viewpoint

The View From the Other Side

As you give your patients clear vision, have a clear vision of what they want

FROM THE EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
Jim Thomas

What is the benefit of obsessing over the customer experience? Consider publicly traded companies. From 2007 to 2012, the 10-year cumulative return was 43% for companies considered customer experience leaders, compared with -33.9% for those companies identified as customer service “laggards.” That’s a swing of 76.9%. The cumulative return for the S&P 500 index was 14.5% through the same period. This information comes courtesy of Watermark Consulting and Forrester Research (www.forrester.com), which developed an index to measure the customer experience.

Granted, unlike publicly traded giants, optometrists don’t employ a legion of personnel to focus on customer service. But, optometric practices hold an advantage: In treating patients, O.D.s directly observe and shape the consumer’s experience each day. What Fortune 500 chief marketing officer can say the same?

Start to make real change

The foundation of providing an unparalleled customer experience is to understand the consumer view, the theme of this month’s issue of Optometric Management. As Chief Optometric Editor Scot Morris, O.D., reminds us (page 2), once we see practice processes through the consumer’s eyes, “we can start to make changes that result in greater efficiency, enjoyment and productivity.”

A logical place to start is by reviewing the eye exam process, step-by-step, as Rachael Click, O.D., explains beginning on page 22. If you ever wonder why patients sometimes become nervous, confused, inconvenienced or irritated, Dr. Click’s article may help you find answers.

One thing we know about today’s consumer is that, regardless of age, most are attached to smart devices. The picture in my mind is the party of six who sit silently at a table in a local restaurant, each fully focused on his/her cell phone. Drs. Kimberly Michel and Brian Chou use examples of how consumers use current technology to predict what they will demand from eye care in the future. See “What Will Consumers Want?” on page 18 for the authors’ six trends that will provide practices with both challenges and opportunities for growth.

The focus on you, our consumer

As we put this issue together, we were keenly aware that we were serving you, our consumer. If there is any way we can make your reading experience more valuable, don’t hesitate to contact us by visiting tinyurl.com/OMcomment. OM