A lesson from Judge Judy

Judge Judy: "How much did it cost to fix the damage?"

Plaintiff: "About $2,000."

Judge Judy: "Not 'about'. I don't want to hear 'about'! How much was it to fix the damage!?"

Plaintiff: "Sorry. $1,963.24."

The little snippet above gets played out frequently on Judge Judy's daytime TV program. There is a tendency for people to become vague and evasive when discussing money. Dentists are no exception.

So often I hear dentists say 'approximately' or 'about' when quoting the fee. It creates the impressions that they're not sure about the treatment and also that they're embarrassed about their fees.

Unfortunately for you, unlike Judge Judy, patients won't pull you up and get clarification when you sound evasive. They'll lose trust in you and then go home to think about it.

So, with respect to fees:

1. Know what they are. If you don't know then find out.

2. When quoting the fee say clearly and precisely what the fee will be – not 'approximately', not 'about', exactly.

That confidence and directness will be reassuring to your patients and will result in better case acceptance.