When it comes to talking money + eyewear with patients things can sometimes get tricky. Depending on the patient this can be a conversation that is easy and just flows, the patient already has an idea as to what the prices may be and understand exactly what is going on, but let's be honest if all patient interactions went like this I would not be writing this blog right?!
I am sure you have been in the situation many times, patients come into the optical under the impression that their insurance COVERS EVERYTHING! NO CO-PAYS... but as we all know there is ALWAYS A COPAY! Now as the eyewear stylist you have to discuss $$$$ with the patient and go over their options based on their budget...
So how to deal with this scenario? โ
โ
-๐๐ฌ๐ค ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ญ๐ข๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ข๐ซ $$$ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ง๐๐จ๐ฐ ๐ข๐ฌ... ๐๐ฎ๐๐ ๐๐ญ ๐ฆ๐๐๐ง๐ฌ ๐๐ข๐๐๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฌ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ข๐๐๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ฉ๐๐จ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐. Asking the patient what their budget is will always be a sure way to guide them in the right direction, think of yourself as their eyewear tour guide. It also takes the pressure away from the patient trying to guess the cost of every frame they try on we want to be upfront and guide them based on their needs.
โ
-๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ฉ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ง๐ญ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ข๐ง๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ข๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ญ๐ข๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐๐๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐จ๐ง๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐๐ค ๐ญ๐จ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ข๐ซ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ ๐๐ญ, ๐ ๐ฎ๐ข๐๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ฆ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฌ๐ฉ๐๐๐ข๐๐ข๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐ฆ๐๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐ข๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ข๐ซ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐ข๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ซ๐๐ช๐ฎ๐๐ฌ๐ญ. If a patient says they want to stay within a certain price point, guide them to that price point. You don't want your patient to pick a frame that is outside their price point and then hate everything else they try, we have all seen that happen from time to time and everything they try one afterwards never compares to that frame.ย
โ
-๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐จ๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐ฆ๐๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ฆ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐ข๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ ๐๐ญ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฌ๐ฉ๐๐๐ข๐๐ฒ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฆ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ฌ๐๐ ๐จ๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ข๐ซ $$$ ๐๐ฑ๐ฉ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ. ๐๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ก๐๐ฅ๐ฉ๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ญ๐ข๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ง๐๐ซ๐ซ๐จ๐ฐ ๐๐จ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ข๐ซ ๐๐๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ง. You are the expert... pick out some frames for the patient ahead of time, not only does this make them feel special but it will also help the patient avoid decision fatigue. This also helps to create a custom experience so remember to make it your own and memorable.ย
โ
-๐๐ฅ๐ฐ๐๐ฒ๐ฌ ๐ ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ญ๐ข๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ ๐ซ๐จ๐ฎ๐ ๐ก ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐ฆ๐๐ญ๐ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ข๐ซ ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ฌ๐๐ฌ ๐๐๐๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ฒ ๐๐ฏ๐๐ง ๐๐๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐๐๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐ฉ๐ข๐๐ค๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐ฆ๐. The last thing you want to happen is for the patient to select a frame and then surprise them with the additional cost of the lenses which we all know can add up depending on the patients prescription, material etc...ย
โ
The goal is for the patient to try on eyewear that fits their checklist of needs & feeling comfortable. Talking money and eyewear isn't always a fun conversation, but it will result in better communication with the patient, which in turn means trust & a better experience.
ย
These are some tips that have worked for me in the optical and I hope they help you too!
ย
ย