CLINICAL

  OPTICAL

AVOID BEING COMMODITIZED

USE THESE FOUR METHODS TO PERSONALIZE YOUR SERVICES

DAVE ZIEGLER, O.D.

WHEN A product or service you offer seems no different than the product or service your competition offers, it becomes a commodity to be purchased at the lowest price. This is a battleground where it is difficult to maintain profitability.

Here are four ways to differentiate your practice.

1 TARGET THE RIGHT PATIENTS

Instead of trying to be all things to all patients by joining all managed care plans, select plans that give you the best opportunity for profit. To determine whether you are losing money on certain plans, know your chair cost, which equals your annual fixed expenses (not lab bills, which are variable expenses) divided by the number of eye exams you do during a year.

Once you define your target market, realize your products won’t appeal to every patient. In other words, the customer is not always right. Only the right customer is always right.

2 BECOME THE EXPERT

Craft personalized solutions for your patients. Some examples: Explain how the specific lens you are recommending works, how the new coatings are designed to protect the eyes from high-energy blue light, how task-specific computer lenses decrease eye strain at work and how daily disposable contact lenses maximize eye health and comfort. This personalized effort makes you the expert and can foster loyalty.

3 DON’T KEEP THEM WAITING

People don’t like to wait. They’ll wait up to a point, but beyond that it becomes trouble. Realize that the mental clock in their head is more important than the watch on their wrist. After a person has waited about a minute and a half, his or her sense of time distorts. Stress to your staff how important the patient’s time is, and stay on schedule.

4 IMPROVE YOUR PERSONAL TOUCH

More than anything, your patients want to know you care about them on a personal level. This goes beyond keeping chart notes about their occupation and family life. Greet them by name. Look for ways to anticipate their needs. For example, the mom who brings in a bunch of kids and has her arms full of baby supplies appreciates the front desk staff person who helps her unload. The doctor who asks about the patient’s personal life and recommends a product that will enhance those activities is also greatly appreciated.

At my practice, we use personalized recall cards. Patients leave with a personalized styling report about the best frame for them. In addition, their glasses are delivered with a personalized report that explains all the features of their glasses. We give them a case with their name embossed on the front. These things differentiate our practice from other eye care offices.

BE DIFFERENT

Differentiation is the key to avoid commoditization. Find ways to make your patients feel they are the center of the universe, and you’ll gain their loyalty. OM

DR. ZIEGLER is a senior partner at Ziegler & Leffingwell Eyecare in Milwaukee, Wisc., and a fellow of the American Academy of Optometry. Email him at daveaziegler@gmail.com, or visit tinyurl.com/OMcomment to comment.