Concierge Optometry

Concierge service in an optometric practice isn’t an oxymoron.

At least it’s not for Socialite Vision. Adam Ramsey, O.D., owns the Palm Beach Gardens, FL, practice, whose concierge services include the exam and continue to the optical.

Its tagline, “Eye care with style,” is apropos.

How does the concierge exam work? “We do every test, use every machine,” explains Dr. Ramsey. “We let them know beforehand they’re going to be here for two hours. Then, at the end, they get a folder that tells how they did on all their tests. If they want the pictures, we email them.”

PERSONAL TOUCH

After the exam, the concierge-experience patient is also given the optical all to themselves, along with the fitting optician.

“It’s about that personal experience, individual care, consideration, and extra time,” Dr. Ramsey explains. “If someone else comes in, we have a bench outside, so we can dispense there.”

How does Socialite Vision train staff to provide this level of service?

The key is experiencing it themselves. To that end, Dr. Ramsey has taken his staff of four to Orlando twice, where they attended trade shows, “stayed at the Ritz-Carlton and the JW Marriott, and went to dinner with Dr. Ramsey at Del Frisco’s.” The point? To experience superlative service firsthand.

EXPERIENCING LUXURY

Dr. Ramsey also has taken staff members secret shopping at stores in a high-end mall near the office. Shops visited included Gucci, Hugo Boss, and Louis Vuitton to experience personal shoppers; Edward Beiner to look at eyewear; but also LensCrafters, JCPenney Optical, and Forever 21.

“The goal was to experience different levels of service,” he shares. “I explained, ‘What you expected and what you got in one store and what you expected and what you got in another is different, and it should be.’”

He did the same on a more basic level…with chicken sandwiches. “I took them to Burger King and Chick-fil-A and explained, ‘They both give you a chicken, but the service and experience are different.’”

RELATABLE TRAINING

Training is ongoing in the office, as well, and Dr. Ramsey conducts the training himself. He holds a full day of training every January, brings in videos and articles on a regular basis, and conducts one-hour training sessions every month, sometimes inviting vendors, but often not.

“There’s plenty of training for doctors,” concludes Dr. Ramsey. “What’s lacking is quality customer service training for staff. It needs to be done by making superior service relatable.” And, that’s exactly what he does.