How Bosley Sells Surgery

How Bosley Operates

Have you ever been to a medical office with no medical staff? Two out of three Bosley offices have none. That's just one of the things you might not expect...

THE NUMBERS GAME

In the 1970's Bosley became a mass marketing company so it could turn over a large number of patients.

It delegated the elective surgery to self-employed doctors so it could have less responsibility for the results.

Bosley runs the same way today but is owned by a Japanese wigmaker that uses it for an overseas profit center.

YOU ARE A SALES ‘‘MARK’’

Bosley operates like many high pressure sales companies with persuasive advertising, planned sales presentations, and bonuses and commissions.

This is evidenced by the job qualifications of employees who perform patient consultations.

BOSLEY ‘COUNSELORS’ OR ‘HAIR RESTORATION SPECIALISTS’

consultations

The initial consultation at Bosley is basically a sales presentation that may include the following:

Examining a person's scalp and assigning them a number on a balding scale - see The Problem With Norwood .
Telling them they're a good candidate for surgery (if they have any donor hair).
Showing a computer enhanced image of them with hair digitally added.
Offering them a "special" discount from an inflated price list.
Going over financing options.
At medical locations a doctor may appear to answer a few questions.
If the prospect doesn't go for surgery they are followed up with phone calls and mailers to try to persuade them to return. (Bosley keeps track of its "Closing Ratio")

THE PROBLEM WITH norwood

The Hamilton-Norwood scale (HNS) does not take into account normal hair growth cycles, temporary or treatable hair loss, diffuse thinning, or the individual differences of patients.

The Norwood scale is sometimes used as an authority for treating patients but it has shown to be unreliable.

Reliability of Hamilton-Norwood Classification, Int J. Trichology

Most of what Bosley puts out to consumers is persuasive advertising designed to generate sales leads.

MARKETING

Ads intentionally leave out negative information that could scare away potential customers.

HAIR TRANSPLANT COMPLICATION CHART

HOW BOSLEY GETS PATIENTS

CONSUMERS ARE LEFT ON THEIR OWN TO FIND REAL INFORMATION

Advice

MEDICAL ADVICE

Bosley publicly condemned Finasteride for its serious side effects and unacceptable results. It now sells monthly subscriptions for it.

BOSLEY STRIP SURGERY

After FUE was developed Bosley kept patients in the dark so it could keep selling its invasive strip removal.

A FORMER MEDICAL DIRECTOR WHO LEFT BOSLEY NOW WORKS IN ROBOTIC HT

MANUAL VS. ROBOTIC
Bosley does not possess the expensive ARTAS technology but criticizes it saying it can't match the manual skill of the doctors.

AFTER BOSLEY HAIR TRANSPLANT

INCOMPLETE RESULTS
Surgery may only be able to provide a partial result and Bosley frequently upsells patients to other treatments.

The Bosley Guarantee:
GOOD FOR BOSLEY - BAD FOR PATIENTS
The Bosley guarantee is a marketing tool that helps it with liability. Even if patients make it past the many loopholes they might not realize it doesn't compensate them for depletion of their precious donor scalp, which some might value in the $100,000s.

The guarantee does not reimburse patients for their loss of valuable donor tissue

A guarantee of results is considered unethical (i.e., prohibited, improper, potentially misleading and confusing messages marketed by hair restoration surgeons) by the ISHRS, a medical trade group.

What To Watch Out For:

ADS

Materials from Bosley contain some basic facts but are mostly one sided and designed to attract clients.

Consumers will need to look further and do their own research if they want the whole picture.

Deals/coupons/FOMO

‘‘Limited time offers’’ and convincing sales presentations are meant to encourage quick decision making and impulse buying.

Bosley endlessly offers coupons and promotions so consumers shouldn't be compelled by ‘‘special’’ deals.

Common advice from veteran HT patients is to take a year or longer to look at all your options before considering any procedure.

SALES OFFICES

Consultants will try to close the sale before the excitement wears off

They may try to schedule a patient for surgery before they see a doctor saying they can consult with one prior to the procedure.

They know considering the patient's mental, time, and travel commitments they are unlikely to back out.

STAFF

Doctors

The biggest impact on a patient will be from someone who isn't part of Bosley.

The doctors work as independent contractors and Bosley says it has no control or supervision over what they do.

