RETAIL OPS

No Cookie-Cutter Approach

Wish as you may, there’s no such thing when it comes to dealing with patients. Fact is you never know what’s ahead or how valuable a customer may be

it would be terrific if there was a manual that outlined how to handle every patient who walks in your door. But there’s not. Here, three different experiences with high-end patients demonstrate that while there is no cookie-cutter way to manage them, they can all be successfully managed. The key is to never assume anything.

THE KNOW-IT-ALL

You know the type…the “researcher” who knows, well, everything.

THE START: “A gentleman came in after doing much research about options,” begins Pat Kuhl, LDO, of Eye Care Optical in Montgomery, OH. “We spent time discussing different options and how they would benefit his needs. He decided on a quality frame and premium PALs.”

THE CLOSE: “The total price was $925 plus tax,” Kuhl recalls. “The patient reared back and said, ‘Are you kidding me?’ With no apology or defensiveness in my voice, I replied, ‘No, not at all. If fact, many are surprised that our prices for premium quality are very competitive, even less than most other optical businesses.’ When his expression changed, I asked, ‘Will you be taking care of the fees today with cash, credit card, or check?’ He simply handed me his credit card.”

THE LESSON: “Never assume that a surprise at the price is because it’s too high,” Kuhl says. “If you do, it draws apology for what should not be apologized for…providing a valuable service and product.”

THE SURPRISE

You’ve had some of these…the client who is the hidden surprise.

THE START: “I was working with a patient and his wife, and they were having a nice time buying state-of-the-art frames, high-definition lenses, the works,” says Richard Rubin, LDO, optical manager of The Eye Center in Pembroke Pines, FL.

THE CLOSE: “He gave me his credit card, and it turns out my stockbroker is his partner. His side of the business is insurance, so now when he gets insurances that we accept, he recommends us.”

THE LESSON: Look beyond the ECP-eyewear client relationship and you may see a bigger picture. “You never know where a transaction may lead,” says Rubin.

THE DIFFICULT PATIENT

When you discover that the tough cookie can be turned into a delighted and delightful one.

THE START: “My coworker was struggling with helping a very stiff gentleman who was having a difficult time engaging with us,” recalls Milena Espinosa Dumas, LDO, manager of SEE Eyewear in Winter Park, FL. “He was no small talk, just the necessary exchange, but we finally were ready to close the multiple-pairs sale…and felt trust set in.”

THE CLOSE: “When completing his file and asking for pertinent information, he paused and said, ‘By the way, I have scoliosis,’” Dumas says. “We all wondered why he wanted to share this unrelated information. Suddenly he giggled, followed by, ‘Uhh, I meant astigmatism.’”

THE LESSON: “His initial resistance was fear in disguise. Tongue-in-cheek, I wished him well with his ‘scoliosis’ and said how much better it was to have a little astigmatism instead. He now shops with us often, and we have our little internal joke.”

— Karlen McLean