retrospectives

Single Event…

A timeless topic from May 1987

In May 1987, EB conducted a spot survey of optometrists and opticians around the country and asked the question: What one event or set of circumstances helped your business the most?

ADVERTISING

“Increasing our Yellow Pages advertising. The ad in the latest book is 40 percent larger than the previous year's. We also placed a coupon in the back of our book. We've gotten a good response on these coupons that's spelled a 15 percent boost in patient count.”

—John Zimmerman, Texas State
Optical, Dallas

PURCHASE

“When an optician…a mile away was retiring, I decided to buy his records, inventory, and goodwill. With 4,000 names in the practitioner's patient file, I sent out a mailing to every one of them. I added about 25 percent of those patients to my own client list.”

—Curtis Walker, Crest Optical,
San Diego

IDEALISM

“It's more a rediscovering of the idealistic attitude I started out with in optometry—to serve people. During my education and stints with an ophthalmologist and another OD, I…was being forced into a mold in which I had to be detached and take care of making money. I wanted to return to my original attitude. Now I have my own practice, which has doubled in the last six months.”

—Jeffrey G. Jeruss, OD, South
Miami, Fla.

HIRING

“Hiring a general business manager in 1980 was an event that helped me and my colleagues…in a roundabout way. After about nine months, financial difficulties and employee conflicts got out of hand. We ODs were shirking our responsibilities. The help we needed was mainly within ourselves, so we…worked days, nights, and weekends to right the wrongs…fully understanding that all aspects of how your practice is run should be your prime concern.”

—Michael Weishaus, OD, Optical
World, Detroit

MOVING

“The best thing was moving from one side of the mall to the other and encountering a lot of new pedestrian traffic. In the enclosed section, we're seeing a number of new patients.”

—Jeff Goldberg, South Shore Opticians,
Valley Stream, N.Y.

COMMUNICATIONS

“For the past year, I've instituted more phone and letter contact with patients. It has paid off greatly in repeat visits and satisfaction. I call or write to check their addresses and phone numbers, offering 15 percent discounts on eyewear. I check whether they are pleased with their purchases and ask them to return for adjustments if they are not.”

—Jerry Gaspardo,
I-Pro Optical, Chicago

GROUP

“Attending optical conventions and seminars has been extremely helpful. I'm also involved with a skull group. That is, a management group of opticians, all in the same gross-revenues category, who don't compete. We meet semi-annually to discuss problems we're facing and try to help each other.”

—Marvin Schulz, Schulz
Optical, Whittier, Calif.