The inevitable price of progress: handling patient concerns about rising costs with ChatGPT

It was interesting this week to get a very extensive email from my water provider, United Utilities, explaining the very considerable investment that they are making in infrastructure development over the coming years.

No big surprise that the punchline towards the end of the email was that prices would be increasing.

So, in essence, the gist of the messaging was:

1. This is how we intend to evolve and grow over the years ahead in order to maintain our standards of water delivery and;

2. This is what you are going to have to pay for it.

On the very same day, an email from a client asking for my response to a patient grumble around plan pricing increases.

My client did also send over a draft reply that had been created by her ChatGPT and asked me to run the question through my own ChatGPT, The Extreme Business Autopilot©, to compare and contrast Open AI answers.

If you think that sounds a bit crazy then you had better get ready for the changes that ChatGPT is going to make to the way in which we communicate.

If you are concerned about an end to the world of human authenticity, then I think it's important to make a distinction between messaging that does require a human touch and messaging that does not.

I've made a personal pledge that, after a few experiments driven by curiosity, I will never write a blog post generated by ChatGPT. But I make no excuse for using The Extreme Business Autopilot© to answer some of the gritty questions that I'm sent about every aspect of the business of dentistry (and it is getting more clever as I use it).

Again, we always make a note to both sense check and spell-check because Chat GPT can get things wrong – but nonetheless it can also be a priceless time saver when dealing with straightforward systems and processes.

By way, of example, I share with you below the real life grumble from the patient and my ChatGPT response and I would ask you to ponder whether you feel that the response is empathetic and adequate.

The Patient:

"I acknowledge receipt of the attached advising of an increase in my subscription of more than 10.0% from April 2025, to £19.95 per month.

Given that inflation is currently at 2.5% and CPI is 3.5%, I do feel that the scale of the increase is a little excessive, especially as in previous years it has been closer to 5%.

I do appreciate the extra pressures on business at this time due to NI increases, etc., but would hope that in future years a more modest increase, or none at all, is required.

I will stay with the practice for now as I do appreciate the level of service, but will have to consider alternatives if the scale of future increases is not of a more modest nature."

The Extreme Business Autopilot©

"Thank you for taking the time to write and share your thoughts on the upcoming subscription increase. I completely understand your concerns, and I appreciate both your loyalty to the practice and your candid feedback.

Pricing is always a tricky subject, and I assure you, we don’t take these decisions lightly. You’re absolutely right to note that previous increases have been more modest, and I can appreciate how this jump feels a little out of step with general inflation figures. The reality behind the scenes is that the costs of delivering the level of care you’ve come to expect have risen significantly in ways that aren’t always reflected in CPI – materials, compliance, staffing, and of course, ensuring we continue to attract and retain the very best clinicians and support team to look after you.

We’ve held off on steeper increases for as long as possible, but to maintain the standards of care, time, and attention that we believe every patient deserves, we’ve had to make this adjustment. What I can absolutely assure you of is that this isn’t about boosting margins—it’s about making sure we continue to offer the same level of service, with the same trusted team, in an environment where you feel looked after.

I truly appreciate you sticking with us, and I also respect your right to explore alternatives.

Our commitment to you remains unchanged: to provide exceptional care and service that justifies your investment in your health.

My hope is that, over the coming months, you’ll continue to feel the value in what we do and that this will remain the right place for you.

As ever, if there’s anything more you’d like to discuss, I’d be happy to chat. We’re always listening, and your feedback matters."

Even if it falls short of your standards, I think you will agree that a few minutes of tweaking is going to be far more efficient than having to come up with the full answer oneself.

It makes me wonder whether the original email that I received from United Utilities was created by a human or not?

You might want to set aside some time with your senior team in order to compose your own standard response to price rise grumbles – start by using your own Chat GPT and add whatever tweaks you think suit your style (members of The Extreme Business 100 have been invited to use mine).

Then make sure that everybody in the team is familiar with the transcript and that they have received the appropriate training to deal with any verbal grumbles at the front desk or in surgery.

I'm ready for my water bill to increase, along with undoubtedly plenty of other things in this Labour administration, and so it will be no surprise if my dental bills go up as well.

A warning to those who are fearful of price rises – avoidance of this issue will be very dangerous in 2025.