Do You Or Don’t You: Have Extended Hours in December?

This article originally appeared in the November-December 2015 edition of INVISION.

Yes, WE Do

➤ We add Sundays from 11 to 3. Our downtown community of retailers is encouraged by the chamber of commerce to be open on Sundays to draw more holiday shoppers to Delafield. Paula Hornbeck, Eye Candy/Eye Candy Kids, Delafield, WI

➤ I often stay later the last week of the year due to flex spending and time lost for the holidays. Dr. Cynthia Sayers, EyeShop Optical, Lewis Center, OH

➤ We are in a high-end shopping center and are required to stick to their hours. Margot Lanham, Ulla Eyewear, Madison, WI

NO, WE DON’T

➤ We don’t extend our hours, but we don’t take off much time for the holidays. So many clients wait until the last minute to use their flex dollars and insurance. It’s actually a huge headache, but it’s hugely beneficial to us and them so we do it every year! Tiffany Satterly, Optique, Austin, TX

➤ As an ophthalmology practice, our patients are older and enjoy family time. They also appreciate that employees want to spend time with their family. We always close Christmas Eve and Christmas. If I don’t want to work, I’m not going to require it of my employees. Erin Pillsbury, Shasta Eye Medical Group, Redding, CA

➤ We really don’t have a surge in business during the Christmas season. Daniel Amyx, Hillmoor Optical, Port St. Lucie, FL

➤ About 13 years ago, I sat in my office at the practice twiddling my thumbs for the entire last week of the year. When my team returned after New Year’s Day, I told them I wanted to find a way we could see patients in the same amount of time throughout the year but not work that last week. So we began opening 30 minutes earlier every Monday, and take off the last week of each year. There has been no impact on our revenue, and we are all happier after a week away from each other. Dr. Ted McElroy, Vision Source Tifton, Tifton, GA

➤ We are open six days and located in downtown. Not much goes on downtown any more as far as “shopping.” Chris Hedquist, Exact Eye Care, Sioux City, IA

“Flex spending makes December very profitable. We don’t extend hours, but we do add extra exam days.” Dr. Dave Schultz, Urban Optics, San Luis Obispo, CA

➤ Our staff and their families always come first. We constantly tell our patients to tell everyone they know that their “benefits will expire” and “use your flex dollars” all December, and letting them know we will not have special hours. Diana Sims, Buena Vista Optical, Chicago, IL

➤ While we are busy toward the end of the year, we are not so busy that we need more hours. Dr. Michael Davis, Opti-Care, Eldersburg, MD

➤ We haven’t in the past, but we are looking at possibly offering sunglasses and frames at a pop-up shop. Dr. Selina McGee, Precision Vision, Edmond and Midwest City, OK