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It is very easy to be distracted these days. I tried to sit down and write this month's article about 8 times. Every time that I tried, I just sat and stared. I could not get inspired to write anything. Terrible thoughts of economic gloom and doom kept me from concentrating on the task at hand. I kept wondering what you, the readers, would be interested in reading about. I wondered what would keep your attention long enough to put the reality of disappearing retirement accounts, layoffs, and foreclosures, out of your minds. I wondered what words of wisdom that I could give to snap you out of the economic doldrums. Then it hit me!
Differentiate! Yes, that's it. Differentiate! Let us explore various ways that you can differentiate your practice. What are some ways that you can set yourself apart from your competition? What are some ways that you can step up to the challenges that we are facing?
I think that one of the main things that we can do to set us apart is to realize that we have to work smarter. We may have to change our buying philosophy. We may have to change where, and who, we purchase frame and lenses from. We may want to evaluate our business hours. Our patient scheduling may need some revamping. Our staff may need some encouragement to get proactive in how they handle phone calls, pricing questions, and patient concerns. |
I think that you should offer services that others in your area may not. Does your office do frame soldering? Soldering is not that hard to learn. It is not that expensive to get started with. You will need a torch, some solder, a third-hand jig or some other type of clamping device, and some practice. There are several sources for this equipment. A list of vendors will be available at the end of this article.
I use a small butane torch. This torch is refillable with the disposable bottles of butane that you can get at the local hardware store or the local drugstore. Most frames need to be soldered at one of three areas. The areas are at the bridge where it attaches to the frame, at the eyewire where it attaches to the screw barrel or endpiece, and at the nose pad arm. You can practice on old frames that you probably have lying around the office.
Does your office sell anti-reflective coatings? Sure you do. Have you ever thought about offering anti-reflective coating removal as a service? We have all seen some of the lousy coatings that some patients come in with. Some of these lenses are so badly scratched and hazy that the patient can barely see out of them. The process of removing the majority of these coatings is relatively easy. You take the lenses out of the frames, clean them well, and soak them in your anti-reflective remover of choice for the specified time, clean and remount the lenses. Easy! You look like a champ. Charge a minimum fee for this service. This can provide the patient with a back-up pair or a pair that you can tint in office for sunglasses. A word of caution; anti-reflective coatings contain hydrofluoric acid. It should be handled with extreme care. There are anti-reflective strippers that contain the minimum amount of hydrofluoric acid to perform the job effectively. I doubt that many offices offer this service. Capitalize on that!
Evaluate the frame offerings that your office carries. Do you carry the same products that every other office offers? If so, why? Look for frames that set your office apart. You may want to bring in a line that is very edgy, or a line of value frames that can be used to make special deals or price packages. Consider bringing in some quality children's frames. This is a great practice builder. If your office gets noticed for being the place to purchase kids frames, you may reap the benefit of referrals from pediatric ophthalmologists.
Does your office offer wrap type sunglasses? This is a great way to increase business. Wrap sunglasses can be very challenging to fabricate correctly with
Rx's. There are several lens laboratories that have become proficient with wrap rx fabrication. These labs can educate you about the prescriptions that you can do in these frames, they can show you how they compensate the prescription to allow for the changes that occur to the rx when you start wrapping the frame. These laboratories have the surfacing and edging equipment to handle these challenging prescriptions. You can set yourself apart from your competition by being able to offer your patients stylish and sporty sunwear that others in your area may not be able to provide.
Talking about special lenses, there are some laboratories that are offering some very unique lenses. One of these unique lenses is the customized round seg. I know, I know, you are thinking that the round seg is not that unique. It can be though! Did you know that you can get a round seg made in polycarbonate? Did you know that you can get a round seg made into a polycarbonate Transitions Lens? You can even get a round seg made into 1.67 high index Transitions Lens! Yes, these lenses are available. They are custom made using digital surfacing technology. These round segs can be made from 10 to 45 mm round; they can even be blended if you wish. I have used these lenses in sport eyewear, wrap sunglasses, hunting eyewear, and even for the old-timer who has been wearing a glass round seg for years, and now needs a lighter, safer option. Are your competitors aware of this technology? I doubt it.
I think that you can also differentiate yourself by stepping up customer service. Do you call your patients after they have picked up their eyewear? Call them and ask them how they like the new eyewear. Ask them if there are any problems. If there are, formulate a plan to resolve any issue. Have you ever sent thank you cards? If not, what are you waiting for? Tell those patients how thankful you are that they put their trust and eyewear needs in your practice. Would it better serve your patients to open earlier than you do now? Have you offered home dispensing for your patients that have a difficult time traveling? Let your patients know that you care. This will build trust and loyalty. Are your competitors building trust and loyalty with patients? I bet that you can do it better! Do you ask your patients to refer others to your practice? Do you reward those that do? Remember, you are there for your patients; they are not there for you. Treat them like your financial future depends on it...because it does!
These are very tough times. It is going to take hard work and determination to stay financially sound. It is now that you have to differentiate your practice. Make your office THE place to purchase eyewear. Make your office the place that patients WANT to go to. Stand out from the competition. Differentiate!
Optical equipment and chemical companies I use:
http://www.hilco.com/
http://optochemicals.com/
http://bk-tools.com/
http://www.vigoroptical.com/
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