Don’t Raise Dental Service Fees Around the Christmas Holidays When Money is Tight

If you need to raise your fees for the services your dental office provides, avoid raising them around the Christmas holiday when most people's budgets are feeling the strain of needing to spend more on family members and friends.

No one likes increased fees, but let's face it: Services that cost a small amount to provide today can cost a much bigger amount to provide tomorrow, and the money to pay the increased fees has to come from  somewhere. However, introducing fee increases during the most expensive time of year can backfire and make patients think about finding another dental office.

A much better time for many patients is right after income tax season. Many people overpay their taxes by having more deductions taken from their paychecks than necessary in order to be sure they won't wind up having to write the government a check. Those over-payments come back in the form of tax refund checks that people generally don't factor into their budgets, which makes those refunds seem more like "free money". Buying dental services at increased prices is easier and much more likely to happen then.

Discuss your services fees with your accounting professional to determine how much you need to charge to keep your practice growing, and implement any fee schedule changes at a propitious time.