OCTOBER
Optician and optical manager Sheena Taff shares her checklist for not only overcoming the spooky season but also employing it as an educational theme.
It is sometimes fitting that the first month of the fourth quarter is also the spookiest of the year. The changing of the season and often rapid demise in weather can make even the smallest tasks more daunting.
Add in the unpredictability of staffing and the fatigue-inducing trek toward our sales targets, Q4 can be downright frightening. However, with solid planning and preparation, we can skip the scares of Halloween and begin our strut toward the goal line of success. —SHEENA TAFF
CONNECTION
Use Halloween as a theme to educate patients on the scary interactions that can occur between unsuspecting eyes and seasonal risks to ensure they don’t get tricked into unsafe eye health practices.
Create online campaigns to share potential vision and eye health risks like costume makeup, cosmetic contact lenses, vision-obstructing masks, fireworks, and low-light situations.
Connect with local news stations and schools to share your eyecare expertise and educate your community on what costume products to avoid.
Add seasonal decorations and spruce up window displays with new fall merchandise and posters.
As darkness arrives earlier, ensure your business is well-lit and review opening and closing safety procedures.
DEVELOPMENT
With Q4 upon us, it is time to see where the business is making strides and pinpoint areas for growth. Evaluating the statistics of the business beyond the sales figures can create a new approach to achieving goals that will have fiscal benefits without burnout.
Review year-to-date statistics. Calculate new patient percentages, track capture rates, and determine average transaction dollars month over month to identify trends.
Give your team goals for Q4 that are not purely driven by sales numbers, such as reducing time between purchases.
Review your website traffic analytics to gain insight into what clients are using to find you, and improve your search engine optimization by adding relevant keywords to your website and social media channels.
RELATIONSHIP
Cold + flu season coincides with the holiday season, so anticipate extra staffing coverage for unplanned sick days, and utilize preventive measures to avoid any hindrance to the business.
Reassess and update cold and flu protocols. Ensure staff understand sick day procedures, and provide an updated list of off-hour contact numbers.
Review sanitizing procedures, increase cleaning schedules, and stock up on personal protective equipment and cleaning supplies for the practice.
Create a schedule template for Q4 and begin the hiring process for additional coverage to handle longer hours, higher patient volumes, and additional year-end administrative tasks.
Collect time-off requests and ensure blackout dates and holiday hours are posted well in advance.
REWARDS AND RECOGNITION
Now is the perfect time to remind patients about using their insurance benefits before they expire and getting the most out of their coverage.
Review and update your accepted health insurance plans on any forward-facing client access points.
Ensure staff is well-versed in handling insurance inquiries. Create a quick reference guide, schedule peer-to-peer review time, and provide online training modules.
Track appointment booking trends. Add extra morning appointments or stagger staff breaks to optimize high-demand time frames.
During downtime, have staff personally contact clients with unused insurance. A personalized approach isn’t as easy to ignore.
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