| Several years ago I was doing a talk for my local | | | | a first hand view of how this might look. Just last |
| Kiwanis Club and met a most delightful individual | | | | year my contact lenses were becoming more and |
| by the name of Greg Ferman. He was courteous | | | | more difficult to wear. I made an appointment |
| and upbeat and happened to be an optometrist. I | | | | and he determined it was one of two things that |
| mentioned to him that I was looking for a new | | | | was causing the problem. First, it could be the fact |
| optometrist since mine had unfortunately passed | | | | that my eyes were getting older and less tolerant |
| away. He gave me his business card and invited | | | | to contact lenses or possibly my wife's use of a |
| me to set up an appointment to come in for a | | | | healing oil was being absorbed by my lenses. |
| checkup. | | | | After a new set of lenses, that were softer and |
| A few weeks later I made an appointment to | | | | more pliable, did not fix the problem, I made up |
| see Dr. Ferman and was totally impressed by this | | | | my mind that I wanted to opt for laser surgery. |
| man's very helpful and pleasant staff and office | | | | He explained to me the pluses and minuses of this |
| ambiance. As soon as they took my name and | | | | kind of corrective surgery and as part of an |
| asked me to take a seat, I could see a very well | | | | agreement with a laser surgery clinic provided |
| lit waiting area. There was a copy of the daily | | | | several pre-surgery check ups that monitored the |
| morning newspaper on one of the cushioned | | | | readiness of my eyes for surgery after I stopped |
| waiting room chairs and a rack of current popular | | | | wearing the contact lenses. |
| magazines. After a few minutes one of his | | | | This went on for 3 1/2 months when finally it |
| assistants came over to me and invited me to go | | | | was determined that my right eye actually had a |
| back to the examining room. After sitting down I | | | | condition that would not provide me with the best |
| noticed more reading materials including the | | | | vision after laser surgery. I canceled my laser |
| Reader's Digest, one of my favorites. | | | | surgery which eliminated the possibility of any |
| After a few moments, Dr. Ferman walked into | | | | reimbursement from the laser clinic to Ferman |
| the office and cheerily greeted me by name. This | | | | Optometry for the check-ups he had provided. |
| energetic individual who bubbled over with | | | | When I learned this Dr. Ferman made it clear that |
| optimism and enthusiasm lit up the room with his | | | | he would not accept payment from me to cover |
| presence. Here was a man who loved what he did | | | | his costs for all the pre-surgery examinations he |
| and it showed in the way he explained his | | | | had performed. He explained to me that he |
| procedures and added little tidbits of interesting | | | | valued his clients too much to take advantage of |
| information. Since I wear semi permeable contact | | | | them. |
| lenses, he explained the different types of lenses | | | | I then decided to try a new set of contact lenses |
| available, the advantages and disadvantages of | | | | and lo and behold they worked perfectly. |
| each type. He explained how the eye worked | | | | Apparently, the cause for the dryness and |
| with his props and pictures. I learned more about | | | | discomfort was the healing oil my wife had been |
| my eyes and their level of health in 40 minutes | | | | using, but had ceased, since I had stopped |
| than I had learned in all the previous years I had | | | | wearing my contact lenses. |
| gone to other optometrists. By the end of my | | | | My point is this man is a success because he |
| visit my level of satisfaction on a scale of 1-10 | | | | strictly adheres to a set of values that treat his |
| was a 14. | | | | patients and employees with respect. He and his |
| It wasn't long before I was recommending my | | | | staff go the extra mile and provide a most |
| wife and friends to this amazing optometrist who | | | | positive and happy experience. They exceed |
| was an optimist. | | | | expectations at every turn. Especially in this |
| Of course, in order to be a business success and | | | | competitive economy, small business owners |
| insure lifetime clients and customers, just being an | | | | would do well take emulate this optimistic |
| optimist isn't going to be enough. Small business | | | | optometrist's approach to filling the needs of their |
| owners must practice good client service that | | | | clients. By going the extra mile and exceeding |
| insures the likelihood of retaining clients for life. | | | | their customer/client expectations, they will |
| One of my experiences with Dr. Ferman gave me | | | | happily keep them for a long, long, long time. |