Optometric Management Tip # 68 - Wednesday, May 07, 2003
Setting your practice apart
I stumbled across a good buy on an item that has made a nice impression on our patients - it's a custom printed folder with our practice name and logo to put all the papers we give patients who receive a comprehensive exam and eyeglasses or contact lenses. I've heard many good comments since we started using these, so I thought I'd pass it along as a tip.
We may distribute more paper than the average practice - but I believe the printed materials a practice uses speaks volumes about it. We want to communicate well with our patients, and we want to do so in a high quality manner. It is one form of internal marketing.
I'll review the printed items a patient may receive after an exam in our office:
- A receipt (superbill) for services rendered, with diagnosis and procedure codes indicated
- Our HIPAA notice of privacy practices
- A color practice brochure
- A custom printed patient report about the exam findings and eyewear options chosen
- Any appropriate brochures on eye conditions
- An eyeglass warranty form
- Eyeglass return policy
- Contact lens care and instruction sheet
- Doctor's business card
We decided that placing all these items in an attractive folder would improve our practice image and increase the likelihood that the patient would keep the items for a longer time, and even show them to others.
I found a very attractive folder at Viking - a mail order office supply company (but I'm sure there are many other sources also). The folder I purchased comes in several rich colors with my practice name and logo stamped in silver foil on the front. I purchased 1000 folders at 72 cents each, which local printers could not match. We only give out a folder with a comprehensive exam.
Here is a link to the product on the Viking website - they are called Foil-Stamped Presentation Portfolios
http://www.vikingop.com/shop/catalog/sku.asp?ID=PF1&LEVEL=SK&PR=%2A&SID=N9EKX3GPB0VA8LXGPCDCMUUJW059DGG9
Best wishes for continued success,
Neil B. Gailmard, OD, MBA, FAAO
Chief Optometric Editor, Optometric Management