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Thread: Closing the Office due to Weather

  1. #1
    Master OptiBoarder OptiBoard Silver Supporter Jubilee's Avatar
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    Closing the Office due to Weather

    I believe this has been brought up once or twice before.. but the latest forecast has me thinking about this again.

    When do you make the call to close do to bad weather?

    Do you personally try to call all the patients? or Do you list the closing on the several news/media outlets to hopefully reach all your patients?

    The reason I ask is that the midwest is about to receive a whopping storm according to the National Weather Service that will either:

    A) Coat the area with 1/2 inch of ice, then 4-7 inches of snow..

    B) If the storm tracks a little more south... up to 15 inches of snow.

    Poor Snowmonster is really going to be gettting his workout, since he is 60 miles north of here and in the area that is already forecasted for the foot of snow...


    I usually stick it out, and since my office is only 6 miles or so from my home, I usually don't worry. However my concern is especially tomorrow when the system will be in full affect and there is ice under several inches of snow....along with I am sure school cancellations. (10 year old son)

    Cassandra
    "Some believe in destiny, and some believe in fate. But I believe that happiness is something we create."-Something More by Sugarland

  2. #2
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    I have never worked anywhere that would close because of weather. There were many times that I would have liked to. You cannot trust the weather service to accurately predict anything. I have driven in the most horrendous conditions, taken three hours to get home,etc. If bad weather strikes we may lose our patients for the day but the store stays open. If you make the call to close because you have heard that bad weather is on the way and nothing happens, you lose more.

  3. #3
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    We play it by ear. If it looks really gnarly, we bag it it. If it sorta starts the evening before, we call the first few patients and bag the first couple hours, then see how the day progresses. We always bring the next day or twos schedule just in case we have to make the calls.It really is a tough call. You hate to risk life and limb, but you hate to burn a day! There is always that group of patients who decide that any snow event is there que to get there eyes checked, or to pick out new glasses. These folks get checked about every seventeen years, but the snow day brings them out of there coma.
    Last edited by Fezz; 02-12-2007 at 08:58 AM.

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    What's Snow, What's Ice besides something to cool beer?

  5. #5
    Master OptiBoarder optical24/7's Avatar
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    We play it by ear here also, but it's not just my own risks I have to take into consideration, but also my staff and patients. We've closed very few times here for wheather is seldom a factor, but we can get ice and flood and huricane. I would rather be on the safe side. If our office depended on walkin traffic I could understand how it could effect the bottom line but almost all our patients come scheduled, we just reschedule with no net loss of income.

  6. #6
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    We go by the rule for staff that if they are uncomfortable at all, leave or don't come in. No biggie. We want everybody to feel safe and not like they HAVE to be here.

  7. #7
    C-10
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    Closed only once for bad weather but that was the day we got three feet of snow one day and another three feet the next day. I work now in a mall and I ask the Mall manger When the Mall would close He said when the Buses don't run. So thats my rule of thum

  8. #8
    Ophthalmic Optician
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    We've closed at 4:00PM instead of 6:00, but other than that, we've never closed due to weather. (And we're in an area known as the snow belt.)

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by Johns View Post
    We've closed at 4:00PM instead of 6:00, but other than that, we've never closed due to weather. (And we're in an area known as the snow belt.)

    Don't you have a problem with the ball and chains on the poor employees rusting? The darn locks probably corrode over.



    :bbg: :cheers: :bbg:

  10. #10
    Master OptiBoarder OptiBoard Silver Supporter Jubilee's Avatar
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    Well tomorrow is not a doctor day, so I would not have any planned appointments. Typically it is my day to get prepped for the next doctor day, dispense, and take care of any foot traffic.

    If I can travel, I will be here. However since the prediction is to get ice, then snow... or a foot of snow, then I do not want my staff to risk the commute. Especially since I don't have any patient appointments scheduled anyway.

    I do plan on taking the Wednesday schedule home with me just in case...I am also putting a note on the door saying we are closed, and then if I make it in, then I can always take it down.

    Cassandra
    "Some believe in destiny, and some believe in fate. But I believe that happiness is something we create."-Something More by Sugarland

  11. #11
    Ophthalmic Optician
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    [quote=Fezz;176704]Don't you have a problem with the ball and chains on the poor employees rusting? The darn locks probably corrode over.
    quote]


    I live in an area where many of my customers travel by horse and buggy. A good horse can go through a few feet of snow w/ no problem. They show up regardless of the weather. -We're going to be there.

    (I am a pain to work for...)

