Costco only sells ONE progressive?!?

[William Walker]

Hey all,

I went today to discuss payrates and schedules with the costco that very well might be employing me soon, and when I asked about progressives, I was informed that they only sell the Ovation progressive. Can someone else from a different Costco verify that for me? I have a hard time imagining that an optical that realizes the importance of compentent staff well enough to only hire licensed employees would also recognize the need to pick and choose the proper progressive for their patient.

Now I might have to reconsider accepting employement there.

[cinders831]

Good Heavans.....STAY WITH AN INDEPENDANT!!!!!!! I have worked both and working corporate seriously inhibits (SP?) your ability to care for pts needs and wants. Good luck but I really hope someone clocks you over the head soon with some good sence.

Cindy

[For-Life]

If I had to carry one progressive lens I would seriously consider the Ovation. A+++ Lens without the Varilux price.

[Judy Canty]

I have a hard time imagining that an optical that realizes the importance of compentent staff well enough to only hire licensed employees would also recognize the need to pick and choose the proper progressive for their patient.


Competence has little to do with that decision. Your (or anyone's) license is necessary to do business legally.

[fvc2020]

William

Has Jacksonville changed that much in 2 1/2 years that you'd leave private for costco? The girl I replaced at Dr. Laramie's office went there, and not to long after leaving and me starting she wanted to come back;-( Needless to say I was not replaced;-) Good for me not for her(she was really nice)....


Don't do it!!!!!

Just a former Jacksonville girl far far away from home

Christina

[Snitgirl]

Maybe call a few Costco stores and ask them what progressives they sell.

P.S. Why are you considering Costco? just curious...

Hey all,

I went today to discuss payrates and schedules with the costco that very well might be employing me soon, and when I asked about progressives, I was informed that they only sell the Ovation progressive. Can someone else from a different Costco verify that for me? I have a hard time imagining that an optical that realizes the importance of compentent staff well enough to only hire licensed employees would also recognize the need to pick and choose the proper progressive for their patient.

Now I might have to reconsider accepting employement there.

[Jim Stone]

Maybe call a few Costco stores and ask them what progressives they sell.

P.S. Why are you considering Costco? just curious...

Why Costco? $$$$$$$$$$$$$

[Snitgirl]

what? they pay the big bucks?


Why Costco? $$$$$$$$$$$$$

[Jessica]

We sell Ovations at LensCrafters and I like the lens and very very seldom have any patients that have problems.
Last month I visited with a woman who works for a Costco and she said she drives 30 miles each way to work at Costco and has been with them for 4 years and thinks it is a great place to work. And.....she was not trying to recruit me.
Jessica

[William Walker]

I'm leaving my office because I feel I am being asked to do too much work for my salary. I do just about everything in the world at this office for $17.85/hour, whereas Costco will pay me $18.50/hour to just come in and sell glasses. At my current office, I get no overtime, I'm salary, so when I am asked to do more work, I have to get it done for free, whereas at Costco, even if you are part time, if you work more than 8 hours in a day, that overage is paid at overtime pay. Also, if I want to work Sundays, Sundays are paid at time and a half.


As it is, I'll be working 4 days, instead of 5.5, and be making more money to do less. It doesn't have all the coolness points, and freedoms, but I am looking at this office as a place to work until I can open my own independant optical, so I don't think of it as my permanent home.

[fvc2020]

william


Good luck, remember money is not everything;)

christina

[cinders831]

I'm leaving my office because I feel I am being asked to do too much work for my salary. I do just about everything in the world at this office for $17.85/hour, whereas Costco will pay me $18.50/hour to just come in and sell glasses. At my current office, I get no overtime, I'm salary, so when I am asked to do more work, I have to get it done for free, whereas at Costco, even if you are part time, if you work more than 8 hours in a day, that overage is paid at overtime pay. Also, if I want to work Sundays, Sundays are paid at time and a half.


As it is, I'll be working 4 days, instead of 5.5, and be making more money to do less. It doesn't have all the coolness points, and freedoms, but I am looking at this office as a place to work until I can open my own independant optical, so I don't think of it as my permanent home.
William I wish you luck,I can relate to the over working and under paying. Have you made your boss aware of your feelings? Have you given them a chance to change things? Perhaps they just dont know how you feel, after all if its went on for some time they may think you are happy with your arrangement. I again hate to say this as I dont want to offend those currently working in a retail environment but its not the same buddy....the grass isnt always greener. I would maybe consider re negotiating or looking at other private practices. I just felt when I worked retial it was more like selling cars, no offense if you like selling cars, and less like opticianary. Just my feelings....my two cents

[Jim Stone]

what? they pay the big bucks?

