HOW I...

Making Patients Family

An award-winning practice shares its strategies for success

The staff of Clarus Optical accepts the ECP of the Year award from Transitions Optical, Inc.

at Clarus Optical, we stand by our mission statement, which is: “To improve the quality of life for our patients by providing the finest optical care for people of all ages.” I believe we’ve found the right mix of team members, products, and industry partners to not only live our mission, but also to achieve strong results and patient satisfaction.

We decided years ago that partnering with Transitions Optical, Inc., helps our practice achieve its goals—and we continue to reap the rewards of that decision. We were nominated as a finalist for the Transitions Eyecare Practice of the Year award in 2012, and brought home the 2013 title after attending Transitions Academy in January.

We are successful at our mission for many reasons, not the least of which is that we act as a team in everything we do. I’d like to share some examples of what it’s like to be a member of the Clarus team and how we bring that feeling to our patients.

• SET GOALS. When you’re part of Clarus Optical, you’re encouraged to become a goal setter. Clarus sets yearly goals and revisits them on a quarterly, monthly, and even daily basis. Because we’re always checking on our progress, it gives us the opportunity to identify issues early on and involve more of our team members—plus it gives us a chance to make changes when necessary. We’ve had success with setting “Wildly Important Goals” at the beginning of each year. These are the goals that are most important to us and help us determine our game plan for the upcoming year.

• CONTINUOUS TRAINING. When you’re part of the Clarus Optical family, you’re given multiple opportunities to learn and experience the eyewear products we offer. I like to think our staff members are always in “training mode.”

This year, we wanted to boost knowledge among staff members and make it easier for them to give more personal recommendations concerning the Transitions family of products. So, we fitted our opticians with all three of the everyday lens products to allow them to fully experience and learn about each lens.

We also held multiple Training Days sessions in 2013, in which staff members were split up into groups so that they could work as a team to finish short tasks that revolved around various premium lens products—including digital lens technology, AR treatments, and photochromic lenses.

• COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT. Our larger Clarus family extends beyond our practice walls. We demonstrate extra dedication to our patients and their families by having our staff members spend time out in the community at health fairs, golf outings, and local fund-raisers. We like to use these events to bring attention to eye health and let the community know we’re here to help.

Our “family” approach not only leads to great business success, but to satisfied patients who refer their family and friends. You only have one chance to make a great first impression. Let the world know what sets your practice apart from the rest.

— Kimberly Manthe

Kimberly Manthe is practice administrator of Clarus Optical of Lacey, WA. The practice was named the 2013 Eyecare Practice of the Year by Transitions Optical, Inc., earlier this year.