The Efficiency Fallacy

In our industry, much is made about efficiencies. We, collectively, are always trying to streamline and speed up our processes so we can see more patients in a day, generate more revenue per hour, and combat the rising tide of inflation and tariff impacts on our cost of goods.

Being efficient with our time can certainly be beneficial. The less time we waste, the more patients we can help. Efficiency can generate more revenue per staff hour, especially when you have very full schedules. But there can be a dark side to being driven by efficiency. If we don’t discuss the benefits of lens features, or take the time to ask questions of our patients, we can miss out on the opportunity to truly serve all their needs. This means less satisfied patients, and less revenue earned for the practice.

Which Lens?
Certainly, we can all gravitate to one specific progressive lens. You could build your entire business around only offering one multifocal lens option. But is this really the best way to serve your patients?  Certainly, there can be a lens design you have found to be the most versatile, but rarely is this truly the best lens for every patient. No matter how great a specific PAL is, none of them are perfect for every prescription or lifestyle need. It’s important to have a conversation with the patient to understand what their true needs are.  And not just their needs, but what they want their glasses to be, too!

Talking to a patient. Paying attention to their body language. Discussing how you can improve their vision. None of these things are fast. They aren’t efficient. But they can dramatically improve patient satisfaction, and they also generally will lead to the purchase of multiple pairs and subsequent patient interactions, which can improve efficiency in the future. Sometimes, a slow, meandering conversation needs to happen today to better help them next year.

Case In Point
I’d like to use a case study example of how “wasting time” with a patient can be beneficial. I have a patient whom I saw for the first time about four years ago.  He came in asking about a specific frame which we did not carry at that location. I showed him some similar styles from other manufacturers, but nothing was quite right for him. I told him I thought I could get my hands on the frame he wanted, but it might take some time. This first interaction probably took close to 45 minutes. 

Two weeks later, I had him come into our other location, where I had obtained the frame in question.  This visit took close to an hour. We settled on the style and the color relatively quickly, but I chatted with him about the ways in which I could improve his vision. He had only worn traditional single-vision lenses up to that time, and he was an early presbyope. After taking the time to discuss how I could improve things, he ended up getting two pairs, one as a full progressive, one as an Eyezen.

When he came in for his dispense appointment, he was so thrilled with the style and the vision, he purchased two additional pairs. He now trusted me implicitly and I was able to direct him to a couple of unique looks that spoke to him. When he returned to pick up those sunglasses, he purchased another pair!  By “wasting time” on a person who didn’t make a purchase, I showed him I cared about providing the best possible vision and style, and he ended up buying five pairs of glasses in the first six months I knew him.  

Since that time, this patient so implicitly trusts my understanding of his needs that I was able to text him in December when I got two new frames that I knew he’d love. We held them until his insurance renewed for February, and he just spent an additional $2,500 on two new pairs of glasses.  

Efficiency can also be about a long game.

Options, Options, Options
It’s a common belief that fewer choice increases capture rate. If you only offer two lenses, the patient will be less overwhelmed and will be more likely to purchase. While there may be situations where this is true (as just one example, anti-reflective coatings), there are plenty of times where offering a more personalized and individualized approach improves capture rate.  

If we step out of our industry for a moment, why do you think Apple had such great success with their custom engraving? Or, if we step into the way-back machine, the original iMac sold so well in great part due to all the color choices available. Think about your iPhone for a moment. While this has indeed become a ubiquitous and necessary piece of technology in the modern world, you’ll notice they are available in an array of colors. Even if we all put a case on the phone hiding the color, the choice of color is a critical component to the sales experience. 

This same choice of color is just as critical in the successful capture of patients into Transitions Lenses.  By offering the choice of color, and in fact by leading with the non-traditional colors, you will increase your capture rate on Transitions lenses significantly. In my practice, we have approached a 65% capture rate simply by showing every single patient the Ruby and Sapphire colors right at the start.

In addition, the various modes of Transitions are an important part of a successful capture rate. When you present Xtractive New Generation, Drivewear, and Style Mirrors, you will find more patients who are engaged and excited about the photochromic model which matches their tastes and needs.

Choice=Capture=Patient Satisfcation≠Efficient
While there are many ways in which we can streamline our practices and improve efficiencies, the space around eyewear selection, and specifically lens technologies, should not be oversimplified. By adding individualized and personalized choices, you will increase capture rate AND patient satisfaction. At the root, all of our processes should be built around optimizing the patient experience and improving their visual and stylistic outcomes.