They do in Greensboro NC

[Bev Heishman]

How many years do you have in this industry? Do you receive a benefit package as to health insurance,etc? Profit sharing? Bonus? Do you have retirement? Do you have CE do you have a chance for advancement. What are your qualifications? Did you graduate from an opticianry school? Do you have a career or just a job? What type of hours are you currently working?Do you have vacation, personal days, sick time, disability? Weekends and nights? As a managing optician, I also look and question all these things. Evaluate before you leap for $40.00 a week.

[cinders831]

How many years do you have in this industry? Do you receive a benefit package as to health insurance,etc? Profit sharing? Bonus? Do you have retirement? Do you have CE do you have a chance for advancement. What are your qualifications? Did you graduate from an opticianry school? Do you have a career or just a job? What type of hours are you currently working?Do you have vacation, personal days, sick time, disability? Weekends and nights? As a managing optician, I also look and question all these things. Evaluate before you leap for $40.00 a week.
I second this post. Very well said.

[Snitgirl]

Type up your current job description stating everything you do. Sometimes things have more meaning when people can visual "see" what it is you are talking about vs. just hearing the verbal side of it. Also, get some information to justify your pay. Research how much people are making with the same experience you have and also with the same duties you do for your area where you live. Again, it might help your doctor know what the going rate is and what people are expecting these days. <--he's had you do everything for a certain pay and for so long, he will need to "see" what you "should" be getting. Give him the opportunity to meet your needs...

Also, think about this...Working for an independant, people come to you for your expertise. People who shop at Costco want it CHEAP!! Are you truely going to waste your talents, hard work & experience for 65 cents more??? 65 CENTS!! Try a different independent or a nice optical boutique. Besides, you're thinking about opening your own place. When you're with an independent, you'll have unlimited access to what is going on in the Optical World. When you are with Costco, it is going to cost you more than 65 cents per hour to stay in tune with the forever changing Optical Industry.

Just my 2 CENTS.... :D

P.S. I would expect someone with your certifications to ask for atleast $20.00 per hour not $18.50...

[rolandclaur]

Yep from what I understand they only carry one progressive lens and that is the Ovation lens in different materials.... kinda sounds kooky huh?

[drk]

I think the concept of "only one" progressive is not as bad as you may think, if the progressive is a good one!

I, for years, fit only Varilux Comfort with a high success rate. Then, I fit Panamics with a high success rate, as well. Now, I'm trending towards Genesis, and I expect the same high success rate. I'm sure SolaOne could do it well, too.

The point: customizing progressives to the individual will save you about 5% remakes, at best, and that's assuming you select the perfect lens each time!

[Chris Ryser]

Yep from what I understand they only carry one progressive lens and that is the Ovation lens in different materials.... kinda sounds kooky huh?


Definitely not kooky.............if you can be successfull with one product in a certain category...............that is best that can ever happen. Stock simplified adjustment techniques stay the same............plus you get the best discounts from the supplier.

[William Walker]

All of the items mentioned are the same, if not better at Costco. Both companies allow me $500 towards education expenses, Costco reinmburses all my CE hours and license renewals (my current employer doesn't), Costco offers 401k with $500/year matching (my current employer gives no 401k), Costco offers stock options (my current employer offers none), when I work overtime, Costco offers time and a half (my current employers gives no overtime), my current employer is closed on Sundays, but at Costco, when I work Sundays, it is at time and a half, bonuses are about the same across the board, and those who I worked with years ago that currently work for Costco tell me that employees get raises twice a year (my last raise came finally after 15 months at the same rate), I don't have to concern myself at all with inventory (I have to do 1 lot of the frame planning/ordering for our office), nights and weekends are not much different, at Costco, with 4 years of employement I'm 99% sure I'll have more than the one week I get at my current employer, my current employer doesn't keep track of any sick days, nor vacation days, and I'm a person who has taken about 3 sick days in the past four years. At Costco you can sell some of that back.I will miss the image. I don't like being in a warehouse, but the most attractive part is that I can make the same amount of money doing less work, and having an extra day a week off. That gives me the time/energy needed to finish my second degree (Optical Practice Management), and start a degree in business in the spring.

I'm also designing my own Access based computer program for my future private office, so this will give me plenty of time to work on, and perfect it.

Thanks for all the advise, and I'm still listening.

[SkiBunny]

Based on my shopping around lately...

Costco here dispenses all the Essilor lenses, not just ovation. But no other manufacturers.

