Don’t Press Pause
The number of new COVID-19 cases reported in the U.S. jumped nearly 1,000 cases since our last post. For many of you, that means most patient interaction is on hold. That doesn’t, however, mean your entire business needs to be as well. In other words, don’t just press the pause button. Press reset instead.
Tip: Most patient interaction is on hold, but don’t just press the pause button. Press reflect + reset instead.
Simply put, now is the time to both reflect on and train for tomorrow. Retail guru Bob Phibbs (www.retaildoc.com), puts it this way. “You can’t market your way out of this with a coupon. You’ll have to discover where you fit into the [optical] world. Wellness is going to be a huge theme for the rest of the year.”
That’s definitely a plus for eyecare, but the next question he poses isn’t so easy. “How,” he asks, “are you going to care for fragile customers whose world was turned upside down?”
In order to answer these all-important questions, you need to consider taking several steps. First, reflect on who you are. Second, reset by deciding what and where you want to be when the dust settles. And, three, train staff now for what they need to know when the pandemic is over.
Reflect + Reset
Remember that wellness is going to be a key driver. With that in mind, here are some fundamental questions to ask or address with staff about your business and what it stands for:
• How can you offer both comfort and care?
• How will you reach patients in these trying times?
• Are there any different values will you apply business decisions?
• How can you help patients feel safe?
• How will their merchandise + service wants change in the short term?
• Should you recreate and deliver a revised branded experience?
• How can you communicate the wellness message beyond current patients?
• Should you change or tweak your messaging and social media strategies?
• Should you consider new procedures, technologies or safeguards to make patients feel safe?
TRAIN + COMMUNICATE
Take this time out to educate staff and refresh their training. There are a lot of options out there, including some from the AOA (aoa.org).
And, don’t miss the current series of webinars being offered by Shamir. Some are ABO-approved and others provide fresh, not-to-be-missed insights. Be sure to check https://www.shamirlens.com/webinars as offerings will be updated each week.
This week’s classes? Four ABO courses, including “What is Your Passion Pair?” and “Near to Intermediate Lenses,” along with several product-specific webinars like “Shamir Computer™ & WorkSpace™” and “Shamir Autograph Intelligence™ & Shamir Glacier PLUS™ UV.”
Continue to check the Shamir website, as new class schedules will be posted regularly.
In the meantime, tell us what you have done in your practice to educate staff and rethink patient interactions? Tell us about it and share in the conversation on Facebook here.
Erinn Morgan
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