Dos and don'ts for collections

Follow-up on overdues with three 3s

The longer a bill remains unpaid, the worse your chances of ever getting paid. Your practice deserves payment for dental services performed, so take a proactive approach and systematically "encourage" overdue patients to hold up their end of the agreement. A proven technique for doing this is to follow the rule of 3s.

Request payment in three calls, three emails, and three letters. If the patient does not respond to the reminder call made within 24 hours of the bill becoming overdue, begin the three 3s process. This consists of the following:

• Three phone calls, once a week for three weeks
• Then three emails, sent once a week for three weeks
• And finally three letters, mailed one a week for three weeks

Don't make your messages more and more demanding. The power of this technique lies not in insistent language or growing threats but in the sheer volume and regularity of the contacts the practice makes. If you can get paid and preserve a relationship with a patient -- who now knows you are serious about collections -- so much the better.