Fee Discussions:

There are two main points to never forget when it comes to fee discussions with patients:

• The mindset of the dentist and team regarding money must be positive.
• The quality of the verbal skills relating to the fees makes or breaks the acceptance rate.

“Patients can’t value what we don’t”. You must be as proud of your fees as you are your dentistry.

“We are very proud of our fees. They reflect the quality of our dentistry”

“Nothing good is cheap. Nothing cheap is good”. Remember, patients complain about the fees regardless of the amount.

Why do a large percentage of big cases NOT appoint? Lack of proper verbal skills at fee discussion and zero follow up two days later.

Example: Patient hasn’t been to the dentist for a while…..realizes they are in need of restorative but are thinking a few hundred dollars. Chances are the treatment plan is several thousands of dollars. Fee is presented by treatment coordinator or financial coordinator. “Your total charge will be $6425”. After the patient catches their breath, they say, “oh, it’s been awhile, and I knew I needed some work done but I had no idea it would be THAT much! I need to talk it over with my spouse”. Typical response might be: “Just give us a call when you are ready”. Sadly, you never see that patient again until they decide to come back for an emergency or never. 

Let’s go over the above verbal transaction….

Never use retail words in a professional setting. Charge, cost etc. only make patients think money. Always use the words fee or investment.

Next the patient refers to her needed treatment as “work”. That’s because dental practices refer to treatment as work! it’s always dentistry or treatment…never work!

The proper verbiage regarding the fee should be: “Mrs. Baker, “your total investment as far as time will be, a longer appointment then two or three shorter visits. Your total investment as far as the fee will be $6425”. 

After the patient states they had NO idea it would be that much, and she must go over this with her husband, the best response would be: 

“Mrs. Baker, if I were making this type of investment in my total health, I’d certainly need to discuss it with my husband as well. Do I have your permission to call you in two days after you have talked to him? Also, remind your husband that our practice has a fee plan that allows patients to make smaller monthly payments over time with zero interest. We want all of our patients to know that ideal dentistry is affordable to everyone in our community”. THEN FOLLOW UP IN TWO DAYS!