Action Steps

OFFER CONVENIENCE

DON’T IGNORE TELEMEDICINE

STRENGTHEN YOUR ONLINE REPUTATION

SERVE YOUR PATIENTS!

As the title “Chief Executive Officer” implies, one of the defining characteristics of successful CEOs is their ability to execute. In a rapidly changing health care space, it’s also important for CEOs to align growth strategies with changing trends in the marketplace. Here are four trends impacting eye care worthy of our attention.

OFFER CONVENIENCE

We live in the generation of NOW! My kids, ages 9 and 11, don’t know a world where you can’t get almost anything at the touch of a button. Meet your next generation of consumers! I applaud practices that are booked weeks in advance — likely, you have done many things right to earn this level of patient demand. That said, I can’t promise that my kids (as future adults) will wait several weeks to see you. Don’t underestimate convenience as you plan.

DON’T IGNORE TELEMEDICINE

Telemedicine, the remote diagnosis and treatment of patients by means of telecommunication technology, raises strong emotions among many O.D.s who feel there is no substitute for an in-person examination. But the data support that telemedicine will continue to penetrate health care. As optometrists, the question becomes what technology do we embrace vs. what do we combat? You don’t have to like telemedicine, just don’t ignore it.

STRENGTHEN YOUR ONLINE REPUTATION

Yelp, Google reviews, Facebook, Twitter, etc. I hear offices mention they don’t like to “reward bad behavior,” so they stand firm on policies when patients complain, return eyewear, etc. I’m not suggesting there aren’t difficult patients, or that you should acquiesce to every demand, but when policies trump customer satisfaction, patients can make things very difficult. You might win some mini-battles, but with people’s propensity for posting their experiences online, combined with the volume of people seeking online reviews before making a purchase, you’ll likely lose the war. “The customer is always right” is not a fact, it’s a business strategy.

SERVE YOUR PATIENTS!

Online refractions, glasses purchased off the Internet, in-store kiosks, etc. These are things that keep O.D.s up at night. A growing segment of society is drawn to these options due to convenience, favorable prices and, sometimes, novelty. However, these attractive qualities have their limitations when customer service is lacking. As elements of eye care become increasingly commoditized, the service component becomes increasingly valuable. As an optometrist, you, alone, cannot provide great service in the mind of the patient/consumer — it must be a team effort! Make this one of your business strategies. OM

DR. VARGO serves as Optometric Practice Management Consultant for IDOC. A published author and speaker with more than 15 years clinical experience, he is now a full-time consultant advising O.D.s in all areas of practice management and optometric office operations.