Collection Scripts

Hi, this is Dave Kats with Therapist Consultants and I have a tip for you. I found that collections in your office go a lot better if you use certain scripts that people are more likely to pay if they hear a certain set script. I want to go over two scripts with you that I really like. The first one is getting people to pay 50% or more down on the first day when they call to become a new patient. After they call, you say, "Tell me a little bit about your problem." They say, "Well, we've been having marriage problems." They talk for a little bit and then you stop them and say, "That does sound like a problem that would respond well for therapy and it is the type of case that I'd take. Let me tell you how I work, my sessions are 50 minutes long and I charge $150 and I have an opening yet today because I have a cancellation open at 3:30 today, or I have an opening this coming Friday, which do you prefer?"

When you say which do you prefer, if they say, "I prefer Wednesday, I prefer Friday." They've already agreed t0 50 minutes sessions, they've already agreed to $150 and so, even if they say, "Well, do you have anything next week Monday?" It's they still agreed. You ask them, "Which do you prefer?" Then after they say that you say, "I put you down for next week, Monday at three o'clock. However, to hold that appointment, I ask that you put 50% down so that will would be $75, which credit card would you like me to put that on?" They'll give you a credit card and then you have already established a financial situation with them, a financial agreement with them that they're going to pay $150 and they're paying $75 down right then.

Now, I don't care if you process that $75 right away or if you wait till they come in and process the whole $150, but all I'm saying is this, you've established a financial precedence with them. Then another thing that I like to do, if you don't already have a credit card on file with them, which I certainly encourage you to do so you use the same one every time and you don't want to ask them for their credit card every time. If you don't have one on file, I think you should always start out by saying, "The charge for today was 150, would you prefer to pay cash or check or credit card?" Then they have a choice of yes, yes, or yes, I'll pay, yes, I'll pay cash, yes, I'll pay by check, or yes, I'll pay by credit card.

Again, one more time, your charge today was 150 and I don't say by the way dollars, I say, "Your charged today was 150, do you prefer that to be by cash, check or credit card?" They'll say, "I'll just put on my credit card." You're already done. If you use those scripts asking for 50% down and then asking you if it's cash check or credit card, if you use those two scripts, you'll find your collections of the patient's money from the patient is a lot easier. This is Dave Kats. Thanks for listening.