QR CODES HAVE BECOME one of the handiest tools in the modern optical. Once mainly associated with pandemic-era touchless menus and forms, the little black squares are now popping up in exam rooms, on billing statements and even out at community events. Readers shared some of the ways they’re using QR codes to capture sales, streamline operations and connect with patients — sometimes in surprisingly creative ways. While many practices already use QR codes for basics like patient forms, online scheduling and Google reviews, the following six eyecare businesses found inventive new ways to put them to work.
Ocala Eye
OCALA, FL
QR codes are also helping some practices extend their patient education beyond the exam chair. According to sales director Halston Schaffer, the team at Ocala Eye has begun placing codes in exam rooms that patients can scan to learn more about conditions, treatments and recommended products. The idea is to give patients easy access to information they might otherwise forget once they leave the appointment.
The Eye Site
ALVA, OK
Sometimes the simplest use proves the most effective. The Eye Site recently added a QR code to its patient statements linking directly to online bill pay. Within the first three days after sending statements, the office received six payments on balances that had been outstanding for nearly a year, says office manager Terri Brown. “We were so excited!” The quick result convinced the team that QR codes can be a powerful nudge when it comes to getting old accounts settled.
A Proper View
WINSTON-SALEM, NC
Not every QR code has to stand on business. A Proper View added a code at the front desk linking to its Spotify playlist — “A Proper View’s Greatest Hits.” “A lot of people ask about [the music playing in the office], so eventually we made a code for it,” says eyewear stylist and CPO Kelsey Bredice. Now interested customers can scan the code and listen to the same tunes at home. It’s a small touch, but one that helps extend the practice’s personality beyond the exam room.
Eye Clinic of Wisconsin
WAUSAU, WI
Eye Clinic of Wisconsin has turned QR codes into a surprisingly effective way to keep contact lens sales in-house. Optical manager Jami Kulpinski and her team print a QR code directly on the bottom of each contact lens prescription that takes patients straight to the practice’s online ordering platform. The result: fewer patients drifting off to third-party sellers. They’re also developing QR codes for topics like “How to properly clean glasses,” warranty explanations and lens education — tools they hope will spark curiosity and starting conversations throughout the clinic.
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Specs by Kyla
ATASCADERO, CA
Kyla Skinner uses QR codes to make sure folks who happen to walk or drop by outside of office hours still have a chance to make an appointment. A code posted on the practice door links directly to online scheduling, allowing patients to book appointments on the spot. Instead of walking away with a phone number to call later, visitors can scan, scroll and secure a time while they’re standing right outside the practice.
Sights & Shades
CANANDAIGUA, NY
In one particularly playful example, QR codes have even become a form of “sneaky marketing” at Sights & Shades. Owner Jennifer Yerden creates QR code stickers and attaches them to the boutique’s mascot, Gus, during local festivals and downtown events. When people snap photos with the polar bear and later post or review the pictures, the QR code shows up in the images — directing curious viewers back to the business. tools they hope will spark curiosity and start conversations throughout the clinic.