It's walmart here that dispenses only ovation. I guess for the low price, always (lol)

[Happylady]

I asked at the Costo near me and they only sell Ovation except in polarized. I think they do this so that they can offer it cheaper. It is quicker for the dispenser to offer only one progressive and they can buy in high volume and buy it cheaper. They do sell it very inexpensively. It is a good lens and probably works well 90% of the time.

[LENNY]

I would compliment Costco on choosing the lens!

I would think that they would use something like Navigator type of lenses!
Much cheaper but maybe not for them!
Essilor rules!

[roopesh]

how is the navigator rated in the US? we use it all the time and have very little non tol, we have on occasion swapped patients from comfort to navigator again with no comment by patients it seems to us a really well tolerated lens

[Bill West]

I can fit any progressive I want. I have been Independent since 1978.
The lens I fit most is Navigator long or short channel usually in Sunsensors. It is a great lens and a good buy for the customer. I use the AO Pro as a budget lens maybe 1 or 2 a month. In my opinion if a progressive is fitted properly most any of them will work fine. Since 1971 I have had better than 98% success on progressive fits. I have fit many different brands over the years and am convinced that like most everything in this country most of the "info' from manufactures is pure hype.
The two most common reasons for failure, in my opinion is, 1- fit too low and 2- pd is off. Oddly enough a lot of people still fit them too low.
I always check a new customer to see where the old lens is fitted for height. If I find them low I ask them if they raise their head or the glasses to read. If they say yes, I explain that I am raising them and a new adjustment for them will occur. Then I tell them how much better the near will be. Works every time.
So GO TO WORK for COSTCO and enjoy yourself. They respect your ability more than any "eye doctor". Eye doctors think they know it all. I have a low opinion of most all of them I have ever known. OD's want to be "medical without the training" and MD's think they are god.
Costco is where I would work if I was going to work for someone else. I know a lot about them and if you are young and want a good retirement, GO COSTCO.
Money is better than LDO,ABO,NCLE or working in a professional office where most of the crappy fits come from.
Best of luck to you at COSTCO.
Bill West, TBDOA - IWFMO - NPOBSH

[William Walker]

Bill, I wsh I had a clue as to what the acronyms after your name went!

Thanks for the support.

[optiboard1]

never worked at a costco knew someone who did cold in winter hot in summer they were near the door they also use to tell me the frames were junk and they hated to work on them it sounds like you already made up your mind so have fun

you made a comment on overtime for sundays after reading the rest your old boss must have been a jerk and cheap if he opened up on a sunday whats next holidays?

[SkiBunny]

your old boss must have been a jerk and cheap
newsflash: they ALL are, lol

[deeseyes]

I think you hit the nail on the head, very well said Bill. I now work for Costco and I have had no complaints about our lenses. I have been in the business of over 13 years, from the small mom and pop optical shops to the large corps. like cole and US vision I don't have to worry about the commision sales to keep my check from getting cut for lack of warrenty sales like at the US Vision locations. The benefits are great. and the sky is the limit with the company as for promotions within the company. I get e-mails everyday about open management positions and nationwide. Go for it!!I can fit any progressive I want. I have been Independent since 1978.
The lens I fit most is Navigator long or short channel usually in Sunsensors. It is a great lens and a good buy for the customer. I use the AO Pro as a budget lens maybe 1 or 2 a month. In my opinion if a progressive is fitted properly most any of them will work fine. Since 1971 I have had better than 98% success on progressive fits. I have fit many different brands over the years and am convinced that like most everything in this country most of the "info' from manufactures is pure hype.
The two most common reasons for failure, in my opinion is, 1- fit too low and 2- pd is off. Oddly enough a lot of people still fit them too low.
I always check a new customer to see where the old lens is fitted for height. If I find them low I ask them if they raise their head or the glasses to read. If they say yes, I explain that I am raising them and a new adjustment for them will occur. Then I tell them how much better the near will be. Works every time.
So GO TO WORK for COSTCO and enjoy yourself. They respect your ability more than any "eye doctor". Eye doctors think they know it all. I have a low opinion of most all of them I have ever known. OD's want to be "medical without the training" and MD's think they are god.
Costco is where I would work if I was going to work for someone else. I know a lot about them and if you are young and want a good retirement, GO COSTCO.
Money is better than LDO,ABO,NCLE or working in a professional office where most of the crappy fits come from.
Best of luck to you at COSTCO.
Bill West, TBDOA - IWFMO - NPOBSH

[Scot Topia]

I got a quote on Ovation progressives from a Costco and I asked about AR coating. They only provide one option that I was told was the "standard" no-name Essilor AR coating (+$30). I think that there are at least three options available elsewhere: standard (cheapest), Crizal (mid-price) and Alize (most expensive). At least those are available for Essilor Varilux lenses.

