By: Bill Mercier, Founder & CEO at OptiCall Inc.
Time Line for Call Trends:
2007 was a strong year for new patient refractive calls. At that time, simple messages like “call for your free DVD” or “call now to schedule a free consultation” were working. Phones were ringing and patients were ready to book appointments. All you needed to do was let them know that you were available to help them.
May 2008, the FDA 10 year report was released. Many practices felt that this was the turning point where patient interest started to decline. Ironically, at the same time, we had other major economic changes that had a much bigger affect than the FDA report. The housing and credit bubble burst. The affects were felt throughout the financial system and ultimately infected the entire economy. Gas prices soared. Discretionary funds dried up, and those with cash in the bank were keeping it in their pockets. The slowest call volume our center experienced for new patients interested in elective surgery occurred between May 2008 and September 2008.
In October 2008, gas prices started to ease up. The price per gallon dropped from almost $5 to $3. At the same time, the general population grew tired of the negative press of the economy. As the price of fuel went down, the number of calls started to increase again. Call volume for October and November increased 40% over previous months. Call volume remained at this higher level throughout the Spring of 2009. In April 2009, the stock market crashed. Call volume was hit again. The lowest call volume for our collective group was experienced in May 2009. Since the market was already depressed, we didn’t see the normal fall-off of call volume that we usually experience in the summer months.
The highest call volume we encountered in 2009 occurred during the months of September through December. In December alone, calls were 29% higher than in January 2009. Why the difference? Some practices started to market themselves again. I’ve heard so many practices complain about their refractive patient volume being down. Have these patients gone away? No. They may have merely gone away from that particular provider. Chances are, they went elsewhere!
Practices need to understand that the desire to make immediate cuts in their budgets and improve the bottom line comes at a cost. They may not feel the affects today, but they will definitely feel it in a few months. John DiJulius stated it perfectly in a recent newsletter. He said “we live in an “instant” society that demands immediate results. Marketing, sales promotion and cutting expenses provide immediate results that executives can see. However, many times those things do not have a lasting positive business impact”.
Where are we going in 2010? The call volume numbers are strong so far this January, more so for those practices who are advertising. There are plenty of patients willing to pay for quality services. Practices who are willing to take their destiny into their own hands and start reaching out to find patients through advertising efforts will do so. The marketing messages need to have a strong call to action. The days of “awareness” ads bringing in patients are over. Additionally, practices need to spend more time and resources in the area of customer service and phones. The average practice loses up to 30% of potential revenue due to poorly answered phone calls, automated systems and voicemail answering. If you are going to spend ANY money at all, you better make sure that the phones are being answered, and answered properly.
Food for thought…with cuts in reimbursement for managed care patients, many practices are scrambling to find ways to make up what they are losing. While managed care patients are the bread and butter for many practices, it’s the elective patient that is much more profitable, and in most cases, requires a lot less work.
Local Eye Site introduces Bill Mercier:
Bill Mercier, graduate of Rutgers University is the founder, President, and CEO at OptiCall Inc. Bill’s experience working for a mobile laser company through the late 90’s and the early part of 2000 gave him the inspiration to create systems that help the patient communication process. With the optimal patient customer experience in mind, OptiCall, Inc was founded
For over 8 years, OptiCall has been providing telephone support to refractive practices across the US, all with the goal of enhancing the patient experience. Our practices range from the single proprietor offering LASIK as an option for their patients to the “refractive only” center taking hundreds of new patient calls per month. Regardless of the circumstance, our goal is to provide outstanding customer service, schedule consultations, and capture leads for the practices we service.
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