This may be one of the most important conversations we have in this community. Zocdoc gets blamed a lot in DPC circles: - “Low-quality patients” - “Price shoppers” - “High no-show rates” - “Terrible ROI” Some of that criticism is fair. Some of it misses the point entirely. Let’s start with an honest question: What kind of patients actually use Zocdoc? In our experience, they tend to fall into a few buckets: - People who are frustrated with access - People who are new to the area - People who are used to transactional healthcare - People who believe “covered = cared for” (until it isn’t) - And yes—some are price shoppers That doesn’t make them bad patients. It makes them uneducated patients—and that distinction matters. Where practices get Zocdoc wrong Zocdoc is not: ❌ A relationship platform ❌ A loyalty channel ❌ A long-term acquisition engine Zocdoc is: ✅ A discovery tool ✅ A moment of intent ✅ A chance to redirect the patient journey The mistake happens when practices treat a Zocdoc booking like a win—when it’s actually just step one. How we re-framed Zocdoc inside FirstCall DPC We never built Zocdoc into our system as “marketing.” We built it as a controlled intake valve feeding into GoHighLevel. Here’s what that looks like operationally: 1️⃣ Zocdoc → GHL (email-based trigger) Since Zocdoc doesn’t fire webhooks: - Appointment emails route into GHL - GHL creates the contact - The workflow begins immediately 2️⃣ Immediate expectation setting Automatic SMS + email: - Confirms the appointment - Clearly states: This is Direct Primary Care We do not bill insurance Membership is required - Encourages early cancellation if it’s not a fit This alone filters a huge percentage of misaligned patients. 3️⃣ Speed + human touch - Staff attempts live contact quickly - Education > selling - If no response: 3 attempts Then cancellation No chasing. No begging. 4️⃣ Payment before care - Membership payment links sent via GHL - No payment = no visit - Automation handles reminders and cancellations