Royal Mail’s price increases
General | Posted March 24, 2012 by Ryan
Bad News?
On 30th April 2012 the price of a first-class stamp will rise from 46p to 60p and a second-class stamp will rise from 36p to 50p.
With Private Practice Software it doesn’t have to be!
With postage rates rising significantly (and set for further increases in the future) have you considered the alternatives? Please read on to discover 3 key ways you can save your clinic both time and money…
E-Mailing
Have you considered using e-mails for receipts, appointment confirmations, correspondence with your patients & 3rd parties?
This not only saves you money on stamps and stationery but also saves you time not having to physically print and post the letter. Sending an e-mail for appointment confirmations allows you to give your patient further information about their appointment.
Did you know? You can send different e-mails depending on the type of appointment booked. For example you could send an e-mail with directions and an introduction to the clinic for initial consultations and a different e-mail for routine consultations.
With PPS you can e-mail correspondence directly to your patients and 3rd parties including GPs, insurance companies and referral contacts.
One area of clinic administration which can potentially produce a great deal of paper work and postage is invoicing. With PPS you can send invoices and receipts via e-mail.
Did you know? You can create customised HTML templates for your e-mails which may include graphics such as your company logo or a photo of your clinic.
The best thing about e-mails? They’re free!
SMS Messaging
Have you considered using SMS messaging for patient confirmations and reminders?
The patient can automatically receive an SMS confirmation within seconds of booking their appointment. Furthermore, PPS can automatically schedule SMS reminders to be sent at a pre-defined time prior to the patient’s appointment.
Did you know? If a patient receives an SMS on their smartphone they can add the appointment details directly to their calendar.
This is a positive way of not only presenting an efficient professional image to the patient, but can also dramatically increase the likelihood of the client attending the appointment.
Did you know? Clinics using SMS for reminders have reduced their DNA rate by up to 30%!
An SMS costs just 6p per message. The reduction in DNAs will more than pay for these!
Electronic Billing
If you are dealing with Insurance and Referral Companies have you considered using Healthcode with PPS?
Adopting Healthcode allows you to submit invoices electronically. You can save time and money in postage, and potentially reduce the time for receiving payment.