This increases the importance of vetting the individual doctor as experience, skill level, and results can vary

An important part of medicine is understanding a patient's motivations and expectations.

The disconnected doctors may be unaware of the corporate advertising and promises made by salespeople that patients are relying on.

They come from various backgrounds and have a fair amount of turnover -about half the roster from five years ago are no longer there. Only two claimed to be licensed dermatologists.

Bosley gives a false impression that doctors are highly scrutinized

Surgical Team

The medical assistants carry out major parts of surgery including dissecting the donor tissue into individual grafts and implanting them in the patient.

These workers are often inexperienced, expected to perform crucial tasks for menial pay, and have a revolving hiring door as they are subject to rapid burnout and high turnover.

MEDICAL RESPONSIBILITIES

Strict sales and production quotas can mean there is little time left for follow up care unless there is something to gain from a patient.

Bosley often pays members of its surgical teams near minimum wage and they are frequently replaced.

Problems and Complaints

It has been reported that Bosley does not handle complaints well and can get defensive when issues are brought up.

Some say they experienced a sudden, cold attitude shift and were made to feel bad for questioning its proficiency.

Unsatisfied patients have been admonished that they ‘‘should have known the risks’’, advised to have additional surgeries, or told to go somewhere else.

People who take Bosley's ads seriously can be blamed for having unrealistic expectations

Bosley Review

REVIEW OF BOSLEY HAIR RESTORATION

Know Before You Go
Be prepared. Learning how Bosley runs can help you avoid an unwanted result.

On this page:

Counselors are trained to overcome people's objections to surgery

Bosley publicly condemned Finasteride but now sells it

Workers who perform major parts of surgery are paid near minimum wage

HOW BOSLEY OPERATES

(Bosley is not run like most medical clinics which can catch people off-guard)

Salespeople

WHO EXAMINE AND CONSULT WITH PROSPECTIVE PATIENTS

Most Counselors don't have any medical background or training

Ads

NOT TO BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY

Their primary purpose is to generate sales leads

Doctors

A BROKEN CHAIN

Bosley says it has no oversight of the doctors at its offices

Advice

IN IT'S OWN BEST INTEREST

Recommendations for treatments can be based on financial motives

BOSLEY ‘COUNSELORS’ OR ‘HAIR RESTORATION SPECIALISTS’

consultations

THE PROBLEM WITH norwood

Ads

Advice

The guarantee does not reimburse patients for their loss of valuable donor tissue

Bosley often pays members of its surgical teams near minimum wage and they are frequently replaced.

Not Permanent

Pages

Info

Contact

Know Before You Go Be prepared. Learning how Bosley runs can help you avoid an unwanted result.

On this page:

Counselors are trained to overcome people's objections to surgery

Bosley publicly condemned Finasteride but now sells it

Workers who perform major parts of surgery are paid near minimum wage

HOW BOSLEY OPERATES

(Bosley is not run like most medical clinics which can catch people off-guard)

Salespeople WHO EXAMINE AND CONSULT WITH PROSPECTIVE PATIENTS Most Counselors don't have any medical background or training

Ads NOT TO BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY Their primary purpose is to generate sales leads

Doctors A BROKEN CHAIN Bosley says it has no oversight of the doctors at its offices

Advice IN IT'S OWN BEST INTEREST Recommendations for treatments can be based on financial motives

BOSLEY ‘COUNSELORS’ OR ​‘HAIR RESTORATION SPECIALISTS’

consultations

THE PROBLEM WITH norwood

Ads

Advice

The guarantee does not reimburse patients for their loss of valuable donor tissue

Bosley often pays members of its surgical teams near minimum wage and they are frequently replaced.

Not Permanent

Pages

Info

Contact

Know Before You Go
Be prepared. Learning how Bosley runs can help you avoid an unwanted result.

Salespeople

WHO EXAMINE AND CONSULT WITH PROSPECTIVE PATIENTS

Most Counselors don't have any medical background or training

Ads

NOT TO BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY

Their primary purpose is to generate sales leads

Doctors

A BROKEN CHAIN

Bosley says it has no oversight of the doctors at its offices

Advice

IN IT'S OWN BEST INTEREST

Recommendations for treatments can be based on financial motives

BOSLEY ‘COUNSELORS’ OR ‘HAIR RESTORATION SPECIALISTS’