All communications emanating from the office bear the pen-written signature of the physician in charge, but he sees very few of them. He is not even conversant with their contents, except as he may happen to discuss the subject with his correspondence chief. It is the latter who directs the correspondence and conducts it in the name of the physician. He is the business getter of the concern. It is his duty to get prospective patients coming into the office; it is the physician’s duty to handle them after they get there, and to obtain as large a fee as possible in each instance.
CHAPTER VIII
GETTING AT FINANCIAL STATUS
While, with proper effort and organization, it is possible to ascertain in advance the financial worth of nearly every prospect in the manner already outlined, there are many instances in which this cannot be done through any of the ordinary channels. Some people conceal their occupation by writing under an assumed name on plain paper, so that an enquiry through a commercial agency will reveal nothing, except, perhaps, the statement “party unknown.”
Others will come in on the physician unheralded, without any preliminary correspondence. But, if the physician understands his business, he will get at the facts just the same as if the callers had introduced themselves with statements from their bankers showing their financial rating.
Let us imagine the case of a man who drops into the office and enquires for the doctor. The reception room girl will ask his name so that she can announce his arrival.
“The name doesn’t matter,” says the caller. “The doctor doesn’t know me.”
“Have you an appointment for any specific time?”
“No. Just dropped in to see the doctor.”