Insights From Our Editors

How Long Have Your Patients Been Wearing the Same CL Brand?

Many of your contact lens patients may need an update on their brand of contact lenses. Some 44.5 percent of respondents to Jobson Optical Research’s 2013 Contact Lens Wearers Insight Survey say the contact lens brand they are currently wearing is the brand they have always worn regularly, while 36.8 percent say they used to wear another brand regularly, but then switched to the brand they currently wear. Some 10.3 percent say they have worn three or more brands regularly, while 4 percent report they have never been consistent about which contact lens brand they wear, and 3.6 percent don’t know how long they have been wearing their current brand of contacts.

Click HERE to purchase Jobson Optical Research’s 2013 Contact Lens Wearers Insight Survey.

Download the document named Best Practices of Contact Lens Management from the mba-ce.com web site. Use this document as the basis for an office meeting with your contact lens staff. Have them review the document and then make suggestions to improve the practice management of your contact lens practice. Prioritize their suggestions and start with the one idea that will have the greatest impact on your practice. Do that one first. When it is in-place and working well, then add the next idea that will have the greatest impact. Continue this process until you have completed your list.

Here are 20 Best Practice ideas to get you started thinking about which one will have the greatest impact on your practice.

1. Create a contact lens profit center with its own profit and loss statement.

2. Establish a gross profit margin goal for contact lenses by major segments.

3. Set goals for annual supply purchases.

4. Appoint a staff member to monitor wholesale price changes and then change retail pricing.

5. Quote annual supply pricing, including manufacturer rebates.

6. Analyze your current sales mix for the last six months, then set product mix goals.

7. Track lens usage quarterly by segment.

8. Educate staff about the unique benefits and advantages of your preferred product list.

9. Recommend daily replacement lenses to patients–even patients wearing other modalities.

10. In your case presentation, make a benefit-oriented recommendation for contact lenses.

11. Refit existing wearers in new technology lenses.

12. Recommend soft torics to patients with low astigmatism.

13. Call all new fits a week after dispensing.

14. Consolidate purchases with a single contact lens distributor.

15. Ship lenses to the patient’s workplace.

16. Enable patients to re-order lenses on the practice web site.

17. Take advantage of manufacturer offers on inventory quantities.

18. Pre-appoint patients for their next office visit.

19. Present contact lenses to everyone possible.

20. Use daily-replacement lenses to help patients see in the optical when picking out glasses.

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