This phenomenon has always been fun to watch but it has rarely been more apparent than now. If you want some good fun then go on any of the closed orthodontic groups and watch the membership scramble to save a few bucks on supplies, brackets or scanners while also bemoaning the fact that customers shop for orthodontics. We humans are in almost total agreement on at least one thing:
We insist that what we BUY should be less expensive, more convenient and faster but believe what we SELL is under valued, of the highest quality and we can’t comprehend why others are not willing to pay more.
I’ve pointed this out to fellow orthodontists more than once but few see the irony. We truly believe we are above haggling for price as we beat the hell out of sales reps over pennies. This is all well and good as long as you have all the new patients and case starts you want. If however, like most orthodontists, you are struggling to fill your chairs it may be time to reassess our fixation on the old price model.
FWIW