Backup before you Crackup
Ever have a patient run into your practice in a panic because they lost their only pair of eyeglasses and need someone now? The first statement out of your mouth is “Sure, I would be happy to sell you a new pair of eyeglasses.” The second is “You should always have a backup pair of eyeglasses, so let’s look at multiple frames.” We are always trying to get our customers or patients to buy that second pair. If you want to speak with someone who is masterful at that, my partner, Robert Bell can help you.
What about you though? Yes, I know, you probably have a dozen pair of eyeglasses. You are after all in the optical business. I was thinking about your computer files. I am amazed at how many people operate their practice with a computer system you purchased a half dozen years ago on sale and expect it to keep up with all the demands you place upon it.
I had this discussion more than once with an associate who couldn’t understand why the computers he bought almost 10 year earlier were in desperate need to be replaced. His argument was that he owned cars far older than those computers that worked perfectly fine. So I made him a bet. He could purchase any car he wanted. I wasn’t going to put restrictions on the type of vehicle as he did on the purchase price of the computers. The caveat was that he let 8 employees drive that car 10 hours a day every day of the week with no more service than gasoline and regular oil changes and tell me what […]
