Native PT Achieves 100% Booking Rate with AI Receptionist

How AI Receptionist turns missed calls into new clients for this Maryland-based physical therapy practice.

Dat Cao

Native Physical Therapy

About the business

Dat Cao is the founder of Native Physical Therapy, a Maryland-based solo practice specializing in treating athletes. Dat's signature approach to connecting with patients emphasizes aligning their physical goals with what truly matters in their lives, whether it’s playing with their grandkids or crushing their next marathon. After transitioning from managing a 26-person clinic to launching his own full-time practice in March 2025, Dat built a thriving patient base.

Native Physical Therapy

Annapolis, Maryland

The problem

Missing critical calls while treating patients one-on-one

Our solution

AI Receptionist that captures every lead with empathy and precision

As Dat's practice grew, his one-on-one treatment model created a dilemma. While 25% of patients booked online, many preferred to call to ask questions — usually during sessions, when Dat couldn’t pick up. Follow-up calls lacked context and felt awkward. “I’d call them back and say, ‘Hey, I saw you called.’ How do I break that barrier?”

He needed a solution that could answer common questions, capture lead info, and maintain the empathy that defines his care. When he found Smith.ai, the natural-sounding AI and human-like experience won him over. “It flows very naturally. It sounds like you’re talking to a real person — and there’s empathy there. That’s what sold me.”

24/7 phone answering

Lead screening and intake

Custom FAQs

Instant email summary of calls

Free spam blocking

“Time and money are two resources that you lack when you first start a business. Smith.ai has definitely saved me on both ends.”

A solution that makes “total sense”

With AI Receptionist, Dat’s calls are now answered instantly with custom qualification questions that surface patients’ deeper goals. Rather than simply capturing "knee pain," AI Receptionist helps patients articulate what the pain is preventing them from doing, such as "I can't pick up my two-year-old grandkid because my knee hurts." This helps align therapy with what matters most to patients from the very first call, giving Dat a head start — he can personalize treatment from day one, creating continuity of care that patients feel immediately.

Additionally, spam calls are now automatically blocked, and summaries hit his inbox within seconds. “This makes total sense for me," Dat praises.

More bookings, fewer headaches

The operational impact has been immediate and measurable. "The whole anxiety of trying to pick up the phone…while working with a patient just went away. And knowing that I'm going to get an email…with a summary that I can call back is great."

The results speak for themselves: Dat maintains a 100% booking rate from leads who leave messages through AI Receptionist.

Support that anticipated his needs

Smith.ai's proactive support has exceeded Dat's expectations — but it's not by chance. Behind the scenes, Smith.ai runs health metrics and quality assurance checks that enable support teams to take action and improve call handling. In one instance, when patients repeatedly called Dat for directions, he mentioned it to Smith.ai's support team, who promptly implemented a custom FAQ template.

"The next day, I got all this tech support calling to make sure it was working correctly. I didn't really have to get involved. The team has been very proactive." For Dat, this obsessive attention to client success is what defines the Smith.ai experience.

Sustainable growth

By choosing Smith.ai, Dat avoids costly alternatives and can pour more into his practice. "The price for a receptionist was going to be $1,500 a month. With the cost savings that I have with Smith.ai, that gives me more money to invest back into the business." Dat’s vision extends beyond physical therapy to a holistic wellness center, and he appreciates that AI Receptionist can easily scale to handle this expansion.

With AI Receptionist handling calls 24/7, Dat now focuses entirely on what he does best: helping athletes reconnect with what matters most in their lives. "I would 100% recommend this service for any solo practitioner. Time and money are two resources that you lack when you first start a business. Smith.ai has definitely saved me on both ends."