When It Comes to Facebook Friend Requests, 65% of You Hit ‘Decline’ on Patients

Yes: 35%

• I only friend so they don’t feel offended. I greatly limit what patient see on my FB. — Haley Menge, Hi-Line Eye Care, Glasgow, MT
• Our doctor is not very active on Facebook and nothing is political, so anyone that adds him is accepted. — Kenny Meyer, OBC Insurance Billing & Credentialing Specialists, Macomb, IL
• Only patients that I actually know! I don’t think any have “friended” me until they know me well, so I’ve never run into the problem of trying to limit what they see. — Jen Heller, Pend Oreille Vision Care, Sandpoint, ID
• I have nothing to hide. — Bret Hunter, Sports Optical, Denver, CO
• I do not like to, but I do. I have decided to seldom post personal pictures. — Charlene Gordon, Family Eye Care, Monroe, LA
• It is important to me that my personal page is a place that I can connect with friends and I am open to people who are friends and are ALSO patients. I need to have a friendship outside of the office to become Facebook friends with someone. — Deborah Bosner, Northwest EyeCare Professionals, Columbus, OH
• It really depends on the patient. If I know them from other things, then yes. For example, I have patients that volunteer with the non-profit I chair. I will friend them. But if I have only had encounters with them in the office, then no. — Jenna Gilbertson, McCulley Optix Gallery, Fargo, ND
• No limit, some become friends. — Sabina Krasnov, i2ioptique, Scottsdale, AZ
• Only a very select few whom I consider family. — Frances Ann Layton, Eye Associates of South GA, Valdosta, GA
• If and when I friend a patient, they are already a real friend. — Robert M Easton Jr OD FAAO, Oakland Park, FL
• I would if they were about my age and they were likable. But, honestly, it’s never happened. — Bart Parker, OD, Vision Source-Fox Optical, Lake Worth, FL
• I live in a super small town so being in business is almost like being a celebrity; people think it’s cool to know you. It’s kind of hard to say no to people. I don’t limit what they can see. I only pretty much post pics of my cat anyway. — Jennifer Leuzzi, Mill Creek Optical, Dansville, NY
• Many long term patients have become good friends. And I don’t post anything I wouldn’t want a patient to see anyway. — Kenneth D. Boltz, OD, Dublin, OH
• Only if I know them real well. — Scott Felten, Fox Valley Family Eye Care, Little Chute, WI
• It honestly depends on the patient, but I don’t put anything on my personal FB that I wouldn’t want a patient to see so I’m happy that they want to connect. — Selina McGee, OD, Precision Vision, Edmond, OK
• Be an open book. — Steve Nelson, Eye Candy Optical, Westlake, OH
• I do very little on my personal Facebook page so it does not matter. I live in a smaller community and see people out around town all the time anyway. — Kristina Swartz, The Eye Site, Mishawaka, IN
• I don’t limit what they can see. I just make sure I don’t post things I wouldn’t tell them in person. Vacations, birthdays, kids pics … no “dirty laundry” on FB. — Andrea Schall, Armstrong Eye Care, Kittanning, PA
• A happy customer is a good customer, being friends with them is exposure for the business. No limit on what they see. — Jocelyn Anderson, National Vision Inc, Riverdale, GA
• We are a small town, and we have nothing to hide! — Angel Miller, Cynthiana Vision Center, Cynthiana, KY
• If they have gotten to a point with me where they feel they could send a friend request, then why not? I don’t put anything on my FB page that I wouldn’t feel comfortable with people seeing. — Cynthia Sayers, OD, EyeShop Optical Center, Lewis Center, OH
• Not everyone who asks is accepted as a Facebook friend; I have to know them quite well. — Ron Catterson, Clear View Optix, The Villages, FL
• No .., but if they have become friends, all is good. — Susie Phillips, Dr. Brendon Johnson, O.D., Pekin, IL
• I have been in this industry for 21 years now and have only worked at three different offices. I have patient friends that can remember when I planned my wedding over 15 years ago and when I was pregnant with both of my sons (now 11 and 13!!). Some patients have become very good friends! But I definitely have a hard think on their personality before I click the “accept request” button! — Renee Berry, Nappanee Family Eyecare, Nappanee, IN

No: 65%

• I do not personally do Facebook. — Bob McBeath, Edina Eye, Edina, MN
• It is too personal for a patient to know my private thoughts and family and friends. — Jessica Brundidge, Clarity Vision, Clayton, NC
• My personal Facebook is totally blocked, only used to get Facebook access. All interaction is done on our business Facebook. — Dave Schultz, OD, Urban Optics, San Luis Obispo, CA
• I do not accept these friend requests. I do not address it with the patient, I just ignore it. If they actually ask in person, I tell them I need to keep professional and social separate. — Michael Davis, OD, Opti-Care, Eldersburg, MD
• I’d like to keep the relationship professional. — Chris Lopez, OD, Roberts Eyecare Associates, Vestal, NY
• Many of my friends have joined my business page but not vice-versa. — Dave Goodrich, Goodrich Optical, Lansing, MI
• I do not address it. If they are not close outside of work friends I just don’t respond. Most people don’t even remember they sent the request and I feel it is good to keep an arms distance from patient friends who are not yet friend friends. — Zachary Dirks, OD, St. Peter and Belle Plaine Eyecare Centers, Saint Peter, MN
• I have accepted a few personal patient friend requests but mainly try to steer them to my business Facebook page. My personal page is a battleground of politics and religion which are like Voldemort and should not be spoken about at work. — Marc Ullman, OD, Academy Vision, Pine Beach, NJ
• Hasn’t happened yet, but I try to keep my private life, well, private. — Mark Perry, OD, Vision Health Institute, Orlando, FL
• I tell them if I am not invited to your kids birthday you are not in my personal circle. — Annette Prevaux, The Visionary Inc, Allen Park, MI
• I’ve never received one, but I struggle to leave work at work as it is, and I keep my Facebook circle very tight. — Erin D’Elia, 3 for 1 glasses, St. Catharines, ON
• I feel Facebook is very personal and only use it for family and friends. We do have a Facebook group we use to communicate with staff at work but this is a secret group that patients can’t see. We had to make it secret because patients kept requesting to join daily. Which makes us consider having a Facebook group sometimes for the practice. — Diana Canto Sims, OD, Buena Vista Optical, Chicago, IL
• Pretty sure no one ever tried, but if they did, I just wouldn’t respond. I only friend people that I consider within an inner circle and delete plenty of friend requests. — Larah Alami, OD, Hudson River Eye Care, Tarrytown and White Plains, NY
• Our office has a Facebook page. That is enough for me. — John LaShorne, Brown County Eye Care, Nashville, IN
• Luckily, I don’t usually have to address the issue as I do not have my last name on my FB page so patients cannot easily find me. I like to keep my personal and professional life separate. — Erika Tydor, OD, Shoreline Eyecare, Shoreline, WA
• No. I am way too honest on Facebook. I call it like it is and if you don’t like it then f**k off. And yes, I can cuss like a sailor when I’m pissed off. — Dennis Iadarola, OD, Center For Vision Care, Monroe, CT