Discount, discount, discount
I was speaking with a dentist recently who was discounting heavily. Even though the fee level in their practice was very fair they often reduced it.
Sometimes by 20%. Sometimes even more — in one case 70%!I asked why and the reason given was "It was an easy filling/extraction so I thought that I would give a discount.
"This sounds plausible until I asked one simple question:"So, if you charge less when a filling/extraction is easy, do you charge more when it is difficult?"
That cast a new perspective on things. The answer was that they never increased the fee.
Bottom line is this: If your fees are fair then charge them — don't discount.
The discounting habit runs deeper than most dentists realise — and it takes many forms. For the full case against it, including what it costs you financially and the patients it attracts, that article is here.
