Comment: Direct proof of patient loyalty

There can be very few factors as important as patient loyalty to the health of an optical practice. Footfall is everything but attracting new patients and customers is much harder than retaining the ones you have. Unless you are confident of encouraging endless lines of new clients through the door, retaining customers is a must. For this very reason the results of the CooperVision-sponsored research into direct debits (see News) makes for interesting reading. Whatever your stance on direct debits, the findings cannot be ignored. People tend not to cancel direct debit payments. Our research showed that just 7 per cent of optical customers changed their minds on making a direct payment in the previous year.