Success Keys to Patient Retention
		by Linda Smith Senior Consultant, Williams Group

Many optometric practitioners say patient retention is one of the biggest challenges for private practices today.  One important factor in attracting and retaining patients is to provide a high level of value for your services and products.  In other words, do patients perceive value for the services and products you provide as the same or higher than what they paid for them?  While your response may be yes, what patients perceive may be different. 

The consumer is bombarded everyday with two-for-one deals on the radio, TV, and in the newspaper and magazines.  It’s hard to compete with the marketing dollars these large companies spend on advertising.  So what is the best approach?  Do you provide the lowest price?  Many patients are willing to pay a higher fee if they perceive there is a difference and a higher value in the service or product. It’s about managing the patient’s understanding and perception of value. 

It starts with educating the patient.
If they don’t know how your practice’s services and products are different than others, then it makes sense that they won’t perceive the value in the price differential.   If you want your patients to know about these differences, you must tell them, educate them.  Educating the patient is an ongoing process throughout the practice. It begins on the telephone, in the reception area, then during pretesting, continues in the examination room, with the dispensary and continues with follow-up...

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February is Workplace Eye Health Month

FASTRACK Dates
March 9-11
April 13-15

May 18-20

This month, we ask three questions about patient retention.

Click here for survey

Last month's results

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