How Fast Should a Practice Reply to an Online Inquiry?

Reply within an hour. A well-known Harvard Business Review study from 2011 reported that companies that contacted an online lead within an hour were nearly seven times as likely to have a real conversation with a decision maker as companies that waited one hour more.

The study, "The Short Life of Online Sales Leads" by James Oldroyd, Kristina McElheran and David Elkington, looked at how quickly US companies responded to web inquiries and what happened next. It is more than a decade old and it studied sales leads, not patients or diners, so treat it as a direction rather than a promise for your practice. But the direction is consistent with what most practices see: the person who asked is comparing options right now, and the first clear answer often wins.

Why this matters more for a small practice

A large company has a team on the inbox. A clinic, a law firm or a restaurant has a front desk that is busy with the people in the room, and closed in the evening, which is when many people search. The gap between when the inquiry arrives and when someone can answer it is where inquiries are lost.

What a good first reply contains

• An acknowledgement that a person has the request, with a realistic time for the follow-up.
• An answer to the practical question that was asked, such as hours, fees you publish, or what to bring.
• One clear next step, such as a time to confirm or a form to complete.
• No promise you cannot keep, such as a slot that is not yet confirmed.

Three ways to get under an hour

1. An automatic acknowledgement

The simplest step is an immediate email or message confirming receipt and saying when a person will reply. It does not answer the question, but it tells the person they were heard.

2. An assistant for the repeat questions

Most inquiries to a practice are the same dozen questions. An assistant on your website can answer those from your own information at any hour, collect the request, and hand it to your team with the details written down. It should never give medical, legal or other professional advice, and it should say plainly when it cannot answer.

3. A routine for the morning

Decide who reads the overnight requests first thing, and how long they have to answer. A short checklist beats good intentions.

What not to automate

Anything that depends on someone's individual situation belongs to a person: clinical questions, legal questions, allergies, complaints. The point of speed is to get the right person into the conversation sooner, not to replace them.