Ever since I opened my denture clinic, I have always offered a free consultation to any new patients considering dentures. However, I’ve often questioned whether if something is free, does it have any value?
Since COVID began, I’ve been asking myself whether now is the right time to start charging for consultations, especially with the increased cost of PPE and limited appointments available.
Whenever I see any professional privately, I accept there will always be a fee to pay for their expertise and time – so why do so many CDTs, including myself, offer something for free? Is it that we don’t value ourselves enough as professionals, or is it we know that in reality everyone likes something for nothing.
The emotion that the term ‘free’ triggers is known as ‘zero price effect’. This is a phenomenon in which the demand changes dramatically once the price is down to zero, and the perceived benefits associated with free products and services are far higher, although standard economics cannot explain the psychological power of something that is offered for free.
To simplify, the CDTs offering a free consultation are hoping to get prospective patients through the front door, which then gives us the opportunity to try to convert that free consultation into an ‘ethical sale’.
It’s up to us as professionals whether we give free advice. Using our unique knowledge, skill and personality we are able to take the time to talk and explain the various treatments and types of dentures available. We can explain the benefits that we can offer in a language the patient will understand.
The main aim of any consultation is to begin building a rapport, a relationship, and to make the patient feel comfortable so they can trust us.
We want them to proceed with treatment, and we want them to have their dentures made by us. All the evidence suggests that advertising a ‘freebie’ will result in an increase in sales; however, our time is valuable, and sometimes having a patient in our chair who you know has no intention of going ahead with treatment but just wants some free advice can be extremely frustrating.
To stop this from happening, would a £50 fee be a better option for a half hour consultation to scare the time wasters away? This £50 fee could always be deducted from the cost of any denture if the patient proceeds with treatment, and with all the notes we have to write, the cost of PPE, limited appointments and even the possibility of writing a referral letter, surely £50 would be a fair charge to cover all costs. If someone is serious about getting new dentures, surely they will pay £50?
On the flip side, if we decided to charge £50 for our consultations, would that scare potential clients away and result in fewer people walking through our front door?
In my opinion the initial consultation is always going to be the most important time we spend with a patient; it’s when we see what we are dealing with and can evaluate whether we can satisfy or meet the patient’s expectations. If the patient only needs a partial denture, your free consultation allows you to discuss the treatment but also refer the patient to your friendly dentist, who isn’t going to refuse to write you a prescription. Chances are there is also going to be remedial work you can do for them as well.
A free consultation could be seen as giving you a competitive edge, and it could also be viewed as your extra commitment in offering a far superior level of customer service.
So is a free consultation worth the money? In my opinion, definitely.
Stay safe and well.
Andrew Barrs
BACDT Vice President.