A Buckeye native, Dr. Craig Miller has been practicing in the greater Columbus, OH, area since 2004. A firm believer in the medical model of eyecare, in 2010, he became the owner of Gahanna Vision Center. In 2012, he merged with the German Village-based practice of Dr. David Waite and rebranded collectively as Eye Columbus. Recognized as one of the most successful growing practices in the country, they’ve earned the “Best in Columbus” award for the past three years.
- He’s clearly got all the necessary creds … graduated from Pennsylvania College of Optometry, board certified, prestigious residencies and internships, leader of a practice offering full scope optometry with training in ocular disease, pediatrics, sports vision and Lasik … but what’s more, he has a passion for the business of eyecare, a knack for social media few ODs have mastered and a kickass sense of humor.
- My secret weapon for ensuring a fantastic patient experience is efficiency! I learned very quickly that patients don’t want to hang out with us for hours. People are busy. They’re taking time out of their day to come see us, so we’ve invested in technology and systems that makes sure we don’t waste their time.
- The ideal optical salesperson is entrepreneurial minded, friendly and charismatic.
- I know an appointment is going south when crying is involved.
“I’m a big fan of asking patients what they want us to “make better.” Regardless of prescription changes etc., our goal is to ultimately make how our patients see better, easier, more convenient. But sometimes, it is easy to lose focus and not prescribe something to make things better. Luckily, I have a good team that yells at me if it happens too much.”
- The book that has had the biggest effect on the way I approach the optical business is Blink by Malcom Gladwell. So much of it can be applied to running any business.
- My favorite type of patient is a happy one.
- The key to ensuring the medical side and retail side of my business work together successfully is … I’m not really sure that’s possible but I guess it’s relative to how you define success. I am always paying attention to what’s happening in the retail industry, especially in regards to marketing and branding. It changes so quickly you have to be aware of what’s relevant today.
- If I met someone on his very first day as an optometrist, I’d tell him congrats! Now that you know how to be an optometrist, all that’s left is to learn is everything!
- My advice for ODs just starting out is to be different and do that better than everyone else.
This article originally appeared in the September 2016 edition of GO/OD.