Customer Service

Here’s a checklist to making real, consistent progress.

The new year provides us all with a chance to prioritize our focus and goals for the year ahead. As an ophthalmic professional, you may have already set some initiatives for 2023. As you consider these initiatives, why not take that same framework, and apply it to your customer service model? As you think back to your practice’s 2022 in review, what opportunities can you identify to elevate your customer service from good to extraordinary?

If you need some inspiration, below is a list of the top five things you can do to elevate your customer service in 2023.

Update how patients view your practice

Start by reviewing a few foundational items from your patients’ perspectives. Essentially, you are performing a quick audit of front-facing patient topics. Some questions you can ask yourself include:

Is all the information on your directory listings consistent and accurate? Have you reviewed the following data:
- Hours of operation
- Physician names
- Phone number(s)
- Office location(s), and
- Address(es)?
If you have a marketing message as your on-hold message, is it up to date with relevant information (ie, services provided, providers, hours of operation, etc)?
When was the last time someone reviewed your practice website, looking at it from the patient’s perspective?
- Have you had any personnel changes that need updating?
- Have you added any new services or discontinued services?
- Have you updated patient testimonials to ensure feedback is fresh and relevant?
- Can patients download and print forms and consents? If yes, are these the most recent copies, and do they look professional? Do they match what patients receive in the office?
Have you looked at your facility (office locations)?
- What do patients see when they walk into your building?
- How are they greeted when they enter the reception area?
- What’s on the waiting room television?
- What is the noise level in your office?

This initial review may only take a few minutes, but if you find areas of need, add them to your 2023 project planner or notify your manager. Ensuring patients can find you and that your messaging is clear and professional is low-hanging fruit that can more easily attract patients to your group.

Perform a self-review

When considering your contributions last year, take a moment to evaluate your performance by conducting a self-review. Aiming at customer service, you can start by asking yourself these questions:

How did you excel in patient care?
What made you most proud?
If you could accomplish one thing related to customer service, what would it be?
How can you help promote excellent service in 2023?

Based on the answers, you will know where you excelled and where areas of opportunity lie. By analyzing your patient care and renewing your commitment to customer service, your co-workers, managers, physicians, and patients will notice the positive change!

Invest in your training

The beginning of the year provides a perfect time for ophthalmic professionals like yourself to level-set expectations and follow up on any customer service-related training you identified as an opportunity from 2022. Never undervalue the training required to be an ophthalmology expert. Learning more about ocular diseases, triage, ocular emergencies, and efficiency enables you to better serve the clinic and those who depend on it. To make sure you focus on the essential areas of your development, you can do the following:

Ask your manager for assistance in developing your 2023 training plan.
Suggest training opportunities for your team to ensure everyone can provide the best customer service.
Look for areas where you need more knowledge.
Work with your manager(s) to develop a culture of excellent customer service.
Review any training materials such as general insurance information or scheduling preferences. Ensure that you update any “cheat sheets” or documents that change with the turn of the calendar year.
Consider cross-training in another clinic area to bring increased value to your patients and teammates.
Remember, even if you are highly experienced, you always have opportunities to learn something new!

Your dedication to ongoing training leads to a better experience for patients, providers, and yourself — a win for all.

Re-evaluate your workflow processes

Regardless of how long you have worked in eye care, there is always room for improvement. For instance, you may want to work on your efficiency and re-evaluate your workflow. This effort may be a team initiative, or you may make this a personal goal. As you evaluate how long you spend performing specific job tasks, look for ways to eliminate waste and unnecessary patient wait times.

You may also elect to gain more experience with your electronic systems. For example, training to become a superuser — the go-to staffer who can help others with electronic health records — can fuel your team to reduce manual work, giving you more opportunities to spend quality time with your patients. In a busy clinic, getting more time with patients and becoming more efficient will never go amiss.

Gain clarity on goals

After taking stock of your performance, outline some goals. These action steps differ from New Year’s resolutions because they are relevant to your job and can help you (and your manager) outline your development pathway. To stay committed to your plan, you can:

Consider writing down your goals and openly sharing them with your manager and team.
Develop timelines to check in with your manager on your progress.
Advocate for resources, such as training plans, to accomplish your goals.
Give yourself grace since you perform many duties and handle frequent disruptions in a busy clinic.

There will be days when you feel like no progress has been made, and others when you feel accomplished. Just remember any forward movement you can make is a success.