How to Price Online Consultations in HOF

Online consultations have become part of the routine at many clinics: a patient from another city wants to know whether the trip is worth it, a very busy person prefers to talk before coming in, a follow-up to answer questions fits into a video call. But the commercial question remains: how much should you charge for it? Charging too much drives away people who are just researching. Charging nothing turns the professional's time into a giveaway and fills the schedule with the merely curious.

This guide shows how to think about the price of a video pre-assessment based on cost, the rules for remote care and a clear policy for credit toward the plan. The values in the example are hypothetical. The law and your council's rules on telehealth must be checked before standardizing any service.

What an online consultation is and what it is not

Before the price, the scope. An online consultation in HOF has, at most, three functions:

1. Screening: understanding the concern, the history and whether the case fits what the clinic does.
2. Initial guidance: explaining how the assessment works, the stages and what to expect from the process.
3. Follow-up: questions after treatment, agreed care instructions, a conversation about the plan.

What it should not be: a procedure indication, a volume decision or a remote prescription. Those decisions depend on an in-person assessment. Write this into the service terms. See online assessment in HOF and facial assessment by photo: what to look for.

The cost of a 30-minute consultation

It looks like a simple conversation, but the cost is greater than the length of the call. Add up:

Hypothetical example: a 30-minute call, with 10 minutes of preparation and 10 of records and summary, takes up 50 minutes of the professional's time. If the clinical hour costs R$ 280.00 (hypothetical), the time cost is about R$ 233.00. Add R$ 20.00 for infrastructure and fees, and the cost exceeds R$ 250.00. A price of R$ 150.00 would cover only part of the cost; that can be acceptable as an acquisition investment, as long as it is a conscious choice and not a calculation mistake. For the basis of the math, see cost of the clinical hour in HOF and the entry on clinical hour.

Three business models

Model 1: paid consultation, no credit

The patient pays for the time and the service, and the amount does not go toward the plan. Pros: filters well, values your time, creates no pressure to close. Cons: may drive away people who are comparing and do not know the clinic yet.

Model 2: paid consultation, credited toward the plan

The patient pays and, if they sign up for the plan within a set period, the amount is credited. Pros: lowers the perceived barrier and still charges for the time of those who do not sign up. Cons: if poorly communicated, it looks like a "free consultation in disguise" and creates pressure to close. The deadline and conditions must be clear and the same for everyone.

Model 3: short free screening and full paid consultation

A 10 to 15 minute conversation, free of charge, just to see whether there is a fit, followed by a longer paid consultation. Pros: a good way in. Cons: requires discipline so that the screening does not become a full consultation for free. Define the script and the clock.

How to set the price

Instead of copying other people's prices, start from your own numbers:

1. Calculate the cost (time, infrastructure, fees) as in the table above.
2. Decide how much of the consultation is cost and how much is acquisition investment. Hypothetical example: cover 100% of the cost, or cover 60% and accept the rest as acquisition cost.
3. Watch conversion: out of every ten consultations, how many become a plan? If the conversion rate is low, the time spent on those who do not sign up is high and the price needs to reflect that.
4. Set the price and test it for 60 to 90 days.

To cross-check against other acquisition costs, see patient acquisition cost.

Reducing no-shows

Online consultations have a typical flaw: the patient forgets, the connection fails or they simply do not show up. Three simple measures:

• Prepayment or a deposit, even a small one. See reservation deposit for aesthetic procedures.
• Confirmation the day before and one hour before, with the link and instructions.
• A written rescheduling policy: minimum notice and what happens to the amount.

More details in no-shows at the HOF clinic.

How to run the consultation so it is worth the price

The patient needs to leave the call with a clear feeling: I understood the process, I know what happens at the assessment and I know the next step. A lean 30-minute script:

If the clinic uses Harmy, the online call is a good time to explain how the projection works (front photo, marking, ml per area and Before/After slider) as part of the in-person visit, without generating a simulation of the face before the assessment. The simulation only makes sense after the professional examines the patient.

Communicating the price to the patient

Give the price, what is included and the credit policy before scheduling, in the same message. Avoid surprises at the end of the call.

Common mistakes

Charging so little that the time becomes a loss. If the math shows a cost higher than the price, that is fine as long as it is a conscious acquisition decision.

Letting the consultation become a full assessment. Without control of the script, the conversation drags on and invades what should be in person.

Promising results or recommending products on the call. It is an ethical and clinical risk.

Not recording it in the patient record. The consultation is a form of care. Record the date, duration and what was advised. See electronic patient records for HOF and post-consultation follow-up.