60-Day Ghost: How to handle a non-payer

it is always tough when the customer doesn't pay his bill or show up on time or follow the rules and guidelines given them. Here's a great way to maintain professionalism and let the customer know you mean business

Saves emotional energy and time when you need to enforce boundaries or communicate bad news to clients or colleagues.

Fill in the blanks to make it personal to your situation and paste it into a chat box

Act as a [your role] with excellent communication and conflict resolution skills.

I need to send an email to a client regarding [Insert Topic, e.g., a late cancellation fee/terminating therapy due to non-compliance/referring them out]. I want to be firm about my policy but remain empathetic and therapeutic in my tone.

Here are the specific details of the situation: [Insert Details Here].

My Inputs:
Act as a Clinical Practice Manager with excellent communication and conflict resolution skills. I need to send an email to a client that has have not paid my invoices for 60 days. I want to be firm about my policy but remain empathetic and therapeutic in my tone.
Here are the specific details of the situation: John came to me after he'd had an accident and needed some physiotherapy. For the first session, John had an insurance card, I explained to John that moving forward he'd have to pay for these things himself, which he agreed to.

John made three more appointments and did not pay, we just can't accept John's bookings any longer.

Draft a professional email for me to send.

Here is a draft that balances the firmness required to protect your business with the empathy expected of a healthcare provider.

It uses a "sandwich" method: acknowledging his health needs, delivering the hard news clearly based on the agreed facts, and closing with a professional call to action.

Subject: Important: Update regarding your Physiotherapy Treatment and Account Status

Dear John,

I hope you are finding some relief following your recent treatments. We have truly valued the opportunity to support your recovery process after your accident.

I am writing to address the current status of your account. As we discussed following your initial visit, when we were unable to process your insurance card, we agreed that all future sessions would be self-pay.

Since that conversation, we have provided three additional therapeutic sessions over the past six weeks. As noted during your check-ins at each of those appointments, payment was due at the time of service. Currently, these invoices have been outstanding for 60 days.

While our primary goal is always patient care, as a specialized practice, we must maintain specific administrative policies to keep our clinic running and available for all patients. Consequently, we are unable to accept any further bookings or keep future appointments on the calendar until this balance is resolved.

Action Required: Please settle the outstanding balance of [Insert Total Amount] by [Insert Date, e.g., Friday]. You can pay via:

We sincerely wish you the best in your continued recovery. If you are unable to settle this balance, we recommend seeking alternative physiotherapy care to ensure your rehabilitation continues uninterrupted.

Thank you for your understanding.

Sincerely,

[Your Name] Clinical Practice Manager [Your Clinic Name]