Each day we enter our optical practices, it is imperative we have the same level of cleanliness and face each interaction with the same dedication that we did the first time we opened our doors during the Covid pandemic.

I recommend using these tips to create your own daily checklist. Everyone must feel comfortable and confident they are in a safe space. This can be achieved only with strict cleaning procedures.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Sheena Taff is a second-generation licensed optician at Roberts & Brown Opticians in Vancouver, Canada. Since becoming the optical boutique boss, she has evolved and grown the business and taken it to new heights. Taff is familiar with the many roles an independent practice owner and employees must undertake and wants to share tips for growing a successful practice.

WEEK 1: Steadily Sanitize.

Cleaning should never stop, and it’s not below anybody’s job duties. It is vital to not take our health or that of our patients for granted by becoming complacent.

1. Set a cleaning schedule for staff to disinfect their workspaces throughout the day. Keyboards, phones, and desks are spaces we leave and return to many times a day and where we are the most at ease, making face-touching more likely.

2. Set up a shadow system; when one person is with a customer, another staff member follows and cleans as they move through the practice. This leaves each space disinfected for the next patient without delay.

3. Hold a meeting to communicate the importance of staying consistent with these responsibilities.

WEEK 2: Stay Diligent.

The repetitive nature of cleaning can result in less diligence. People will inevitably begin to question the frequency or effort that must be put in.

1. Map out your practice into zones and rotate staff through each zone at different times of the day. It can be easy to justify skipping an area if you know you were the last person to wipe it down. 

2. Time how long it takes to do a thorough cleaning of each space and write it down. Schedule and assign the time with the area to ensure staff aren’t rushing the process.

3. Do a peer-on-peer evaluation of core cleaning procedures. If you have someone who is especially committed, consider assigning the role of “cleaning captain.”

WEEK 3: Remain Positive.

Our commitment to safety should extend beyond the scope of our job as ECPs. How we behave is visible to our community even off the clock.

1. Have a staff meeting to discuss how to safely navigate Covid in your community. You cannot control your staff’s behavior outside of business hours, yet the overall safety in the practice relies on a commitment to avoiding high-risk activities.

2. Share on social media what your business is doing to keep your patrons and patients safe. Post photos of patients wearing new glasses and a mask to increase the positive optics of wearing a mask.

3. Optical shops can be a PPE destination. Capture clients by selling face shields, masks, protective eyewear, and hand sanitizer.

WEEK 4: Create a Culture.

Boost morale with a culture of support during Covid to bond your team and community, while ensuring customer service remains excellent.

1. Mental health and stress are serious concerns. Encourage an open dialogue and post resources for your staff such as free online yoga classes, mental health hotline numbers, and financial assistance.

2. Order takeout to support local small businesses. Have a mask contest to see who can wear the best mask-and-glasses combination; give away a takeout gift card as a reward.

3. Look out for manifestations of stress among your team. Some internalize emotions and may be struggling silently. We are all in this together, and we have to take care of each other.