IcareLabs Blog

We are all in the business of striving to help each patient recreate perfect vision and we always hope every patient leaves satisfied. While we know that won't always be the case, there are some key drivers that will help to achieve those lofty goals!

Every patient is different and even in patients with similar Rx's the end result for their lenses can have a wide amount of variance. This is all based upon their individual needs.

From older traditional progressives like the tried and true Varilux Comfort to newer top of the line digital progressives like the Shamir Autograph Intelligence, and even with simple single vision lenses or new technology like Eyezen single vision lenses, every patient has a wide variety of options available to them.

Here are 4 easy ways you can increase patient satisfaction at your optical dispensary:

Kodak Lens now offers 2 options to help you upgrade your office and set your practice apart from the rest with one of America's best known brands and it's Kodak Lens Corner Educational Center or the Kodak Lens Experience. 

Take advantage of the solution that best fits your practice's needs while helping drive patients through the door and give them hands on point-of purchase materials that help them understand the benefits of various lens upgrades.

Let's take a look at both options so you can see what Kodak Lens can do for your bottom line.

We all know the end of any year tends to be one of the busiest times for anyone in the optical industry. It can get a bit crazy between the holidays and patients trying to cash in their vision plans before they reset.

Now that has passed, many practices are seeing their lab bills in a new light and most likely thinking about how they can lower that bill so they can increase their bottom line without sacrificing the quality products that their patients have come to expect.

Just like your New Year's resolutions, there is no better time than the first of the year to take an objective look at what your current wholesale optical lab is doing for you and if there is any room for improvement.

Have you ever bought something solely because you had a good experience or enjoyed their product/service in the past?

You've made sure that you and your staff are educated about the many important features and benefits of high-end designer eyewear, protective lens coatings and the latest digital technologies available for your patients' ever-changing eyeglass needs. 

I remember my experience with my first pair of progressive prescription eyeglasses. I was not in the eyewear business at the time. The sign read "2 Pair for $49" and I needed new glasses. When the optician told me my shiny, new glasses would be $400, I was a bit taken aback, to say the least.

Fortunately for me, the eyecare professional was able to explain my options and the reasons for the price in a way that educated me and helped me appreciate the quality product I was getting.

So, how do you do that? How do you communicate to your patients in a way that changes their perceptions and makes them happy they came to see you?

Just in case you missed it, there's a great infographic in the March 13, 2017 issue of Vision Monday. It gives great information you can share with your patients about factors that can effect eye health. "Studies have shown that eyes are definite windows to our overall health."

Remind your patients that annual eye exams are an important key to healthy living, and that many health issues may be identified and/or predicted during their eye doctor visit.

Online Shopping on the Wild Wild Web

In the past few newsletters, we’ve included articles on how to better understand and appeal to Millennials. The hope is to provide some ideas that will help you capture some of this unique, new generation of consumers. One aspect that is important to understand is the online shopping habits of Millennials.

There’s a great article in the newest Eyecare Business Magazine that gives the latest statistics about online eyewear sales, and how Millennials have helped propel online Rx eyewear. In addition, the article gives some great advice on how to make your brick and mortar business better compete with the online eywear providers.

As you well know, being in retail business these days comes with some interesting challenges that entrepreneurs like yourself never had to consider. Today, Internet savvy consumers are doing their research before you ever get a chance to talk to them. Consumers with a desire to shop local small businesses, or those who are looking to be loyal patrons to a shop down the street are becoming harder to find as a more "global" approach sets in.

Over the past few years, several states have passed legislation relating to managed vision care. Many of these new laws prohibit managed vision care plans from mandating that the ECP must use a designated lab to make the lenses covered under the plan. This means many of our customers can now use IcareLabs for these managed vision care plans, depending on what state your practice is in!

In some states, the managed vision care plan is still entitled to set differing reimbursement rates for out-of-network supplies and services. Check with the managed vision care plan for more information.

According to The Vision Council, there have been 40 such legislative efforts, some of which were not signed into law, or died in process. Below is a summary of bills that have become law, or are currently somewhere in the legislative process. The summaries were provided by The Vision Council.

Today's Informed Consumers

The way business is being done now is very different from the way business was done even ten years ago. Today, 90% of Americans spend at least two hours a day on digital devices. When a consumer is interested in a product or service, they look it up and do research on the Internet. Don’t you? They are a more informed consumer than the customer of the past.

In doing business today, it is not just marketing campaigns with a message of, “We offer this great product, buy it”. It is about building relationships, getting the patient to be interactive with you as their eye doctor, with your staff and with the products you offer. It is necessary to inform the patient as to “Why” what you and your company offers is for them.