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professional practice news

Speech pathology practice – no room for fine print (Part 4) Let’s talk about money... please!

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.

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

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Speak Out October 2015

Speech Pathology Australia