Encouraging your boss to implement payment plans

When clients can't pay, they decline recommended care and pets suffer. To provide your clients with more payment options, consider talking to your manager about implementing pet insurance or third-party plans. If your boss likes the idea, pets will get better care and your practice will earn more money in the long run.

Where should you start? You have two choices for how to bring up the topic: in a one-on-one meeting with your boss or during a staff meeting. A possible starting point for the conversation could be, “Lately I've noticed clients resisting our recommendations because of cost. I know there are outside options to help our clients afford the care their pet needs. Is it possible for our practice to partner with a pet insurance provider or start offering third-party payment plans?”

If your boss is open to the idea, offer to gather more information. You could collect brochures, or even contact pet insurance and third-party payment companies to arrange for them to host an educational workshop or Webcast for your staff. Not sure which companies to contact? Try calling surrounding practices to see who they work with. Bonus: This allows you to gauge their satisfaction with offering pet insurance or third-party payment plans.

Let's face it, the boss doesn't love every idea. If he or she resists your suggestion to add payment options, suggest a trial run. Your practice could offer the payment plan or insurance policy to team members first. Then if the programs are successful, you could roll them out to your clients. Just remember that if your practice decides to adopt payment options, every team member must be on board and educated about the programs for them to work.