Do other places offer AR options with Ovation lenses or do Crizal and Alize not work well with Ovation? Are the differences not significant or worth the price difference with Ovation lenses? Does anyone think that a non-standard AR is so much better that the customer should either insist on Crizal or Alize or take their business elsewhere?

Thank you.

[SkiBunny]

I was skeptical about whether alize was worth the premium price, but after much consideration, i'm decidedly in favor of it. If you buy an essilor/varilux lens, try to work alize into your budget, even if it means compromising on something else (eg. frame cost or higher index).

Funny thing about costco was that up here they push/use alize by default, mind you they don't use ovation they offer only a choice of varilux (comfort, ellipse, panamic).

[For-Life]

I got a quote on Ovation progressives from a Costco and I asked about AR coating. They only provide one option that I was told was the "standard" no-name Essilor AR coating (+$30). I think that there are at least three options available elsewhere: standard (cheapest), Crizal (mid-price) and Alize (most expensive). At least those are available for Essilor Varilux lenses.

Do other places offer AR options with Ovation lenses or do Crizal and Alize not work well with Ovation? Are the differences not significant or worth the price difference with Ovation lenses? Does anyone think that a non-standard AR is so much better that the customer should either insist on Crizal or Alize or take their business elsewhere?

Thank you.

I would assume that the $30 one is RF99.

When I sell Essilor products I only offer Alize.

RF-99 is a poor AR with poor adhesion.

Crizal is great, but when Alize is only a few dollars more it is not worth going with Crizal.

I mainly sell Ovations here.

[fvc2020]

are things so different in Canda that Essilor sells their premium products to Costco? Just curious??


Christina

[lensguy]

are things so different in Canda that Essilor sells their premium products to Costco? Just curious??


Christina

If you are talking about things like panamic, crizal, comfort......yes
The only "essilor" product they do not seem to carry is nikon (progressives), but that seems to be changing.

[SkiBunny]

are things so different in Canda that Essilor sells their premium products to Costco? Just curious??


Christina
I can assure you that the costco-unionville store (i.e., in a north-central suburb of toronto about a dozen miles from downtown) offers ONLY Comfort, Ellipse and Panamic, all with Alize. That costco store does NOT offer ovation, in fact when i asked the optician told me they dont make any money from it.

But at a costco in a less affluent part of town (and i don't mean seedy by any stretch), they do offer Ovation in addition to that varilux trio. Crizal or Alize.

BTW in retrospect I'd have NO problem buying from costco, if i had an experienced good optician I liked. That was moot because I didn't see a frame i liked; they're a bulk-buyer limited-choice operation.

[sharon m./ aboc]

Look down your nose at Costco all you want. I've worked for them for just over a year and they are a great company with many perks! I originally came the this forum to discuss mono pd's on flat-tops. I feel they should be symetrical.... even if it means some unwanted prism for the patient. Flat tops just look too strange when they're not evenly lined up in the frame. Costco only sells the ovation progressives but we have a new short-corridor progressive (14mm min. seg.) I have a pair and they're great!!!! Our A/R coating is Vivex. It's a good product.

[William Walker]

Hi all,

I have now been working for Costco for a little over a month. The pros and cons have been pretty much in line with what I have been expecting them to be. The $30.00 AR is the Vivix AR. I haven't been able to do any research on it yet, but can anyone give any input on the Vivix AR?
Thanks for the replies.

[rinselberg]

Vivix AR is a product of
http://www.icoatcompany.com/

[Steve Machol]

Vivix AR is a product of
http://www.icoatcompany.com/Amd when I was in the business, I Coat was definitely one of the premier AR coating companies in the U.S. Great company and great product.

[eyegoddess1028]

I work for Sears Optical. We sell the ovation only in aspheric poly. Plastic we sell the natural. When you are dealing with corporations, they contract with certain manufaturers and can buy bulk cheaper. We can order other progressives, but it costs our labs more which in any business means passing on to the customer. and we can have silly sales like $88 for frames and natural no line bifocals. Most of todays customers look for price over anything else, and as hard as opticians educate their customers, price is one of the highest factors. Just look at contact lens patients that dont care if they get their contacts over the internet or at the doctors office. Eyewear, hearing aids, even medications are dispensed more and more in RETAIL atomspheres. Most of todays customers don't even stay with the same chain, just where the sale is the best. example- I have a customer screaming at me because he cant see the same out of his new eyewear like his old. he came in for the sale, told me that he doesnt want any extras. i informed him that he will have problems adapting to the new lenses (basic cr-39, adaptar in a +6.00,) because his old pair was a premium lens (varilux comfort, hindex, ar the works) and explained the benefits his lens had over the sale lens. I would have rather not sold him a pair to be honest. but he didnt want to pay a dime over the sale, and now he's saying that all lenses are the same so why cant he see....long story short, money in the customers pocket and the business pocket is all it boils down to.

andee aboc/ncle

[Bill West]

You are exactly right. Some people still want a better product and a first class job. However, since the chains appeared the majority of folk want "the best deal". Price,Price,Price, and then like you say, B****, B****, B****! Then you have the CRAP that Lenscrafters is doing. You don't like them, we will swap them, all with a money back guarantee and a $100.00 discount.
Is that begging or what?

