Repost The New OD, Optometric Management March, 2015

In today’s evolving healthcare environment, it’s become vital to separate yourself and your parctice from the crowded landscape. Utilizing proven business models from the marketplace is a great place to start.

Consider the elite hotel brands across the globe whose mission has become impeccable customer service. …This high level of doing business can become your way of doing business if you follow these simple principles

1. The Art of the Greeting – Ensure that your staff members greet patients by saying, “Welcome to (insert practice here). My name is (insert staff member’s name). How may I help you. Reminding patients where they’re receiving excellent patient care helps establish your brand.
2. Dress for Success – From the front desk to the technician, and especially in the optical center, it’s important to have a uniform or dress code.
3. The Attitude – You can’t train happy and nice and good social skills are hard to learn, too. Therefore, it’s imperative to begin with the end result in mind and hire for personality rather than job skills or experience – in certain positions.
4. Be Our Guest – Develop a culture that promotes the patient as a guest. When you pass a patient in the hallway, say hello or offer a friendly smile and make sure your staff does the same.
5. Classy Clinics – Closely monitor your physical space. Please your eyes where patients do by sitting in your waiting room, exam rooms and optical and notice everything.
6. Don’t Tell the Patient, Show Them – When you are staying at a prestigious hotel, you’re taken there by a staff member. Your staff should do the same.

Providing 5-start service is a great way to build patient loyalty and increase referrals.

Eyecare Professional, by Bob Phibbs

• DON’T leave us alone. While you may think that giving us some space is good, don’t leave us completely alone or we’ll walk away! Its too overwhelming
• DO take us by the hand (figuratively). Don’t assume that we know what we want or that we know what we’re looking at. If it’s an item we’re not familiar with buying then we need some guidance. Show us around and point things out.
• DON’T hover. While we want your guidance and your help, take the cure if we need a little space. Help us narrow down our choices first but if we want to take some time to mull it over on our own, back off or you might spook us. Its fine to check back in every few minutes to see if we need additional assistance, but don’t hover or make us feel pressured.
• DO, point out fashion trends. We don’t necessarily want to be on the cutting edge of trends…but we still want to look good and stylish. If we feel like it makes us look like Brad Pitt that matters to us. We might even want to know if it was featured in a magazine. We are vain – we just don’t make it obvious
• DON’T ask or assume our budget. If you ask for our budget, you allow us to limit ourselves. You will dumb down our choices and ultimately you’ll loose out. Show us the merchandise first, then talk price.

Usage: The more you make…the more you’ll make! It simple if you change the way you think about your business. With the Q-2100 Digital Lens System you have the capability of producing up to 90%+ of all the Rxs written in a typical practice. If you process only 15% of your lens needs on the system you will not see a huge impact. If you’re producing over 70% of your lens needs, you will be thrilled with your bottom line.

Pricing: clearLIGHT plus and sunSMART II should be near the top of your pricing structure. People often use acquisition cost to determine retail price, don’t make this mistake when pricing your new products. The digital lenses you produce in-house break this traditional model because you get to take the mark-up of the lens manufacture, the distributor and the wholesale lab. You need to make sure you capture all of this value in your pricing structure. This is not over charging, it is assigning a value to your acquisition of the new technology, the manufacturing of the lenses, the faster service, and the improved product quality.

Integration: Now that you can make it, its time to sell it! Ensure your entire practice is knowledgeable about the new products you have purchased. Everyone must understand why you chose to integrate digital lens technology into your practice and how to sell clearLIGHT advantage and sunSMART II. Your staff is key to maximizing your potential. This is not a niche product…this is a new way of doing business. Educate, reward, monitor, and reinforce your team’s commitment to this new lens technology and you will be successful.

Presenting an AR option to your patients is more important than ever with AR coating applied to nearly 30% of all lenses sold. In a survey by the Vision Council of America, 60% of all eyewear consumers have a desire to purchase an AR lens but many consumers are not even offered the choice. According to 20/20 Magazine, “improvements have reached a point where AR is not just a “nice to have” but many consider AR a necessity. Sure wearers can live without it, buy why should they?”

The patient benefits of AR coating are undeniable. By minimizing surface reflections AR coating improves vision when dealing with overhead lighting, computer screens and window glare. Vision during night driving is also improved reducing the glare of oncoming headlights. AR lenses are more cosmetically appealing for improved patient appearance. Not offering an AR option is a missed opportunity to improve patient satisfaction and even more importantly, a missed opportunity to grow your practice profitability.

Past barriers to providing an AR option such as quality, delivery time and cost, are eliminated with the in-office nanoCLEAR AR unit. Designed for use with the Q-2100 Digital Lens System, the nanoCLEAR AR unit processes lenses that are anti-reflective with a hydrophobic/oleophobic top coat in under 90-minutes. Using nano particle technology, our breakthrough design is a small table top system that easily installs in most offices. It is clean quite and automated for easy operator integration. Priced about the same as an edger, the nanoCLEAR AR unit is an affordable and profitable addition to any practice.

Capitalizing on increased photochromic sales can improve both patient satisfaction and your bottom line. According to Vision Care Product News, “the goal of every eyecare professional should be to offer the best products to all patients and photochromic lenses are high on the list of great products to offer”. Whether sold as an everyday lens or as a second pair, you can use the following tips to build your sunSMART II photochromic business.

Tip #1: Is everyone in your practice wearing photochromics? If not, they should be. A personal recommendation from someone wearing the product can go a long way in the sales process. Tell them how much you love your photochromic lenses and how they comfortably adjust to the light both indoors or out and see just how far your testimonial can go.

