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How To Encourage Repeat Business It has been said before. “It is easier to retain the clients you have than to get new ones.” But just how do you this? There are many ways to encourage repeat business, but the best way to assure your clients will keep coming back to you is to help them understand and value the benefits of massage. Educating your clients on various important topics can easily do this. And there is no better way to educate them than using our informative Educational Handouts. I used to make copies of these forms on bright neon paper and keep them in a literature rack in my lobby. I also, made extra copies on white paper and handed them out to individual clients as the need arose. My clients were always appreciative of the information. When a client understands the physiological effects of massage, the importance of water or when and how to ice properly; they have gained knowledge of their own healing. And knowledge is power. When they see you as the person who helped them to be empowered they will more likely come back to you for treatment. We are not here to fix our clients. But when we educate our clients and work with them in their healing process then you will begin to see repeat business. Tips for Being More Professional What does it mean to be a professional massage therapist today? Does it mean you are a well-trained therapist who can perform appropriate techniques on sore muscles? That is just a start. Some other qualifications include dressing appropriately, being on time, keeping your office clean and having individual charts on each client you see. But perhaps the most important way to be professional is with the right tools (and I don’t mean your hands) – I am talking about massage office forms. Using office forms helps you gather information easier, be more organized, creates boundaries, helps you run your business more simply and even helps you get paid faster. Most therapists understand the importance of taking a health history on new clients and keeping good chart notes. But being a professional therapist can (and should) require a bit more paperwork. For instance, to create strong and clear boundaries with your clients it is important that your financial policies be in writing and that the client understands and signs them. If you plan to offer a sliding scale have it in writing. Also, have your clients understand and sign your cancellation policy. Again, this creates boundaries and makes it easier to enforce your policy if you get a no show (and we all do). Also, have forms for interacting with your client. When you can obtain information by having your clients fill out pain questionnaires etc. they will perceive you as more professional and caring (which you are, by the way); and this creates repeat business. When dealing with insurance companies, doctors, lawyers and claim adjusters office forms are essential to maintain accurate information and receive timely payments. Being professional by using office forms, not only helps your business run smoother it makes life easier. Simplicity aids stress reduction. And after all, isn’t reducing stress the goal we have for our own clients? If you are thinking of working with insurance companies (or already do) you need to know some important billing codes. I recommend you print this page and keep it handy when filling out your HICFA’s. HICFA’s are the red forms you use when billing insurance companies and can be purchased on line at many locations including massagewarehouse.com. The CPT codes are the codes you need to bill for the services you provide. For massage therapy the following codes are most commonly used. All codes are billed in 15 minute increments, (15 minutes equals 1 unit.) Therefore if you perform an hour massage you need to bill 4 units. 97124 - massage therapy In most cases 97124 is the only code you will ever need. While other codes may be available and insurance companies may pay for them, make sure you are actually providing the service you are billing for. ICD-9 codes are the diagnosis codes you will need to include on your HICFA. They are the codes that represent the symptom that you are treating. Even though massage therapists do not diagnose their clients, and these codes should be included on your physician referral, you will find it handy to know what the different codes mean. You may also need to refer to the different codes from time to time to know what you are expected to treat, if your referral only list the code and not the actual area to be treated. 307.81 headaches, tension Sprain/Strain 724.6 back strain sacroiliac (chronic) Medical codes are changed and updated from time to time. Although we attempt to provide the most current information, The Massage Garden makes no claims on the use or accuracy of the above codes or your ability to receive payment by using them.
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