IcareLabs Blog

With 2020 coming to a close, one thing that seems to now be part of the lexicon going forward is a renewed interest in keeping things sanitized. While we hoped this would be over by now, it is very obvious that Covid-19 will remain with us for at least a good portion of 2021.

In the past, simply dusting frames off once a week was about all the "cleaning" we did. Times have changed and our customers are demanding more out of us regarding sanitation. This takes time that many of us do not have, but it must be done.

Luckily, thanks to technology there are more tools than ever before to sanitize your frames and high usage areas in your optical dispensary. Let's take a look at 5 great options that can get the job done quickly and easily.

One thing that isn't always at the top of everyone's list around the holidays is staying healthy. We are more focused on getting ready for the holidays and enjoying all the good cooking (myself included).

Is your practice encouraging employees to strive for healthy living instead of having that extra helping of mashed potatoes and gravy? Let's look at some easy ways to do just that along with numerous benefits that may surprise you.

Running a business and managing staff has changed a bit over the last 20 years or so. There was a time when just paying your employees a fair wage, insurance, and a safe environment to do their job was enough to keep everyone happy.

Times have changed and so have employee expectations. We’ve all seen how companies like Google offer all kinds of perks to not only draw in good people but more importantly keep up morale.

Here are a few key ideas to make working for you more fun and rewarding. By following some of these you will improve your morale and teamwork. Most of these will cost you very little out of pocket when compared to how much they can boost your team’s morale.

Customer experience has become a hot term in the retail world. There are many folks out there making a very good living helping businesses improve their overall customer experience for their customers.

With all of this, there are many who still confuse customer experience with customer service. In reality, customer service is just one part of the actual customer experience. There are 6 elements to creating a great customer experience.

In January of this year, I posted a blog hoping to draw your attention to 3 important drivers of your business to focus on in 2020. These were capture rate, retention, and increase your average sales price (ASP) per sale.

Who could have foreseen the events that have transpired in our world over the last 5 months? The COVID-19 pandemic has shaken all of us to the core. Most non-essentialbusinesses were closed down for some period of time; many for months.

The optical industry was hit as hard as any. Most offices closed to all but emergency services. Opticals were shuttered or left to just do repairs and adjustments. Overall the industry saw up to an 85% reduction in sales. We are coming back strong but still learning to live in the new normal. While we could debate whether all of this caution was warranted or not, the facts remain, we all lost sales. Increasing your optical capture rate has never been more important than now.

Thankfully, many of you have reopened and have started doing business in this new normal Covid-19 world we find ourselves in now. We are strong and resilient and will recover from this, but things have changed. As 2019 closed out our economy was booming. We were seeing some of the lowest unemployment levels in history, consumer confidence was high, and all was good. Then along came this virus and everything has changed.

Unemployment is at 15% and many believe it is closer to 20% with those on temporary furlough included. The consumer confidence index crashed in April to its lowest point in 6 years. We are starting to hear from a sizable group of economists that we have already entered a recession. In this politically polarized world we live in I am not sure just what to believe. I do think we all can agree that our consumers have to be shaken. Even those not affected by lay-offs or decreases in business will be a bit more conservative with their money.

How can you keep your focus on the success of your optical dispensary?

These days online reviews can make or break any business. More so for small businesses like local opticians, independent ODs,  and optical dispensaries. Of course, a bad review is something most of us strive to avoid, but how can we shift our focus on getting more of the positive reviews to be posted by all of the satisfied patients that love the new glasses you've just dispensed to them?

As optical dispensaries across America begin to open back up, it has never been more important to make sure we are all following the CDC's guidelines to protect staff and patients. This handy guide will give you the best practices for ensuring your frame offerings are disinfected.

Many practices shut down due to state and federal guidelines that helped us flatten the curve for the Covid-19 pandemic. Currently, some practices are still closed but look to be opening soon. Many have recently opened back up. Here are the American Optometric Associations suggestions for re-opening your practice while still practicing safety and social distancing guidelines.

Point-of-purchase materials are a key factor in any optical shop to help drive sales. Usually referred to as POP, there are several varieties you can choose from.

No matter which type of POP you pick, they are almost always a net positive for your dispensary. One thing is sure though, if a patient doesn't understand how a product benefits them then they are considerably less likely to purchase it.

Let's take a quick look at the common types of POP and the best ways to utilize them to help increase your optical sales.