him to keep providing the best service possible.
“It's quite a dramatic experience. When I put
those glasses on that little guy becomes my little
buddy. You have to make it fun for them,”
he said.
These types of relationships are what lead
to customer retention and referrals of new
patients. A love of the business and an understanding of patient needs are key to an independent operators success. Patients are not
just numbers – they are people looking to your
business for help.
“It's amazing when you become your own boss,”
said Gough adding the connections that are
built with patients over time are what makes
each day worth it.
GOING INDEPENDENT
Gough said the choice to go independent
can be a difficult one, especially for students
recently graduating. He said there are two
approaches to entering into the independent
world of optometry.
He noted in many cases it's better for recent
graduates to start with a chain so they can
learn how things operate.
“If they want to be their own boss, they have
to be prepared to put in a lot of hours,”
he said.
He said starting with a chain helps those new
to the industry learn the business management side of optometry which isn't always
taught in school.
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He added helping someone like a child see
better is what he takes pride in and motivates
6 Optical Prism | December 2014
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Gough said it's important for new practitioners to understand all facets of the business.
“The buck stops with you and it has to be
perfect every time,” he said. As most marketing experts would tell a person new to
business, building a practice takes years and
referrals and repeat customers are the key to
success. It can take one bad review to damage
the reputation of a business.
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