I am not a mother yet, and for better or worse, that ship has most likely sailed. But I do have lots of kids in my life… nieces and nephews, friends’ children, all the random kiddos I make goofy faces at in public places. And while I’m often one of those curmudgeons who just wants to eat, fly, shop, or swim in child-free peace, I do think kids are pretty remarkable.
They are pure id. Totally free of guile and contrivance. Though many seem like masters of manipulation, at the root of everything they do there is one underlying motivation – their own pleasure. It they want, or do not want, something you will know it. (Well, at least before they hit their teens. See Robert Bell’s column on page 68.) Such a single-minded focus on one’s own enjoyment is enviable, even if they do always seem to be inexplicably … gooey.
There is a point to my musings: Kids present a unique set of challenges as patients and customers. So, we’ve dedicated this issue to dealing with those challenges.
The biggest challenge they present is that children are the patients but their parents are the decision makers. Eyecare may be the only industry where parents might consider it acceptable to send their child unaccompanied to an appointment, balk at the cost of a prescription or insist a prescription is completely unnecessary. What’s more, because of the retail component, many of these conflicts become a lot more public than they would in other healthcare establishments.
So, what’s an ECP to do? Well in this issue we have several tips, tricks, and stories to help you deal with your littlest patients; check out the Big Story on page 38. Even if that “dealing” is just a co-misery-laden chuckle (see the special feature, Tall Tales on page 53, for that.)
After all, capture the littlest eyes and you could have a patient for a literal lifetime.
Best wishes for your business,
Dee Carroll
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
dee@invisionmag.com
Five Great Tips From This Issue You Can Try Today
- Need a fun way to describe contact lenses to children?(Eye Spy, page 12)
- Have you trimmed the bacn? Your inbox will thank you. (Manager’s To-Do, page 20)
- A summer BBQ could help build your business; learn how. (Tip Sheet, page 62)
- Live and work in the same small community? Dr. Chani Miller has some advice for you. (Columns, page 66)
- Do you charge for small repair jobs? Maybe you should. (Ask INVISION, page 67)
This article originally appeared in the May 2018 edition of INVISION.