I just got a call from my doctor’s office reminding me of an appointment on Friday. The woman was nice, but the whole way of doing business seems unreasonable today. This was what she said, “I’m calling to remind you of your appointment. You’ll need to bring your insurance card and, if you have a copay, you’ll need to pay it at the time of your appointment.”
What if I ran my business this way? I can see it now:
“Hi (insert client’s name). I’ll be finished with your project tomorrow, but before it is allowed to leave my computer, I’ll need to have a down payment and last year’s tax return so I can be sure you’ll be able to cover the bill.”
Ha! I’m sure that would go over well!
On the other hand, my dentist is great. I have to get my teeth cleaned more often than my insurance allows due to some hereditary gum disease, and if you pay cash, he gives you a 10% discount. He’s also accomodating if you have some special issues.
Now, who do you think I’m going to recommend to more people? This doctor or my dentist?