If you’re a dental professional, you know that customer payments are essential to the success of your business. It’s important to find ways to improve customer payments so that you can increase your profits and keep your practice running smoothly. While dental work is important, poor payment procedures are a strong enough reason for people to look elsewhere. With this in mind, here are some tips.
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What Do Customers Seek with Payments?
Before looking into tips on the business side, what do customers want with payments? The answer is convenience. In truth, they want to be able to quickly and easily pay their bills without having to jump through hoops. If possible, they want to pay with their chosen method, whatever that may be. For some, this means a traditional card. For others, it may be through a mobile app or online portal.
Tip #1 – Make the Process as Simple as Possible
The easier you make it for customers to pay, the more likely they are to do so promptly. Processes that require too many steps or that are confusing will only lead to frustration, and customers will likely give up before completing the transaction.
Tip #2 – Use Incentives
In some cases, offering a discount for early payment can be enough to encourage customers to take care of their bills right away. What’s more, you can also offer a loyalty program for customers who frequently use your services. If you’re looking after cash flow in your dental practice, this is another reason to encourage people to pay early.
Tip #3 – Accept Multiple Forms of Payment
While you may have a preferred method of payment, it’s important to offer customers multiple options. Some people prefer to pay by cash or check, while others may want to use a credit or debit card. There are also a growing number of people who prefer to use digital payment methods like PayPal or Venmo. By offering multiple options, you can make it easier for customers to pay you in the way that’s most convenient for them.
Tip #4 – Use an EFTPOS Terminal
While many dental practices are stuck in the past when it comes to payments, using an EFTPOS terminal can be a game-changer. This type of terminal allows you to process electronic payments quickly and easily, without having to worry about things like paper receipts or manual processing. However, manual transactions are an option if customers want to pay over the phone. What’s more, you can track customer sales and even inventory. While this is less important for a dental practice than some other businesses, it’s still good to see what equipment you need to replace and order.
Not only is this more efficient for your customers, but it also means that you’re more likely to get paid on time. In fact, studies have shown that businesses that use EFTPOS are paid an average of two days sooner than businesses that don’t. If you’re looking for ways to improve customer payments, EFTPOS payments by Zeller will transform your business more than you realise.
Tip #5 – Have Clear Deadlines and Schedules
Lastly, one of the most important ways to improve customer payments is to have clear deadlines and schedules. This means setting a due date for each invoice and being clear about when payments are expected. It also means sending reminders in advance of the due date, so your customers know when they need to make a payment.
With these five tips, you’ll be well on your way to improving customer payments and getting paid sooner!
