A question of etiquette

RE: A question of etiquette

Hi there FB - thoughts free flowing - perhaps you can consider releasing any expectations, fears of losing etc into the ether & maintain faith that your client/clients/friend will need to do what ever they need to do for there own highest good & inadvertingly yours too .
That you share your talents & phone number with the local osteopath & recommend a few peeps in that direction if necessary is great - hopefully they will return the referrals when they feel necessary. Any client that comes into our lives stay as long as their needs suit . . not ours . . . as their health is ultimatley their responsibility & must learn & choose & grow and change is often required to sustain that growth.
Please do trust - well in my humble opinion we all tend to reach those we are meant to reach - no matter how far or close they live. A client is with us for as long as they require & through them many doors often open & also from practitioners that you refer your clients to. Let it all go & be suprised at how much comes back .. ..
Not much advice but some thoughts which you may or may not wish to consider.

RE: A question of etiquette

Eloquently put Prerana.

I would say that it's more a matter of ethics than etiquette, in that it's the clients health that comes first.

One aught not refer on the basis of getting return referrals.

Equally the osteopath aught not advise treatment from someone of the same profession as yourself purely on the basis that they work in the same practice. Especially if the client is happy with your treament.

We all have to take that chance, but in doing so - others regard this as being professional. In osteopathy we say that you get more referrals from those that we don't treat (refer elsewhere).

Andrew.

RE: A question of etiquette

I agree that Pre has put it beautifully. She has that ability.;)

RE: A question of etiquette

Thanks for the feedback.

You are of course quite right about the clients health being paramount & having looked at the replies I now realise that as usual I only told half the story.

The reason why I am so concerned is that I have actually have it happen to me, where I was referred to a clinic for treatment from one practioner who then "suggested" that I try their therapist - the whole episode was a bit embarrassing for me and I didn't complete the course of treatment, now my therapist was a bit miffed - but also was concerned at how many other clients she had blithely recommended this person to had experienced the same.

At the end of the day it is the patients choice - but I'd like to think they made up their own mind.

FBx

RE: A question of etiquette

FB,

its all very well being ethical and using etiquette, but do others? i am not convinced they do and at the end of the day, we all need business. i apologise to anahata up front, as i am sure he's a good bloke, but, judging by the way osteos and chiros run their businesses down here, i am not convinced ethics comes into it much!

yes, it is the clients health and their decision and presumably they will choose what is best for them.

if he does his bit then suggests the client see his therapist, the client may not realise its not obligatory.

so i dont see why you shouldnt arrange a meet with the osteo who you would like to refer to, explaining that you have clients that you would like to refer to him because of his reputation (blah blah), but enquire whether he would be happy to reciprocate... i.e. what is the set up with him and his on site therapist?

hopefully he will be honest and say that he is duty bound to refer to the on site one (or he may not have to refer). at least that way, you can make an informed and business decision whether in fact to refer to him or find an osteo that will reciprocate with you.

as a matter of interest, anahata, if a client is referred to you and then you do your thing, do you refer them back to the original therapist (assuming there are therapists in the wirral not attached to your centre <g>)? of course, i am sure that if you were aware of a local therapist who referred clients to you regularly, if you then had a new client that needed referral, i am pretty sure you would refer within your centre, yes?

i agree with the others, IF we lived in a perfect world, but we dont!! there is no harm in you protecting your business.

RE: A question of etiquette

Ok,

I just popped in to see if my website is working now - it isn't - 2 days its been down:(

Anyway, I've had a chance to mull over the responses & I've decided to go down to the practice, explain to them that I may have client that I want to refer onto them, collect some business cards, details of their charges (I'd hate for my client to have a shock <g>) and any information leaflets they might have.

I would never refer someone on without giving them a letter to give to the practitioner to outline what treatment I'd carried out and why I felt it was necessary to refer them on. I think I may also ask them just to update when and if the treatment finishes - just for my records

Then it's down to basic trust I suppose - mind you most of my clients are friends and I'd probably get feedback from them as to what happens.

Thanks for all the feedback - it was really useful and did help me focus more.

FBx

RE: A question of etiquette

20 Q's or what? 😀

We are only responsible for our own behaviour. [:o]

That said, then if you feel that others are less than ethical, then you don't refer to them on that basis. Always wise to take into consideration more than one client view on that, as what is said and what is heard are rarely the same.

as a matter of interest, anahata, if a client is referred to you and then you do your thing, do you refer them back to the original therapist

If it's helping, then I usually advise that they continue existing treatment or may advise other treatment as well as, if appropriate, etc.

As to sending them back, then - not usually as they are better, of course! [sm=rollaugh.gif]

It's off to GP with a letter for the few that I feel need orthodox intervention or further investigation.

If someone is happy with a treatment they are having elsewhere, then I certainly don't make them feel obliged to see one of our therapists.

And.

RE: A question of etiquette

Ok, just to tie off this thread,

I grabbed the bull by the horns

but he didn't like it, so I put him down and went to see the Osteopath instead.

I was quite surprised by the welcome I got - it wasn't the principle I saw, but one of the other Osteo's. They didn't have any practice literature, so he just gave what they specialised in, which is ideal for my client and explained that they cross refer with another practice as well who do different things - bless him he then got out his book and started to give me the details of all the other Osteos in the area!!!! We had a a nice chat and he asked about me, which was nice and then we left that I would go back to my client and discuss the recommendation and if they go ahead I'll send them along with a letter.

We didn't talk about any other therapists in the clinic and I couldn't see any literature. I did check their website - but it is out of date, but they seem to have the same philosophy as myself, so I feel comfortable with that.

FBX