By Stuart J. Thomas, OD, and Ellen Byrum-Goad, LDO
Investing in the education of your opticians pays off for your patients and for your practice’s growth. When you deliver excellent care and stellar service, patients return and refer.
Independentoptometrists have many expenses, ranging from rent or mortgage on office space to the cost of new instrumentation and marketing. Another expense, and one of the most important, is the investment you make in your opticians’ education. Opticians are the ones, after all, who take your eyewear prescriptions and turn them into realities for patients. Without a staff of highly competent opticians who know how to educate patients about their eyewear options, where would your optical shop sales, and, more importantly, your patients’ satisfaction with your practice be? Here is a summary of how our practice invests in educating opticians so they can better serve patients.
Athens, Ga.Size of Office and Staffing Level
One location
One doctor
Six staff membersNumber of Annual Comprehensive Exams Conducted
2,500
Annual Revenues
$1.1 million
Set Certification Policy
We have put in policy that all employees must become (at the very least) ABO certified. We pay for all materials and all tests. Further, travel to and from the test site is reimbursed along with meals and lodging. Each year, the staff obtains continuing education hours at SECO; however, this past March we brought all staff to New York for The International Vision Expo East. With test costs and normal travel costs on an average year, we invest at least $1,500 per employee per year.
Know the Signs of an Ill-Prepared Optician
If staff is not prepared, you know it immediately by the number of redos you have in the optical and the number of unhappy patients (who may or may not ask for refunds). One patient in our practice repeatedly had trouble with a standard 7 x 28 trifocal. By the time the problem came to my attention, it had escalated to one very unhappy patient. The issue was, progressives are our number one lens, and the staff simply did not know the basics of how to measure for the trifocal. We have since remedied that lack of knowledge and have provided instruction on how to do this.
Tap Vendor Reps for Optician Education
When a new line of frames are put into the office, the rep for that line will do a breakfast-and-learn detailing what is special or different about their frames. Also, they talk about the demographics that the frame line should appeal to, as well as the quality measures the frames have. When a new lens is offered, we will have staff use the lens and give feedback on the lens. Also, the rep will come in to explain the lens, how it works and who it is meant for.
Over the past several years, we have seen a slowing down of new frame purchases by about 15 percent. Patients want their own frame to last longer. However, we have had enormous success with digital technology. And most of that information has come from journals that staff are required to read or from reps who represent their product while conducting educational sessions.
Include Opticians in Weekly Staff Meetings
We have a meeting for the whole staff at 8 am every Wednesday. Optical staff members report on how many frames have been sold, what positive patient experiences they have had, and how many redos we did, including a cost-to-the-practice estimate. We always let staff present their ideas, alongside ours as practice managers, so no staff member feels our way is the only way. We don’t want to influence what they say or feel. An educated staff means a staff that is knowledgeable enough to fully participate in planning your practice’s future.
Invest in Knowledgeable, Competent Opticians:
Your Action Plan
Provide ongoing training. There is always something new, whether it is a frame line, lenses or a recall method. When we have down-times, such as when the doctor is out of town, we play “fruit basket turnover,” in which two staff members have to assume the role of the other and do their job for the day. They hate it, but they gain greater respect for each other and what the other staff member does for patients each day.
As doctor and practice leader, never stop learning. Read and discuss trade journal articles. Print them out and attach memos with key points. Discuss those articles at weekly meetings.
Measure, measure, measure. Keep up with all the stats of your optical sales. You cannot manage what you do not measure. Key point indicators: revenue-per-patient, revenue-per-doctor-per-day (this will tell you who is generating recommendations and who is not) and the capture ratio. This list can go on and on–give staff members two numbers to track and present once a month.
Send a survey to every single patient. Survey all patients, andread that feedback! Share it with all staff. Products such as Demandforce make this easy.
Resources
Related ROB Articles and Videos
Invest in Optical Staff Education for Long-Term ROI
Optometric Alliances: A primary OD and Staff Education Tool
Ramp Up Staff Education by Inviting Reps to Staff Meetings
Stuart J. Thomas, OD, is the owner of Thomas Eye Center in Athens, Ga. Ellen B. Goad, LDO, is practice manager. To contact: Ellen.Goad@thomaseyecenter.com