You must be at the right stage of the new patient journey before you can ask for a deposit.
In this article, you'll learn what to say when taking a deposit over the phone and the best time for it.
When
You should take a deposit when you have the patient on the phone during the ‘qualifying’ conversation after they've enquired or made a booking at your practice.
What you should do on the call:
- Build rapport with the patient first.
- Find out exactly what they're looking for.
- Tell them what the consultation will consist of (build value).
- Ask if they have any questions.
Once you've established trust, you can bring up the deposit.
How
Here’s a way to phrase it that works quite well:
“Ok great! Let me take your details to confirm the appointment then. I also want to let you know that we ask for a refundable £X deposit just to show your commitment to attending the appointment - would that be something you could provide us at this stage?”
At this point, you'll find out how serious the lead is.
If they’ve gone as far as to book in with you and discuss a bit more about what they’re looking for, they should be fine with the deposit.
If the patient doesn’t pick up their phone at all, you can follow up with a WhatsApp and/or Messenger message letting them know you're trying to call to confirm their appointment.
Video Consultations
It's best to take a deposit after you’ve had the chance to chat with the patient - so at the end of the video consultation.
If they're keen to attend the in-person ‘next step’ at your practice, the deposit would be a % of what that next step costs. For example - if it’s a £50 check-up, then you can ask for about half of that upfront.