NORWALK, Conn.—IDOC has expanded its new Optical Service offering with enhanced Optical Consulting, strategic advice and analytical tools designed to increase retail sales in independent practices, according to an announcement. The service, IDOC Optical Consulting, is included in the dues for both Advisor and Select memberships and is now available for the first time to “Essential” members for a monthly service fee. Additionally, for the first time in its history, IDOC is offering a service for a monthly non-member fee to “clients,” practices without an IDOC membership who wish to utilize this service.

Susan Daly, IDOC associate director of optical strategy & development, said she sees the new Optical Consulting program as a driver of practice innovation and growth. “Practices can be overwhelmed by the investment of time required to effectively drive optical performance,” she said in the announcement.  “At IDOC, our full-practice approach and guidance is based on both new and established retail strategies that can be learned and implemented with the help our IDOC experts with experience in the space."
 
Ximara Vega, IDOC’s veteran Optical Consultant (ABO Certified), who has more than two years of strategic consulting in optical retail, will be joined by a team of experienced optical experts who will consult with participating independent practices on a monthly basis.
 
“At IDOC, we create action steps that will generate meaningful retail sales results,” Vega said. “We work one-on-one with ODs and lead opticians to understand their goals and requirements, then find ways to transfer what we’ve learned to their specific practice environments.” The program also incorporates advanced data analytics and a suite of online tools designed to enhance business decision-making, including goal-setting guides and brand-focused industry reports.
 
“On average, independent optical income represents 40 percent of the practice total income, which is why our enhanced Optical Consulting program is so relevant and valuable,” Dave Brown, IDOC’s chief executive officer, said. “We’re helping our members formalize their approach to retail sales with a wide range of tools, strategies and best practices, all customized for each individual business.”
 
Over the next 12 months, IDOC will introduce additional optical sales tools, products and services specifically designed for the needs of independent optometry practices.
 
For more information about the new and improved IDOC Optical Consulting program, visit IDOC.net/Optical.
 
In April, IDOC added IDOC HR Now, a comprehensive HR management service, which is powered by ThinkHR, as VMAIL reported. It offers unlimited on-demand access to legal forms, standardized templates and HR experts fully qualified to address topics that include FMLA, COVID-19, investigations, wages, workers comp, employee handbook, and legal and state-specific compliance requirements.