It’s a problem faced by virtually every business and medical practice – how to deal with customers / patients who pay their bill late, or not at all. While customers and patients expect prompt and professional service, they don’t always meet the same standard when it comes to paying their bill.
Accounts not paid promptly can severely impact the cash flow of a business or practice. A clearly defined and carefully communicated, yet diplomatic payment policy, may help avoid difficult collections situations.
Tip #9
USE A THIRD PARTY EARLIER IN THE PROCESS
Most businesses/practices have trouble keeping up with laws regarding contacting customers/patients regarding their accounts. Even if they can stay informed enough to ensure their compliance, the additional challenges that the regulations cause means that tactics must change. In order to collect the accounts, more frequent contacts are necessary (see tip #4). In a difficult economy, most businesses/practices can not afford to hire the additional staff necessary to effectively and systematically collect before accounts age to oblivion.
Services are available that will accomplish the “in-house” follow up necessary to collect accounts early, while ensuring complete compliance to privacy and collection laws. These services, like Transworld Systems Accelerator, can actually save the business/practice the internal expenses of doing their own follow-up at avery reasonable price, and without alienating customers/patients.
By the time an account reaches 60-90 days past due, the customer/patient is sending a message. They either do not intend to pay, or are waiting to see what the business/practice will do to demonstrate their commitment to getting the account paid. At that point, a third party can motivate a customer/patient to pay in ways that the business/practice cannot, simply because the demand for payment is coming for someone other than your business/practice. Avoid paying a percentage to a contingency collection agency, using small claims court or hiring an attorney by using a flat-fee collection service such as Transworld Systems Profit Recovery. Using Transworld Systems Profit Recovery can save your business/practice both time and money, without having to pay a high percentage of any money collected.
For more information on the suite of services that Transworld Systems has available to make businesses and medical practices more profitable, while maintaining good customer/patient relationships, please contact me through the form below or follow this blog for regular updates.
Tags: Accelerator, Business, cash flow, Collection agency, Financial Services, Medical practice, Profit Recovery, Transworld Systems
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