Patient Experience

The Office Experience Building a $2.5 Million Practice

By Scott Lewis, OD

Sept. 1, 2021

Your patients need the best of care from you, but they also need the best of office experiences to return every year and refer others.

We moved our physical location three times since starting the practice cold over 30 years ago. We started in 1988 with 900 sq. ft., then took over more space next door until we maxed out the production the 1,200 sq. ft. would allow. We moved to a better designed space of 3,200 sq. ft. in a building we built with additional room to rent to another medical provider.

Here is how our practice, which generates $2.5 million annually, provides an office experience that exceeds patients’ expectations.

Create a Bright, Open Space
Patients see openness and light as soon as they walk through our door. The larger office we moved into seven years ago accommodates more area for staff to work, additional exam rooms and more pretesting areas. Among our office’s standout features:

  • Floor-length windows letting in lots of light. Displays with well-lit mirrors, raised ceilings and live plants.
  • See-through countertop displays and clear glasses holders.
  • No swing doors (all exam doors slide), large exam rooms and spacious pretesting areas with tinted windows that allow patients to see through to the hall while maintaining privacy.
  • Spacious reception area that we keep uncluttered and empty of waiting patients.

We constantly hear from patients how large and comfortable our office is, and that our staff is friendly and welcoming

Maintain a Welcoming Atmosphere Despite the Ongoing Pandemic & Safety Measures
Most of our patients are happy with our increased safety protocols, which include required masking of staff and patients, symptoms check during check-in, signs throughout the office informing staff and patients of clean spaces and continued thorough cleaning. We have increased communication and assurance with our patients about what to expect, and how our safety measures reduce the chances of virus transmission. Patients also witness the cleaning of the pretesting area, thanks to our open layout.

We make sure we are still smiling with our eyes and voices to all patients, especially the children. We continue to ask questions about patients’ days, how homeschooling and new family activities are going, outdoor activities and what patients are doing with friends or family. We relate to patients on a personal level while tying that conversation into potential products they may benefit from, such as Transitions Lenses, polarized sunglasses, Eyezen lenses and blue light-blocking technology. We also talk about contact lens options and the opportunity for LASIK if a patient is a good candidate for the procedure.

Keep Patient Flow Moving
We have multiple hallways within our main suite. Our first hallway includes all pretesting equipment in “small alleys” and the entrance to our exam lanes. Once the exam is completed, the patient is exited through the back exam room door, which leads into the optical. All patients are exited through the back door to maintain patient flow.

Our practice’s second doctor sees patients in a separate suite within our office. We start a patient in the exam lane, so the patient moving to our second suite can access the equipment without being in the company of another patient.

We have one day a week when a third doctor in our office handles specialty appointments, such as medical visits, post-ops and other specialized patient visits, so the other two doctors can focus on comprehensive exams.

Prime Patients to Have a Positive Optical Shopping Experience
We have separate waiting areas for the clinic and optical. We offer a 50 percent discount on a complete second pair of eyewear, which we started doing when we first reopened our doors after the lockdown. This has encouraged purchases of other needed eyewear such as computer glasses that reduce digital eye fatigue and protect eyes from blue light.

In addition, we have our frame inventory available online, allowing patients to browse and reserve frames prior to coming in, or even while in the clinic. They can also create a “cart” (at any time with their e-mail), and when they reach our optical, the opticians are able to pull the frames they were interested in trying!

All optical products continue to be available to patients in our office’s optical, but if patients are interested in a specific brand, they are able to see what we have before entering the office. We can also order other colors or frames if available.

Our patients leave our office after having a positive experience–and with all the eyewear they need to live their best lives.

Scott Lewis, OD, is the owner of California Oaks Vision Center of Optometry, a Vision Source practice, in Murrieta, Calif. To contact: slewis@visionsource.com

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