PROPER TIME TO COLLECT.
"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the
sun."--Eccle. 3: 1.
The time to collect depends to a considerable extent upon the location
and the class of patronage. In cities, as a rule, collections should be
made weekly, as many patrons move frequently, and you lose track of
them. It is proper and wise to present your bill as early after the
service is rendered as possible. Bills should be presented to working
men at the time of their regular payday. In country practice I have
found it best to send statements monthly and to require settlement
quarterly by cash or note. I have adopted this rule in a cotton country
where it was the rule to only pay the doctor once a year, if at all.
Farmers and planters can borrow money to pay the doctor as well as they
can to pay farm hands and cotton-choppers, or at least can give notes
bearing interest.
When a man consults you and commences to run down some other doctor,
require him to pay cash. He's in bad with the other fellow. Dead-beats
should never be temporized with. Don't do a man's practice in the hope
that he will pay you, when you know that he has beat the other fellow.
While every case is to a certain extent a rule unto itself, yet, there
are a few essentials that are necessary to make a success in collecting.
The two principle rules are, to keep everlastingly after them, and never
to lose their friendship. So long as you are on good terms there is
hope.
Keep your accounts collected closely. The man who carries more than
one-third of his business on his books is a business failure. Old
accounts breed knockers. Go thou to the lawyer and consider his
ways--then cinch the money.
Never employ a collector on commission. Your office girl will prove the
best collector if you have not time to attend to it yourself. In fact,
for general collecting, she will prove the best collector you can get.
Give her an honorium in addition to her salary if she makes good. At
many places the collector will be informed that the party she is seeking
is not at home, or is not in the office. Instruct her to stay until they
return, even if she finds it necessary to take her sewing along, and
spend the day. Frequently the party desired is just hiding in another
room, waiting until the collector leaves. Rather than stand the siege of
a determined collector they will sometimes pay the bill. The collector
should carry a note-book and jot down just what the debtor has to say.
This should be done in the presence of the debtor. Collectors should
always try to get something on account, even if only 25 or 50 cents. It
keeps the account alive, and helps defray expenses.
Take notes if you find it impossible to get the cash. Have them well
secured if possible. Where you cannot get security get at least two
names on the note. Two dead-beats are better on a note than one on the
books, but, better still, get the "order note" shown on another page of
this book. If you take unsecured notes have them to mature in not to
exceed thirty days. Don't overlook the fact that a married woman's note
is valueless in many states.
Frequently a debtor will promise to pay at a certain day, and then
usually fails to show up. When he makes the promise, make a note of the
time in your note-book. If he fails to keep the appointment, write him a
nice letter, something along this line:
Dear Sir:--
I am sorry that I was not in the office on the 15th. when you called to
settle your account. When we were talking about the matter the other day
I neglected to tell you that if I was not in the office when you called
you could pay the office girl, and that she would give you a receipt for
the amount.
I hope that you are well and prosperous, and that little =Mary= has fully
regained her strength.
If I am not in when you come up again, just pay the amount to the girl
and it will be all right.
Thanking you for your attention to this matter, and wishing you success,
I remain,
Yours very truly,
This will generally bring him in with many excuses and some money.