It’s time to take action and focus on your practice’s optical experience

Can our industry do more than one thing at a time? Can your practice? Can you? The chaos that COVID-19 has wrought would have me answer a resounding “Yes” to all three. So then, why, in many practices, is a certain segment of the practice­ — namely the optical — slowly eroding? In more and more practices, it is being threatened by big box retailers and online dispensers, while over half of the revenue in most practices still comes from the sale of glasses. The reason: Many practices are neglecting the “optical experience.”

In some offices, it seems this experience now takes a back seat to “medical optometry.” Is taking care of the medical needs of patients important for our industry, your practice and your clinical development? Of course! No sane consultant would argue otherwise. But why choose one when you can best serve your patients and your practice alike with both?

WHEN PATIENTS PRESENT

Don’t forget that the overwhelming majority of patients in most practices are presenting for a vision problem. They believe (right or wrong), this problem can be “fixed” with glasses — which often it can — but isn’t, at least not always in the same doctor’s office.

Are you as proud of your ability to get a presbyope a great-looking and great-functioning pair of glasses that have progressive lenses as you are of getting a keratoconus patient to see? If not, maybe it’s time to re-explore the value a five-star optical can bring to your practice.

When your patients complain of dry eyes, are their optical needs relegated to “second chair,” with your brain immediately going through your preferred dry eye treatment protocol? Have you invested in the latest OCT to better treat patients and not even considered updating optical displays or merchandising? Again, why not consider the best of both worlds and serve patients’ medical and refractive needs?

COVID-19 showed that you can do more than one thing at a time. Even a cliché like “spinning plates” doesn’t match how your practice pivoted daily to ensure its viability during the pandemic. While it appears that the coronavirus may be with us longer than anyone would like, the plate spinning has slowed, multiple plates have dropped and in many practices, only the “medical optometry” plate is left spinning.

GOT OPTICAL?

Bring a stellar optical back to your practice. Now. Before it, literally, is too late. Odds are, the patients who leave your practice to purchase eyewear elsewhere, be it online or at another retailer, are looking for a better experience — real or perceived — than your practice offers. Therefore, while they may continue to see you for professional care each year, winning them back as optical purchasers is infinitely harder after you lose them — even once.

Start by letting your staff know that from this day forward, the optical side of the practice will get the same focus and scrutiny as the medical side.

Budget and plan for a fixture, furniture, merchandising and inventory upgrade. Is there risk in doing this? Is there risk in spending $80,000 on a piece of diagnostic equipment? Yes, to both, but likely much less with optical.

Next, enroll your staff in customer service and sales training, available from many labs, frame vendors and elsewhere — including those outside optometry.

Finally, revisit weekly your successes with your new-found optical focus, and share wins and losses with your team.

And continue to emphasize both optical and medical services. Your practice’s long-term viability depends on it. OM

DR. GERBER is the founder of the Power Practice, a company specializing in making optometrists more profitable. Learn more at www.powerpractice.com .