You’re a Hard Working Bunch: 84% of You Do Not Close for Any Extended Breaks

No: 84%

• We used to close the entire week of Christmas for a few consecutive years. Then, we were pushed by our guests to be open. Mostly, the ones we informed in October about the planned closing. —— Ted McElroy, OD, Vision Source Tifton, Tifton, GA
• We have multiple doctors so the need to is very small. We try and help staff coordinate time off when a doctor is gone. —— Zachary Dirks, OD, St. Peter and Belle Plaine Eyecare Centers, Saint Peter, MN
• We close when needed for three-day weekends; that can include inventory, field trips, holidays, etc. We close for four days at Thanksgiving every year, that’s the longest we want to go. Any longer and there’s always a few emergency calls on the after-hours line, so it’s not like being “closed” really helps. —— Jen Heller, Pend Oreille Vision Care, Sandpoint, ID
• Patients would not like that. We keep it rolling all year long. —— Sandy Slang, Ophthalmology Associates, Cudahy, WI
• We don’t even close for lunch. With more and more medical services, patients need to know we will always take care of their needs. I also give out my cell phone and tell patients I would rather they not worry. They rarely call but when they do it’s usually a true emergency. So, the idea of closing for an extended period is never even a thought. —— Ken Boltz, OD, Kenneth D Boltz OD LLC, Dublin, OH
• People expect us to be here. Always. There are plenty of stores in our area that do take extended vacations and we always pick up business during those times. —— Harris Decker, Eye Designs of Westchester, Scarsdale, NY
• We try to keep service hours consistent. —— Robert McBeath, Edina Eye Physicians and Surgeons, Edina, MN
• Patients are trying to get in for their exams and get new glasses before the end of the year. They are using Flex Spending money. We don’t want to lose them to a big box store, so our offices remain open. We take off one or two days max for the holidays. —— Leah Johnson, Central Texas Eye Center, San Marcos, TX
• From our marketing, we have several same day emergency appointments per week and our doctor would rather pay a fill in doctor for the days that he’s gone than lose a potential client. —— Josh Bladh, Dr. Bladh OD, Diamond Bar, CA
• We have enough staff to remain open. —— Richard Kemerling, Margolis Vision, Castle Rock, CO
• The only time we close is if we are going to a convention to get CE. —— Frances Ann Layton, Eye Associates of South Georgia, Valdosta, GA
• Our patients complain when we aren’t open and how dare we close?!? —— Jill Sweig, OD, Oyster Bay Optics, Oyster Bay, NY
• Office is closed on national holidays, but stays open when I take vacation. I give paid days to opticians when I’m on vacation. Office stays open so we can still fill outside Rx, deliver Rxs, and make appointments. —— Texas L. Smith, Dr. Texas L. Smith & Associates, Citrus Heights, CA
• No, we are a very busy practice and have many walk-ins for the optical. We don’t want to lose those sales. —— Jade Kowalick, Rophie Eye Care, Dunedin, FL
• Only a day or maybe two, depending on how the days fall. —— Susie Phillips, Dr. Brendon Johnson, OD, Pekin, IL
• We don’t but are considering it. —— Diana Canto-Sims, Buena Vista Optical Boutique, Chicago, IL
• We like to be able to service the patients as they have the extended time off, we can capture that. —— Jessica Brundidge , Clarity Vision, Clayton, NC

Yes: 16%

• The best time in Florida to take time off is August and September. Took a week off in August for a staycation and went to the Keys in September. —— Julie Uram, Optical Oasis, Jupiter, FL
• It’s a very close family, God-centered business and most of the employees travel to their families. —— Laura Wright, Upstate Eyecare, Greenville, SC
• My independent boutique has a different sales rhythm than I observed in clinical opticianry. September and January are great times for me to travel. My clients! —— Elle Tatum, Island Spectacle, Bainbridge Island, WA
• Usually the week between Christmas and New Year’s. —— Leisa Lauer, Dr. H Michael Shack, Newport Beach, FL
• Since we are still pretty small, we can close for five days without it affecting business. We tried to limit these days to off-peak season. —— Amina Ebrahim, OD, D Vision Eyecare, Allen, TX
• We close the day after Thanksgiving and the day after Christmas. That is the extent of our extended closing for holidays.—— Amy Pelak, Proview Eyecare Optometry, Corona, CA
• Mostly Christmas, but only for a few days. —— Angel Miller, Cynthiana Vision Center, Cynthiana, KY
• We are closed the day after Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve. —— Scott Felten, Fox Valley Family Eye Care, Little Chute, WI
• The longest stretch of time that we close is during Thanksgiving. We close at noon the Wednesday before and obviously Thanksgiving Day. We stay open on Veteran’s Day so that we can take that “holiday” on Black Friday and are closed straight through to Monday. —— Christine Howard, Attleboro Vision Care, Attleboro, MA
• Off-season. —— Brian Finley, Island Opticians LLC, Palm Beach, FL
• I’m the owner/optician/bookkeeper/cleaning lady/lab tech, etc. My patients know I need a break occasionally and respect that. I generally try to schedule during slow months or when school is closed for breaks, when it becomes a ghost town! I also give notice to everyone who orders for two weeks before, as well as advertise. —— Jennifer Leuzzi, Mill Creek Optical, Dansville, NY
• We use days that we don’t have a full patient load for housekeeping…reorganizing frame boards, catch up on claim resubmissions, dust, dust, dust, dust. —— Meredith Hall, Miller Family Eye, Cedar Rapids, IA
• Longer paid holiday breaks allow our employees to de-stress and recharge before insurance season kicks into high gear. It’s good for morale and productivity which has a direct impact on our performance. —— Jesse Ellis , Eye Health Vision Center, North Dartmouth, MA