Here at Providence Eye & Laser Specialists, our employees are a team! Our LASIK surgeon and vision correction expert, Dr. Mozayeni, is the leader and captain, but we all work together to provide our patients with outstanding medical care and an overall amazing patient experience. One very important member of our Providence Eye team is our LASIK Coordinator, Allyson.
We asked her a few questions so you can get to know her better.
Q: Allyson, where are you from originally?
A: Kings Mountain, NC is where I spent most of my years growing up.
Q: How did you find out about Providence Eye and when did you start working here?
A: In 2008, I moved from Georgia to the Charlotte metro area. I found an ad looking for an ophthalmic technician in a LASIK practice. LASIK was not the “field of eyes” I had set out to find work in at the time, but I gave it a chance – and I’m so glad I did!
Q. What is your current role at Providence Eye?
A. I’m the LASIK Coordinator here at Providence Eye.
(Allyson): In 2014 there was a change in my personal life that required me to move about an hour and a half away from the Providence Eye office. This was a difficult decision for me, because I loved my job, the people I worked with, especially Dr. Mozayeni.
Knowing the big life changes that I had to make, I went to Dr. Mozayeni and basically said, “my family is moving, but I don’t want to leave you and my job as a LASIK Coordinator.”
Now, in my home office, I still work as a LASIK Coordinator and have a Providence Eye computer and phone. I work four days a week from home and one day a week I travel to our office in South Charlotte. I’ve been working from home for four years now!
Q: So everyone wants to know, do you work in your pajamas?
A: Uh, yeah! Not every day, but some days I definitely start in pajamas and then use my lunch hour to shower and get ready.
Q: Is there a downside to working from home as a LASIK coordinator?
A: It may look ideal, but there are definitely a few downsides. It can get lonely not being in the same office as my colleagues, because I miss out on those casual, social interactions.
Q: If you had to guess, how many people do you talk to in a day?
A: Oh my goodness! Probably anywhere from 35 to 105!
Some people don’t like talking on the phone. I love it! I love getting to know new patients over the telephone, understanding the frustrations with their vision and then offering them options to perhaps improve their daily life through LAISK. It is really rewarding!
As a sub confession, I am happy when 5:00p.m. rolls around, because I’m typically pretty tired.
Q: What are the most challenging phone calls you take?
A: By far the most challenging phone calls are when people call and only want to know the price of LASIK without wanting know more about how LASIK vision correction can change their life and pay for itself over time.
I love it when people are willing to listen to me and become educated and more importantly, ask me questions so that I can guide them through the process of selecting a LASIK surgeon. It is frustrating when people don’t want to be educated. After all, we are talking about your eyes! Unfortunately, some people think that all LASIK is created equal and it just is not true.
Having spent so many years as a LASIK Coordinator, I’ve grown to care deeply about our patients and their eye health. In a way, this can a good problem and a bad problem (although mostly good).
Since I have been an ophthalmic health care professional for almost 20 years, I naturally care about everyone’s vision. Vision is so precious and you only get one set of eyes.
There are times I take it too personally when people don’t to call me back or appear to be making major medical decision based solely on price or the actual location of a medical provider. However, at Providence Eye we do sincerely believe that LASIK is a very personal decision and we will always respect everyone’s decision.
Q: What to you like to do in your free time?
A: Spend time with family and friends! We have a pretty active social life. My hubby, Travis, our four children and our dog, Marli, definitely keep me busy.
Q: What do you think is Dr. Mozayeni’s best quality as a LASIK surgeon? After all, you have known him for over 10 years!
A: Oh wow… I don’t know that I can pinpoint just one best quality, but his attention to detail and integrity are huge for me personally.
Q: What do you want to tell someone who is considering LASIK surgery?
A: There are three key things to do when selecting your LASIK surgeon:
If you are ready to learn about LASIK to see if it might be right for you, call Providence Eye and ask for Allyson. She can’t wait to get to know you and help you through the process. Remember, if you haven’t had eye surgery previously, your consultation with Dr. Mozayeni will be complimentary.
