CUSTOMER EXPERIENCEPolished Hand-Off
Twice a year the team at Uptown Eyes Eyewear Gallery in Fayetteville, AR, meets for a “Polish,” time dedicated to role-playing every scenario of patient care that allows staff to brainstorm a better experience for patients. “One great addition that has come out of our Polish is our in-exam room hand-off between doctor and optician,” says owner Megan Baureis.
CUSTOMER CARESome Don’t Like It Hot
Like children or bags of frozen shrimp, eyewear shouldn’t be left in your car on hot days. Although it’s easy to forget them in those built-in holders that sit between the rearview mirror and the roof, don’t. “To avoid crazing your AR or melting your frames, try to take your eyewear with you,” says sales rep Graham Haak in a Facebook post. It’s a good reminder to pass on to your patients during these dog days.
SALESWhich Means…
Two of the most powerful words you can add to any sales presentation are “which means …” when delivered after a product feature has been identified. “You can add these words verbally, or you can add them silently, but this habit will bridge you into language the customer can see in their mind,” says Wizard of Ads Roy H. Williams in his weekly marketing column. Williams offers this example: “This blade is made of Maxamet steel, which means you’ll never have to sharpen it.” Fill in your own vision-related example.
MANAGEMENTDecision Hour
Once a week, spend an hour making choices. A lot of things masquerading as “things you have to work on” are really decisions you need to make, notes Steve Chandler in his book Time Warrior. Many can be made now; the notion that you need more info is often just avoidance.
STRATEGY“How” Is the Enemy
Something all true entrepreneurs know: “How” is the enemy. “We always want to know how things will happen,” says Claudia Azula, podcaster and co-author of the Power of No. “But how is the enemy because it blocks the possibilities that open up when we are willing to not know. When you don’t know about tomorrow…[you] focus on doing your best today.”
TECHNOLOGYRoster with Ease
Looking for a tool to make rostering easier? The team at Focus Eye Care in Hackensack, NJ, recommends the ‘WhenIWork’ app. “This tool lets us post staff schedules right to their phones,” says co-owner Vlad Cordero.