They love you; they love you not.
It’s not easy being a medical professional. And, for an OD, the challenges of running an optometric practice, stocking your frame boards, and collecting on insurance claims can make it difficult to focus on pleasing your patients.
But, pat yourself on the back, because even though the industry continues to throw new challenges at you—like social distancing—many of you ODs are still going out and putting your focus on the most important aspect of your practice; your patients.
Below are seven reasons your patients love and hate your optometric practice.
Online Reviews Reveal Why Patients Love & Hate Your Optometric Practice
They Love You For:
Great Frame Selections
When you stock your frame board with reasonably priced, stylish glasses that match your patient demographics, and then educate the patient on the importance of purchasing frames from you, your patients could end up purchasing a second pair.
Fast Appointments
It’s great when your office workflow is so efficient that you can move your patient from check-in to check-out quickly. Not only will an efficient workflow make your patients happy, but it will also allow you to see more patients.
Online Patient Scheduling
Your patients are busy. A lot of the time, your office hours are their working hours and they can’t break away from their day to call your practice and schedule an appointment. And if they do and the line is busy, then you may have just lost a patient.
Online patient scheduling gives your patients the ability to schedule their appointments at any time of the day. This will help you retain your patients and also keep your exam rooms packed with happy patients.
Personalized Visits
Everyone likes being remembered. When your patients come in, make sure that everyone on your team greets the patient by their first name.
You Help Them See
When all is said and done, your patients love you most for giving them the ability to see clearly, for identifying potential problems before they arise, and for correcting any discomfort in their vision. Keep that messaging in mind.
They Dislike You Because:
Unfortunately, your patients dislike a few things about your practice. But, you’re in luck. Other than the glaucoma tests, most of the reasons that your patients dislike your practice can be fixed.
Here are a few reasons you patients may dislike coming to your optometric practice:
Outdated Equipment
You’re still using a fax machine? Update your practice with modern optometry software and equipment so you can communicate with your patients more effectively.
Inefficient Office Workflows
Sometimes, you can’t help it that you’re running a bit late. Multiple patients with bizarre and complex cases scheduled on the same day can jam your schedule. But, if your office workflow is consistently inefficient, then you need to identify and correct the bottlenecks.
If your practice is struggling to establish a consistent, streamlined office workflow, download this eBook for tips on optimizing your workflow with optometry software.
Originally published in March 2017