Where can I find good local art to decorate our walls?
This is one of those areas where the reward will reflect the effort. Eisenbrei Plaza Optical in Canton, OH, was facing a similar challenge and decided to confront it with a clever campaign they called #EyesOnArt. “The talent pool of local artists in Canton is deep and our team sought them out by visiting local galleries and by reaching out to some on social media,” explained owner Mark Eisenbrei. The store currently has the work of four artists on display, many of which draw inspiration from the local area. The works, says Eisenbrei, have breathed fresh life into the 55-year-old business, while also underscoring its local credentials. All proceeds from any art sold go to the artist.
Re-dos have surged at our practice and it’s mostly because of doctor error. It seems like in today’s world of automation and insurance, docs have little incentive to take their time. I appreciate refractions have become more complicated but what can we do to cut down on re-dos?
You have good cause to be worried. The typical American practice is losing nearly $10,000 in labor costs due to lab re-dos (based on 2,000 exams per year). And then there is the impact on the patient’s confidence in your practice and the morale of staff when a patient complains. These figures from Hoya show doctors account for about half the issues (slightly higher in an ophthalmology practice due to post-operative situations) with the rest generally due to fit, patient satisfaction, the lab and AR warrantees. Take-away? Yes, docs make errors, but so does everyone in this part of the business. That means everyone has to work better together to lower the rate of remakes. A good system includes checklists, increased training, and doing the proper homework (does the patient, for example, have a history of making complaints? Is this their first pair of multifocals? How big an adjustment to an RX is an old patient going to be able to adapt to?) Hoya provides a handy list of its “Top 10 Things to Do to Avoid Remakes,” find it here: invmag.us/10180.
How do I get better at verbal comebacks?
We have a lot of fun collecting such imagined retorts for our Woulda Coulda column but there’s a reason we call it Woulda instead of Whatdya — there’s not a lot to be gained from liberally dispensing withering put-downs. As one of our Brain Squad regulars puts it, “Don’t spend a lot of time trying to think of one-liner comebacks to zing your customers with. That kinda stuff just makes you bitter.” Too true.
I still struggle with finding ways to do in-store events that will make a difference in our community. We partnered with organizations, but it just hasn’t caught the spark I wanted. Suggestions?
Events are your chance to roll out new lines, educate, and move old stock. They drive traffic and energy and get consumers in a buying mood. They make you relevant. But, of course, they are none of those things if they don’t get people excited. Kate Peterson, CEO of Performance Concepts, says first and foremost, events have to be unique and interesting. “Look for ideas that are innovative and that have not been done a hundred times by your business or others in the area.” Second step, she says, is to be sure to sort your client list carefully with a focus on the people who are most likely to have an interest in the product you’ll be promoting. “Most importantly, make it personal. The greatest successes will come from personal outreach — phone calls, emails and follow up — not from mass mailing,” she says. Note that events tied to charities or organizations only work if the store owners, management and staff are completely committed to the cause, and if the people at the head of the charity are committed to the event. “You can’t fake it or take it half way!” she warns.
