Perfecting the patient experience

A warm smile from an optical assistant or a dispensing optician who takes pride in matching customers with their spectacle-soulmate can make all the difference.

OT asks optical professionals how they have refined the patient journey within their own practices ­– and learns how excellent patient care rests on a foundation of strong teamwork.

A tailored experience

When it comes to offering a personalised patient experience, dispensing optician and practice manager of Specsavers Dorking, Davinia Hadley, highlights the importance of first impressions.

“The main thing I’ve learned is to try and read the body language when the patient walks in. It’s easy to sometimes feel patients are all there for a similar reason but if you can tailor-make the journey for them, it gives them confidence,” she highlighted.

“Going the extra mile makes a practice stand out,” Hadley emphasised.

She highlighted that the type of service a patient wants from an optometry practice will depend on the individual. For some patients, offering an efficient service is the key priority.

“Others may want to take time to ask questions, really going through checking the fit and vision. They may want to discuss extra options or health questions,” Hadley said.

Airedale Opticians dispensing optician, Jill Thorp, emphasised the important role that dispensing opticians play in practice.

Dispensing opticians can help to take the strain off optometrists and provide knowledgeable support to optical assistants.

“They are often both the first and last person that a patient will see through their eye care journey. They can be the person who is the first port of call with concerns, the friendly face and the problem solver,” she said.

Reflecting on the key ingredients for a successful practice visit, Thorp emphasised the importance of treating patients in the way you would like to be treated.

“Relate to them and get to know their needs and wants. That way you can give the best advice and find the right products for their lifestyle, whether that is spectacle frames and lenses or other eye care accessories,” she said.

Dispensing optician, James Dawson is also an advocate of personalised care.

“I have learnt to make as many notes as I can on the patient, so each time they visit we are more aware of their needs and can build up a clearer picture of them,” he said.

Dawson shared that the practice journey will differ depending on if he is seeing a returning patient or someone who is new to the practice.

“If they are new to us, we will find out what they are looking for and how we can best help them achieve the results they would like,” he said.

Dawson will also run through what will happen during the visit, outline the different services on offer, and check what prompted the patient to visit the practice.

For returning patients, Dawson will find out what has happened since the last visit, so he has all of the background information necessary to meet the patient’s needs.

Sophia Landells Creative

Optometrist and practice director, Dr Pretty Basra is pictured with her team at Edwards and Walker Opticians. Team members, from left, are: Soriya (front of house), Lily (trainee dispensing optician), Wendy (optical consultant), Dr Pretty Basra (consultant optometrist), Jess (social media and front of house) and Emily (optical consultant).

Taking time

Optometrist and practice director of Edwards and Walker Opticians, Dr Pretty Basra, shared that her staff get to know patients so that conversation flows between them.

“We try and make the practice as welcoming as possible by offering each patient a drink when dispensing. Each patient is treated like a person and not a number,” she said.

Basra added that the aesthetics of the practice are calming – with patients occasionally commenting that it feels like a spa.

“We never rush our patients, and they are made to feel that we are fully invested in serving and advising them,” she said.

Basra shared that the focus within her practice is on offering customer service and expertise that is unrivalled locally.

“The biggest factor in how patients perceive good service, in my opinion, is your ability to listen and empathise,” she said.

“The majority of new patients that come to us is by word-of-mouth recommendation, and I believe this is because we are all genuine people and we all want to ensure our patients come in and leave happy,” Basra observed.

Optometrist and owner of Central Vision Opticians, Bhavin Shah, shared that patients expect a personal service when they come to his practice.

“One of our core values is to spend time connecting with our patients and understanding their visual world,” he said.

Practice staff make an effort to remember details about patients – such as their interests, hobbies and visual needs, as well as their style choices for glasses and frames.

Effective teamwork

Hadley shared that, when recruiting staff, she always highlights the importance of teamwork within the practice.

“Our patients comment on the nice feeling our practice has, and we take time to build a connection with each person,” she said.

Hadley shared that effective teamwork contributes to the main objective of helping the patient.

“Things flow when great teamwork is in place, the patient feels cared for and the service is efficient,” she said.

Caring for colleagues – and in turn, helping them to care for patients – can be as simple as helping a team member with a repair or making them a cup of tea when they are having a down day, Hadley shared.

She said that the practice director has instilled positive values within the team, which means that they continue to grow.

“The culture of any workplace is so important,” Hadley emphasised.

For Basra, teamwork is “the core” of delivering excellent customer service.

“When you have a good team it’s like having a well-oiled machine with all the cogs turning correctly,” she said.

“Every single team member will always try and go above and beyond to ensure that the patients’ needs are met as best as possible,” Basra shared.

In terms of what this looks like on a practical level, Basra highlighted that team members will always tell her relevant information before an eye examination – and let her know if the patient has any anxieties or concerns.

“When I hand back over to them after the exam, I will ensure that the team member fully understands what the patients wants and needs are, and we would discuss a plan for their spectacles,” Basra said.

Team members will also make an effort to observe when colleagues may need support.

“If we see someone has a long to-do list, we will try and lighten the workload. It is about stepping in rather than seeing a team member become flustered or overwhelmed,” Basra said.

As a practice owner, Basra will take into account each team member’s unique strengths when assigning tasks.

“The biggest factor is we all get on well – it really is a work family – so we just bounce off each other. Everyone looks out for each other, and we all know we are stronger together,” she said.

A child’s eye view of practice

For children coming into an optometry practice, it can be a daunting experience to be in a new environment with unfamiliar people.

Thorp shared that she endeavours to make sure that young patients are fully included in the pre-screen and dispense.

“Rather than talk to the parent about the child, I will talk to the child to ask about their eyes and their hobbies, still giving the parent the opportunity to further the child’s answers,” she said.

“I can often be found sitting on the floor with a child while they try on frames and for fitting and measurements,” she said.

Basra shared that after working with children in optics for close to two decades, she has acquired “tips and tricks” to make them feel welcome in practice.

“I think that it can be quite daunting as a child to enter a clinical space,” she said.

“We have a fun children’s area, where we have some games they can play while they wait. When they enter the testing room, I always try and talk to the child and make them feel important but most of all make it fun,” Basra shared.

The optometrist, who recently completed her doctorate in children’s vision screening, has a basket of toys within the child’s eyeline so they feel relaxed when they are in the room.

“Sometimes I will ask if the child wants to sit on their parents’ laps in the testing chair –again, giving them that sense of security,” she said.

Details such as using pictures on the vision chart and handing out stickers also add the practice experience for young patients.

Shah shared that many children come through his practice – including children with special needs.

“This is an area where we have developed and honed the patient journey and experience. We aim to build rapport with the child by seeing through their eyes,” he said.

This approach involves understanding a child’s fears and hopes in order to connect with them. As a Star Wars fan, Shah has memorabilia throughout the practice – which can help to put children at ease.

“They love to look at all of the exciting figures, toys and imagery,” he said.

Shah shared that by keeping children happy, this also puts their parents at ease. He has been known to perform magic tricks to keep children engaged in the eye examination.

“By making the experience fun and magical, it helps to allay fears and means that most kids want to return again soon,” Shah said.