By Eric M. White, OD
Use your practice management system and electronic records to accurately measure eyeglasses capture rate. Then make changes to increase this critical measure of profitability.
Your eyeglasses capture rate (the number of patients who fill your eyeglasses and contact lens prescriptions at your practice) is a critical measure of the profitability of your practice. It also happens to be one of the best forms of feedback you receive from patients. If your capture rate is steadily decreasing, then you know patients are reacting negatively to something in your practice. They may be finding better products or a better deal someplace else. Or, if your eyewear capture rate has been flat for the last few years, perhaps you and your staff need to do a better job selecting products and selling. If, worst of all, it is slipping, then you know some immediate changes are needed.
But before you can take steps intelligently, you have to get an accurate measurement of your capture rate. Here is how my office measures our capture rate and uses it as a basis for improvement.
Use Electronic Records or Practice Management Software
Practice management and electronic records technology have the capability to tell you what your eyeglasses capture rate is. These kinds of software systems enable users to set up reports on patient purchases and then can aggregate that information to give a total view of all patient purchases over any span of time you would like to measure–week, month, year or beyond. These reports can give you as much detail as needed. We set ours up to report in detail patients seen and amount of eyewear or contact lenses purchased. You should have been instructed during your practice management software or electronic records training on how to set up these reports, but if you have any difficulty, it is worth contacting your technology vendor helpline for a quick tutorial.
Once the reporting mechanisms are in place, make it an office protocol for either you personally or a designated staff member like your office manager to check the capture rate at least once a month (preferably much more frequently–even daily) and discuss it at staff meetings. I favor checking the rate myself on a daily basis, but the most important point is that is checked regularly, whatever the timeframe for monitoring and reporting to staff that you decide on. If you are capturing more eyeglasses sales than the previous months, it will give you the opportunity to recognize and maybe reward opticians, and if it is beginning to decrease, you can use discussion of the capture rate to brainstorm with staff ways to begin increasing sales.
Advantages to Doctor Checking Daily
I found it’s best for me to look at the daily capture rate myself to determine the per-patient revenue and capture rate for each patient. As a solo practitioner, I am able to easily check at the end of the day which patient got which products, but those in multi-doctor practices can agree with partners and associates to make it a regular routine for each doctor to input notes related to products sales (such as a patient who mentioned she was unhappy with a last purchase and now won’t buy from you or one who mentioned that she was looking for one kind of specific product such as sports eyewear) and to review what patients ended up getting and then discuss it at partner/associate meetings.
As practice leader, you are the one who makes the ultimate decision on which products to invest in and how staff is trained to reinforce the product prescriptions you dispense in the exam room. So, it is valuable to know on a daily basis how many of those prescriptions are filled by patients in your optical dispensary. These details on day-to-day sales helps me keep my pulse on the practice and to see if there are any new sales trends happening–good or bad. It takes a few minutes at the end of each day and doing so makes it easier to track the capture rate over time. Checking at the end of each month is better than not checking at all, but it becomes much more of a difficult task that way. Monthly numbers are too large, whereas daily tallies are more manageable, and at the end of the month you can easily tally the numbers and get a true account of the practice.
Doctor-Driven Dispensing: Opportunity to Discuss Advantage of Buying from Your Practice
Patients sometimes will express dissatisfaction or happiness about past purchases directly with the doctor during exams, but often will say nothing. For that reason, prescribing products from the exam room gives you the chance to talk about what patients have to gain by purchasing from you. For instance, you could point out that the exact kind of sports eyewear that you thought would benefit the patient is sold right outside the exam room, or that your office is able to provide the patient with the same kind of progressive eyeglasses you described during the exam.
If the patient still doesn’t seem convinced that your office is the place to purchase from, you can touch on some of the ways you make purchasing easier such as the ability for the patient to use CareCredit and the value frame and lens packages you offer. For example, we always give a great discount for multiple pairs because I know I have gotten a great deal from my lab–usually 50 percent off for multiple pairs.
Prepare Staff for Patient Who Wants Prescription Printed Out
Despite your best efforts in the exam room, some patients will still ask opticians on their way out the door to print out their prescription. The patient is entitled to that information, but before handing it to them, train staff to review your value options and payment plans and explain your value proposition–that you stand behind the quality of your eyeglasses. If you offer a generous warranty policy that you know large discount retail chains do not, have staff mention that as well.
Staff members who have a comprehensive understanding of your products will be able to give patients a compelling case to stick with you to make a purchase, so ensure your staff is well educated by your vendors on each of the products you sell.
Make Use of Pre-Prepared Marketing Materials
Doctor driven dispensing takes time in the exam chair to explain the “why’s” of the patient’s prescribed eyewear. An informed patient is going to be more apt to listen to you if you explain the benefits to them. Transitions makes online and print versions of its eyeglasses guide, which has been invaluable to us in explaining to patients why adaptive lenses are worth investing in. In addition, our online eyeglasses guide offers a self-quiz that also helps pre-set patients for the education on products I present. Many patients look up our office online before coming in for their appointment–often before even making their first appointment–so having information about the products that are available to them predisposes them to purchase from us.
Increase Eyeglasses Capture Rate: Action Plan
Frequently check capture rate to keep your finger on the pulse of the practice. I recommend daily monitoring by the practice owner him- or herself.
Prescribe from the exam chair. Explain what you’re doing and why. Explaining the “why” behind your prescription will also cue the patient to the value of what your practice can sell to them.
Make sure the patient sees the benefit to them of purchasing from you versus a large retailer. If you offer value packages and payment plans like CareCredit, mention it, along with your quality guarantee and any warranties you provide.
The hand-off is crucial to the capture. The patient needs to hear again what you are prescribing and why. Educate your staff well enough that they are as conversant about your products as you are.
Resell the product they got when they pick it up. Tellpatients why they spent their money wisely. This reminder combined with a hopefully positive product experience will pre-set them to buy more products from you at their next visit.
Related ROB Articles
Get 360-Degree Feedback from Patients
Ask Patients Detailed Lifestyle Questions…Then Select Best Lens Options
Institute a Pricing Strategy to Maximize Profitability
Eric M. White, OD, is the owner of Complete Family Vision Care in San Diego, Calif. Complete Family Vision Care was named 2013 Transitions Academy Practice of the Year. To contact Dr. White: Emwhiteod@aol.com.
