When Jessica Yannelli, OD, opened Precision Eye Care in Downingtown, Pennsylvania, as a cold start 10 years ago, she says that streamlining the administrative functions was important. “I wanted to work with a distributor that provided me with accessibility to all the manufacturers’ brands and single-source consolidation and easy tracking,” she says. She found that in ABB Optical Group—and not just for soft contact lenses.
She uses the company for her specialty contact lens orders as well. “I had a lower volume of specialty vision lenses earlier on, so I really appreciated the consultants. They have proven to be consistent experts over time and still serve as a reliable source of information or someone to troubleshoot with,” she says.
Today, Dr. Yannelli has an associate with whom she could confer, but it’s often still easier to pick up the phone and have a quick chat with one of the specialty lens consultants at ABB. “Talking over what I see and the measurements can help me and the patients feel more confident in placing the order,” she adds.
She also began using the company’s lab services—earlier known as Digital Eye Lab and now known as ABB Labs. “We have been with that since day one as well. The labs provide excellent products and consistent quality, in-house brands and branded products. I appreciate having that flexibility,” she says. Her staff are familiar with the features and benefits of the primary lenses they sell.
GOING BEYOND DELIVERY
While some of the core functions that ABB provides are streamlining and prompt and reliable delivery, Dr. Yannelli also appreciates what the company does for independent eye care professionals. Since she first opened, she has added a second location of Precision Eye Care in West Chester, Pennsylvania, and last year, she moved her primary location to a new place about a mile away. With double the space, more exam lanes and a stepped-up pace, it’s important that the practice runs as efficiently as possible.
“We meet with our ABB Account Manager, Shelley Farley, to review our statistics.” Having that birds-eye view of all the products sold means that Dr. Yannelli has a greater understanding of her business as a whole. “The more you fractionalize your business over multiple sources, the harder it can be to see where your spends and opportunities really are,” she says.
OVERSIGHT
Looking at her ABB Business Reviews also helps her see trends and comparisons that help her set goals or adjust business practices.
“I look at the ABB Digital Price Monitor, and I appreciate having that resource. I do not have time to scroll through the Internet to try to figure out what others are charging for lenses,” she says. ABB collects the data on a national and regional basis, and then shares that with its accounts on the website, another way of streamlining efficiencies.
“It’s such a helpful tool. Not only does it help us maintain our competitiveness, but it also helps me ensure that I am adding appropriate price increases. Especially after the COVID-19 pandemic, when prices increased on so many products, this tool helps me monitor my pricing,” she says. “I don’t want to be too high or too low, so the Digital Price Monitor helps me get my pricing to be just right.”
ADVANTAGES FOR INDEPENDENTS
Another example of how ABB helps independent practices compete in the market is through the introduction of Abby, the online contact lens ordering platform that both providers and patients can use. “I appreciate that ABB created this interface for independent practices that matches the expectations of the marketplace. It increases our competitiveness,” she says.
“I already have a dual focus of providing patient care and running a private practice—a small business. I do not have time to add app development to the things I do. And often products available through the industry are so expensive, so ABB’s commitment to offering this service to align technology to our needs is great.”
All these tools, which cover prompt, reliable delivery; tracking; ordering convenience; and consultation, streamline the administrative functions of the office. “The staff members appreciate that they are not spending time individually ordering products and tracking down patients. And I appreciate the single source that can provide so much. Any time that we can save time and know that we have a reliable vendor partner that creates an efficiency, that allows us to focus on what matters. In our case, that’s the patients we already have and it’s building our business.”
Read other stories with other ODs who use ABB Optical Group for for streamlining efficiencies, products and services.