  12. #12
    OptiWizard
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    We have a major university in the area that rarely closes. We use their schedule. If they are closed we are closed, if they close early we close early. Our staff loves it, it takes the guess work out of it.

    Thomas

  13. #13
    Ophthalmic Optician
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    [quote=tntborden;176729]We have a major university in the area that rarely closes. We use their schedule. /quote]


    That's a problem with us- when the schools close, we get swamped w/ customers. Of course, the weather is way to bad to go to school, but it's never that bad you can't shop.

    Last week the schools were closed for 3 days - so we all drove 3 hours and went skiing.

  14. #14
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    closed for three days when it dumped 23 inches overnight. and one place many years ago when i got there {hours late} owner said go home ,but got paid

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    Bad address email on file OptiChick21's Avatar
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    Our office is also taking into consideration the bad weather tomorrow... The doc does plan to be here tomorrow, but he's already had many of his patients cancel their appointments in advance! So they told us they only need a front desk employee and one dispenssary employee to show up, everyone else can decide if they want to come in or not. (staying home is unpaid)

    I think they foresee that if it is really slow and everyone cancels/reschedules, they cant really afford to pay us all to be here anyway! So I think I'm gonna sleep in! :p

  16. #16
    Master OptiBoarder OptiBoard Gold Supporter Judy Canty's Avatar
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    My policy was that if the police said to stay off the roads, I did. I left a note on the door and changed the message on the answering machine.

  17. #17
    OptiWizard
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    If it's too dangerous for school buses, it's too dangerous for patients. Our answer machine states we will be closed until at least 1:00 pm if local school cancelled.

    Often the sun comes out at 11:00 and the roads clear out and everyone heads to the mall with the little beasties.

    If staff takes the full day off, it counts as a sick day. If we do open at 1:00, those who show up get full days pay.

    Harry

  18. #18
    Optician Extraordinaire
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    We close for ice or snow. Around here there are no snowplows and no one knows how to drive in it anyway.

    If it is expected someone takes home a printout of the patients and calls them if we close.

    Years ago we got ice on a Monday and we didn't have a list of patients. The doctor asked me to go and get it since I lived only 2 miles from the shop. On the way there I ran off the road due to the ice. I messed up my alignment and had to pay to get it fixed. The doctor never offered to pay for the repair. It just isn't worth it if the weather is bad.

  19. #19
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    You guys ought to close for important things like Long Island Iced Tea's, why worry about little things like the weather?

  20. #20
    Underemployed Genius Jacqui's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by chip anderson View Post
    You guys ought to close for important things like Long Island Iced Tea's, why worry about little things like the weather?

    I thought you closed during/for Katrina.

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    Compulsive Truthteller OptiBoard Gold Supporter Uncle Fester's Avatar
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    Year round I'm in the habit of telling ALL patients to "always call the office to be sure an optician is here to help you before making a trip to us". Receptionist may hate me but if we're closed the patients can't say I didn't warn them!

    We're 20 miles northwest of Boston and latest projections are for a foot of snow or more. As a lifelong New Englander I consider that a heavy dusting.

  22. #22
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    If you do close up: don't forget to change your message on the answering machine!

    PS. Don't forget to change it back either!

  23. #23
    Master OptiBoarder OptiBoard Silver Supporter Jubilee's Avatar
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    I will change the message from home ;)

    We already have 6 inches on the ground, and right now it is a mixed bag of sleet and snow.

    We are getting accumulations of about an inch per hour, and the area directly north of us, where Optichick and Snowmonster are have actual blizzard warnings.

    While and actual snow emergency has not been declared, the police are asking everyone to stay at home if possible.

    We are part of the snowbelt, but this is a major storm to us. We deal with 6 inches here, and 3 inches there.. not a foot with blowing and drifiting snow. Nice open cornfields means lots of snow drifitng up on those fences around the highway.

    Though I really wish I could have brought some of the work adminstrative work home with me to take care of. My big fear with that is privacy though.

    Cassandra
    "Some believe in destiny, and some believe in fate. But I believe that happiness is something we create."-Something More by Sugarland

  24. #24
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    I am in Southeastern PA and its just starting. Its falling pretty fast. It started about 45minutes ago(around6:45 or so). Starting to stick. Can't wait to get in the office and see how many cancellations we have already.

  25. #25
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    Jacqui:

    As you can tell I am mostly teasing you folks from up Nawth. We closed about a week due to no Electricity after Katrina. Of course driving around the trees was a problem too. Having a daugther on the Coast who's last message was a tornado was taking the back wall out of her building, followed by no communication for 3 days was a might distracting.

    Chip:cheers:

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