and it never fails to trigger the same stomach-drop reaction from whoever picks up the phone.

Andrea Watkins and Alli Petriella walk through exactly what to do next — the policies you need in place before it happens, and the moves that fill the spot fast without looking desperate.

Alli, a Patient Care Coordinator with more than a decade in aesthetic practice sales, joins Andrea live from the office to break down a full system: how to build and organize a working list of patients ready to move up, exactly how tight the phone script and timeline need to be, and why the first call should never include a discount.

They also cover the one narrow situation where a small fee reduction actually makes sense, plus why posting last-minute surgery openings on social media can backfire — both for the practice's reputation and for patients who already paid full price.

Questions answered by this episode:

• What is a good cancellation policy for plastic surgery?
• How much notice do you need to cancel a surgery?
• What happens if you cancel a plastic surgery appointment?
• Are plastic surgery deposits refundable if you cancel?
• How do you fill a last-minute surgery cancellation?
• What is a fair rescheduling fee for elective surgery?
• Should you offer a discount to fill a canceled surgery slot?
• How do you organize a patient cancellation waitlist?
• Is it okay to advertise last-minute openings on social media?
• How long do patients get to accept a moved-up surgery date?

Alli Petriella

Patient Care Coordinator, Steven Camp, MD Plastic Surgery and Aesthetics

Alli is a results-driven sales professional and consultant with 12+ years of experience helping healthcare and aesthetics practices grow through technology, strategy, and process optimization. She specializes in guiding practices to overcome operational challenges and maximize growth by leveraging cutting-edge software solutions and streamlining patient care. Alli recently returned to the practice as a Patient Care Coordinator to partner with patients on their surgical journey and restructure the patient intake process.

Connect with Alli on LinkedIn

Practiceland is presented by PatientFi — the patient financing partner built for aesthetic practices. PatientFi gives your patients access to flexible payment plans and gives your team the tools to offer financing confidently, without the awkward money conversation.

Learn more at patientfi.com/aesthetics

SHE DID WHAT?
Got a wild customer service story or a sticky patient situation to share? If your tale makes it into our "She did what?" segment, we'll send a thank you gift you'll actually love. Promise, no cheap swag here. Send us a message or voicemail at practicelandpodcast.com.

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HOST

Andrea Watkins, VP of Practice Growth at Studio III Marketing

Andrea Watkins, Vice President of Practice Growth at Studio 3, coaches plastic surgery and aesthetics teams on patient acquisition, lead management, and practice efficiency to drive measurable growth. Formerly COO of a multi-million-dollar practice that nearly tripled revenue under her leadership, she now partners with over 100 practices nationwide—helping them capture and analyze data, streamline consultations and booking, and align staff training with business goals. With a directive yet approachable, non-salesy style, Andrea turns data into action, empowering practices to boost conversions, maximize marketing, and elevate the patient experience in a competitive market.

Learn more about Studio III Marketing and LeadLoop CRM for plastic surgery practices and medical spas. 

Host: Andrea Watkins
Producer: Eva Sheie @ The Axis
Assistant Producer: Mary Ellen Clarkson
Engineering: Chris Mann
Theme music: Full Time Job, Mindme
Cover Art: Dan Childs

Practiceland is a production of The Axis: theaxis.io