Life in the Optical Lane

"Surely makes you lose your mind, 
Life in the optical lane, 
Huh Are you with me now?"

There's a lot of ground to cover with new patients who travel to us for exceptional vision performance. Our new patient's concerns, wants, and needs are all necessary pit stops we take along the way. In the end, the goal is for everyone to celebrate in the winner's circle.

Is your practice on the right track?

On your mark, get set...

Start Your Engines

• Do your best to answer the office phone within the first three rings.

• Don't walk off from a patient to take a call without first excusing yourself. Use your common sense on which calls to accept when you are with a patient.

• Have a pleasant phone voice. Fake it if you have to. It's not the new patient's fault something mood altering happened to you right before you answered the phone. So don't take it out on them.

• When the patient calls and reserves a seat, confirm as much information as possible. Leave no room for information surprises when they show up for their appointment. Let them know in advance what they need to bring with them.

Green Flag: Accelerating

• The entire crew should do their best to refrain from and eliminate any inter-office road rage. If a crew member is constantly causing road rage, get rid of the lemon. The practice can't afford severe defects.

• Treat patients with the utmost respect.

• Keep a vision friendly practice. Not a cluttered, messy site for sore eyes.

• If you offer food or beverages, keep that area tidy and stocked or don't showcase it at all.

• Have a trunk show in the parking lot and call it tailgating.

Yellow Flag: Slowing Down

• Problem: Patients arriving late for appointment.

• Repair: Be sincere. Don't be curt with them or lay on the guilt, reschedule if absolutely necessary.

• Problem: Patients waiting more than 15 minutes (especially the ones with ADD or ADHD).

• Repair: Value your patient's time. Determine reason for delay and make adjustments to the schedule, equipment, staffing.

• Problem: Staff exhaust issues.

• Repair: Have tune up meetings to avoid staff burnout. Do whatever it takes to get positive people working in your practice. If the leaders are always negative, zip it and do whatever it takes to get out and work somewhere else.

Red Flag: Dead End Crash

• “The economy is so bad and so patients can't afford eyecare.”

• “We have tried to sell sunglasses but it doesn't ever work.”

• “I told them we could sell them a cheap pair of eyeglasses that we keep under the cabinet.”

• “I told the patient to go elsewhere and pick up a pair of dollar readers.”

• “I'm leaving in a few minutes; I hope they brought someone with them to help pick out eyewear.”

• “Her husband is our patient and he is the biggest pain, I bet she probably is too.”

• “I'm not teaching anybody how to do my job, they might take it.”

• “I bet you they aren't buying anything today, they never do.”

Driver's Seat

• Doctor takes driver's seat and patient relaxes in the passenger's seat.

• They listen and relate to each other.

• They agree on the best vision performance treatment to get to the winner's circle.

• Work orders written for spectacles, sunwear and contact lenses.

• Costs of vision repairs and maintenance are not discussed.

Pit Stop: Dispensary

• Must have ambiance to attract patients.

• Highly qualified service crew.

• Honest recommendations.

• Show and tell without overkill.

• Latest frame and lens technology.

• Work order tickets are placed.

• POP, brochures and business cards are current.

Practice Turbo Boosters

• Praise in public, criticize in private.

• Work on boosting staff morale to increase your capture rate.

• Don't automatically assume patients aren't going to purchase because of pricing.

• Patient transactions should be as painless as possible. Don't make them feel like they have to go through a college course to do business with you. Avoid the deer in the headlights look and keep it positively simple.

• It's not who you know, it's who knows you. Your present reputation determines your future growth.

• Come up with a niche to set yourself apart from other practices. Custom made chocolate business cards work well as long as you don't leave them in your car on a hot day.

Checkered Flag

• At check out the patient is automatically pre-appointed for next year.

• Patient pays their ticket.

• Thank them for their business and give them a receipt.

• Post mydratic sunglasses are dispensed.

• Make sure the patient has a designated driver if they do not feel safe driving after any procedure. Keep shrubs trimmed to avoid hindering anyone's vision going in and out of the parking area.

• Give the patient a timeline of when their eyewear will be ready. If there is going to be a delay, we need to call the patient. We dread making those calls and so we put them off which makes it worse. Just do it. Dial the number and put on your empathy hat. Most of the time they understand as long as they know you are keeping them in the loop.

Winner's Circle

• Call patient when the eyewear is ready and in flawless condition.

• Handle and present the eyewear with great care to the patient.

• Compliment them on their new look.

• Make sure frames fit properly.

• If necessary give them vision wearing instructions.

• Make sure they have a cleaning cloth and an eyewear case.

• Expressions of gratitude including hi-fives may be exchanged.

• Make follow up calls 7-10 days after dispensing.

• Make right any wrongs.

• Request referrals from patients.

Congratulations, you're a winner! I know sometimes you may think you've lost your mind by being in this business; I commend you for not switching lanes but keeping a one track mind!