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24 Speak Out October 2015 Speech Pathology Australia
professional practice news
How and when a client is informed about fees
is crucial to preventing future misunderstandings or
miscommunications.
The most common complaint Speech Pathology Australia
receives about fees is from clients who were unaware
they would be charged a fee, particularly an assessment
report fee. Often the clinician reports having provided the
fee information to the client. Usually where the breakdown
occurs is that the fee is discussed in passing in the initial
phone contact or at the first session and then not mentioned
again. Or the client is provided with written information about
fees but they don’t actually read that information.
In these instances a very important step is missing; fees
should be discussed with, and explained to, the client.
It comes back to the very real prospect that this is the
first time the client has attended a speech pathology
consult and they are totally unaware of what level of fee
to expect and the parts of the service that may attract a
fee. Discussing the fees is part of the education process.
People are more accepting of situations if they feel they
have choice and control. When a client agrees to attend a
speech pathology session they are entering into a, usually
verbal, service agreement with you. Just as you wouldn’t
allow a panel beater to work on your car without a quote,
then the speech pathology client shouldn’t be expected to
attend speech pathology without knowing what the fees
are going to be and how long “the work” is going to take.
Here are a few tips that ensure there is no hidden
“fine print” about fees.
1. Provide each client with a fee schedule: You should
provide a written fee schedule to each new client.
This fee schedule can also be displayed in your waiting
room or added to your website.
2. Discuss the fee to be incurred prior to providing
the service: You should discuss the fee to be incurred
prior to commencing an assessment, therapy session
or writing a report, etc. Think of it as if you are entering
into a contract. You are providing a quote to the client
and then they are agreeing to that quote for service.
3. Provide a written service agreement to each client:
It is also helpful to provide each client with a document
that details the service agreement that they have
entered into. This agreement can include how many
sessions the service will involve, what the cost of each
session will be, how the client can pay for the service,
how they cancel a session and your cancellation policy
etc. You may or may not wish to have your client sign
this service agreement.
Speech pathology practice – no room for fine print (Part 4)
Let’s talk about money... please!
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03 9889 4768
My final tip is to think about the tone of voice you use
when discussing your fees. If you are apologetic or sound
uncomfortable then your clients will pick up on this and may
question why this is the case. Rehearse on your own, or with
a colleague, how you would respond to a question about
your fees. This will help you to discuss fees in a more confident
way.
It is also very important to undertake a thorough and
detailed process for determining the fees you are going to
be charging. This analysis will include start-up costs (if you
are a new business), costs incurred, current market rates, etc.
Having undertaken this analysis you will feel comfortable that
what you are charging is fair and reasonable and allows your
business to remain profitable. So time to get talking fees (just
not with your colleagues please… that might be considered to be
collusion) and bring them out in to the open.
Christine Lyons
Senior Advisor, Professional Practice