Additional Points to Consider

Now, a few of you may be thinking, my doctor does not finalize the prescription at the patient’s first visit and may need to be seen for a follow up. That’s okay, go ahead and calculate a price for the trial lenses as if they were an annual supply. This assists in preparing the patient for expected charges at their next visit. Some providers will give patients two sets of trials at once, while this isn’t our recommended best practice, it does happen and I want to offer some guidance on how to handle this situation. Calculate the cost for both lenses. This empowers the patient to make the best decision on what’s most important to them. There may be little cost difference and prefer the comfort of one lens over another. Or there may be a bit more cost difference, but the vision is dramatically clearer to the patient in one lens versus the other. But now, they can confidently make that decision to purchase and understand the value.

Some of you may be wondering what about the patient that walks with their prescription or says they want to shop around.

You might consider offering options to make a payment towards their balance understanding that the order cannot be processed until paid in full, but this does help break up the payments and still receive all of the benefits from your office. This allows those patients that want to do business with you and want the benefits of getting their services and products from you, they don’t have to consider competitors just because of price. After all, it’s your internal brand, your 5 STAR patient care that they are after. However, if the patient still decides not to purchase an annual supply, that’s okay! Step down to see if you can capture a six-month supply. This may be due to frequency of wear as some contact lens users only wear lenses on certain occasions. However, remain confident in the services and products you provide, knowing you offer fair and competitive pricing. Allow the patient to see the cost benefits of purchasing a year supply. Some patients may need to see this on paper. If a patient still decides not to purchase at the time of their visit, again, that’s okay. There’s a chance they might be back after realizing you’re the best option and prefer to do business with you! Or their experience may have had such an impact that they'll recommend friends and family that have insurance benefits that can be utilized at your office.

Here we’re going to reference our pricing calculator tool that you can utilize as a quote sheet. It does allow you calculate a price per box, after rebates are considered. This will give a patient the best number to compare when shopping online competitors as they refer to price per box.

If someone comes into your office with an outside prescription, don’t forget that you’re still offering your internal branded experience, your 5 STAR patient care, to the patient. Remember, it might not be the cost that drove them out of their last office. Introduce the benefits of being a patient at our office, what we refer to as the Contact Lens Success Program and program perks! This person is also the perfect client to easily convert into a patient! Ask if we can add them to our schedule when they are due for an exam next year. Don’t forget to ask about family members that are needing an eye exam, you might mention a brief bio about your doctor. This is an easy opportunity to fill your schedule and add new patients to your practice!