Tip #2: Are you recommending lenses during the eye exam? If the doctor shares a product recommendation with the patient in the exam room, they will be more likely to act on the suggestion. When the doctor is wearing the product recommended, you are almost assured a sale.

Tip #3: Are you presenting the photochromic option to everyone? Adult, mature adult, teen or child all can benefit from a photochromic lens. Make sure to always ask, “Would you like lenses that are clear indoors and darken when you are in the sun?” Or ask, “Are you concerned about eye health?” Both questions lead directly into the photochromic lens discussion increasing your chance of a sale.

Re-post: Eyecare Business June 2017, by Gary Kaschak

1. “Do you spend a lot of time on the computer?” (computer/digital eyewear)
2. “Do you drive a lot? Spend time outdoors?” (sunglasses, photochromics, etc.)
3. “Do you work in a dirty area or factory environment?” (inexpensive pair for work only)
4. “Do you watch TV in a reclined position?” (SV for this and more)
5. “Do you play an contact sports?” (sports eyewear)
6. “Did you know that everyone should have two pair…just in case?”
7. “Did you know that a pair of glasses is needed to give your eyes a break’? (for contact lens wearers)

Learn the 5 Reasons Why Offering Up Texting is Good for Your Business

by Samantha Toth Eyecare Business December

• Patient Engagement: Providing a wide range of communication channels…allows patients to connect with you in the way that fits them best.
• Patient Satisfaction: Four out of 5 patients say they prefer texting over calling their healthcare provider…
• Easy Inquiries: Encourage your patients to test your practice to easily check on the status other eyewear, update their records, or cancel appointments…
• Faster Responses: Have a patient coming into the office and need a quick answer before they arrive? Text them! It’s easy for your patients to reply when they cannot return your call.
• Mo’ Marketing: Amp up your current marketing strategy through the integration of text messaging. Have your patients opt in to promotional messaging and share current deals or educational material with the via text…

With the Q-2100 you produce digital quality lenses through a patented lens production process that utilizes digital glass molds on both the front and back surfaces of the lens.

This digital process is the only process that eliminates direct machining or polishing of either lens surface for a clarity of vision that cannot be achieved any other way.

Q-2100 digital lenses mirror the surface quality and prescription accuracy of the glass mold to an exacting tolerance.

Each digital lens is processed in premium index materials custom made to the patients finished Rx.

Dispense digital lenses to upgrade the visual clarity of every patient!

As a Q-2100 or nanoCLEAR AR system owner, you have certain lens warranties that you can pass onto your patients. These warranties carry a real value to you and your patients and can help build a long lasting customer relationship.

1. Non Adapt: Optical Dynamics offers a 6-month progressive non-adapt warranty from the date the lens is dispensed. If the patient returns their lenses for non adapt, save the lenses and you can return under warranty
2. Photochromic: Optical Dynamics offers a 6-month photochromic warranty from the date the lens is dispensed. If the patient returns their lenses for photochromic issues, save the lenses and you can return under warranty
3. Scratch: If coated with Optical Dynamics’ scratch coat (nanoXT or XTR), Optical Dynamics offers a 12-month scratch warranty from the date the lens is dispensed. If the patient returns their lenses for scratch issues, save the lenses and you can return under warranty. This warranty does not cover abuse of the lens.
4. nanoCLEAR AR: If coated with nanoCLEAR AR, Optical Dynamics offers a 12-month AR warranty from the date the lens is dispensed. The warranty covers scratching, peeling and crazing. If the patient returns their lenses for these issues, save the lenses and you can return under warranty. This warranty does not cover abuse of the lens.

In order to return under warranty, you must

1. Provide proof of the date the lens was dispensed and returned along with the reason for the return.
2. Return in groups of up to 30 pair or 32 pair photochromic (the same quantity as in a bottle of monomer).
3. Call Optical Dynamics customer service 800-587-2743 to obtain an RMA number.
4. Once the lenses are returned they will be reviewed and if they comply with the warranty standards will be replaced in like product at the warranty price.

So as a staff member, why would I want to cast lenses?

Job security: Ever think it’d be easier to just call a lab and have the lenses made? It is easy. In fact it’s so easy that pretty much anyone can do it. Making lenses requires a little more effort, but it also makes you an integral part of the transaction. The person that makes the lenses is harder to do without than the person that orders them. Making lenses in-house also makes the practice you work for more profitable!

It’s pretty cool: Do you ever think about the direct output of your efforts helping people see? You’re making something that improves their lives. You’re not just an order taker and delivery box. Some stores can’t even tell you what kind of lenses they’re selling. The corporate office or lab decides that for them and doesn’t feel the need to tell customers. If you make the lenses you’ll know more about how they behave and how they should be used. You become a more important part of your customers’ lives.

Keep it local: With economic worries and political unrest around the globe, more people are deciding they’d rather spend their time and money at local businesses. Let your customers know you’re actually MAKING their lenses at your store on equipment that’s made in the USA. If you need something out of range, our lab can probably surface it for you and it’ll still be made in the USA (we cast our own blanks in Louisville, KY and surface them in the same lab).

Differentiate yourself and the business: Remember earlier when we were talking about how easy it is to phone an order in? With Internet eyeglass retailers growing, the consumer can easily “phone in” a prescription too. It’s important to give the customer something they can’t get online, so they’ll want to come to your store. Whether it’s a quick turnaround, intimate knowledge of lenses and materials, or the fact that you’re going to personally make the lenses for the user, you have the opportunity to give your customers something a little more special. There are still lots of people that value a personal touch and want to build relationships with the businesses they frequent. Don’t underestimate the importance of those parts of the transaction.

And remember Casters Do it Better!