Hell if they would hire only first class people and get it right the first time they would'nt need to have a candy A** deal like this. I would be ashamed to work for such an outfit. Every decent Optician that works for them should walk out today. Talk about degrading the profession. I been in this thing for over 45 years and it is down right disgusting what has happened to this profession. I would say this to all the chains. Keep up the lousy work and keep the flow of unhappy people coming. Keep hustling them and pissing them off. Business is great.


I work for Sears Optical. We sell the ovation only in aspheric poly. Plastic we sell the natural. When you are dealing with corporations, they contract with certain manufaturers and can buy bulk cheaper. We can order other progressives, but it costs our labs more which in any business means passing on to the customer. and we can have silly sales like $88 for frames and natural no line bifocals. Most of todays customers look for price over anything else, and as hard as opticians educate their customers, price is one of the highest factors. Just look at contact lens patients that dont care if they get their contacts over the internet or at the doctors office. Eyewear, hearing aids, even medications are dispensed more and more in RETAIL atomspheres. Most of todays customers don't even stay with the same chain, just where the sale is the best. example- I have a customer screaming at me because he cant see the same out of his new eyewear like his old. he came in for the sale, told me that he doesnt want any extras. i informed him that he will have problems adapting to the new lenses (basic cr-39, adaptar in a +6.00,) because his old pair was a premium lens (varilux comfort, hindex, ar the works) and explained the benefits his lens had over the sale lens. I would have rather not sold him a pair to be honest. but he didnt want to pay a dime over the sale, and now he's saying that all lenses are the same so why cant he see....long story short, money in the customers pocket and the business pocket is all it boils down to.

andee aboc/ncle

[toddb]

I agree with Bill and William.Im currently moving from a high end office to a sears to manage.Most progressives are going to work.

[eyegoddess1028]

which sears are you moving to? I agree with Bill and William.Im currently moving from a high end office to a sears to manage.Most progressives are going to work.

[HarryChiling]

I went from a Pearle Vision to an OMD's office because the money was better and I have recieved nothing but headaches. The staff is incompetent, the doctors are god, and any advice I give to my patients buying lenses is trumped by the doctor 80% of the time making me look stupid and ending up with me dealing with a customer irrate because the doctor steared them towards a horrible option, wich is my fault becaus the doctor trumped what I said so I must be the idiot. Good for you William for going with the chain. Private prctices must take advantage of you in order to eak out a profit, and most private offices are owned by gready f**ks. Just my opinion.

[rolandclaur]

I'm definetly not a big fan of the Vivixx AR coating. It's applied through a dipping process instead of the normal vacumn deposition and it is incredibly hard to clean.. I-Coat promotes it as being hydrophobic and anti-stat but I can see almost no oleophobic or sealed top layer at all when I clean the glasses. But it comes with a 1 year warranty.

[Jim Schafer]

I'm definetly not a big fan of the Vivixx AR coating. It's applied through a dipping process instead of the normal vacumn deposition and it is incredibly hard to clean..



Rolandclaur,
Vivix is not a dip AR.
I think you were misled, it is the hardcoat I-Coat applies by dip and thermal cure that serves as the base for the AR stack.
Here is a link to the I-Coat site and a pretty good explanation of their process. http://www.icoatcompany.com/vivix.html

I supplied Jack Jue with Transitions lenses when he was developing Vivix. It tested very well with all of our lens materials. At the time Vivix was released only a handful of premium AR's were doing dip and thermal cure base hardcoats. It is always great to see an independent come up with a world class product.
regards,
Jim

[coda]

I'm definetly not a big fan of the Vivixx AR coating. It's applied through a dipping process instead of the normal vacumn deposition and it is incredibly hard to clean.. I-Coat promotes it as being hydrophobic and anti-stat but I can see almost no oleophobic or sealed top layer at all when I clean the glasses. But it comes with a 1 year warranty.

Like others I have to disagree with this characterization. I've done a lot of comparitive testing recently and i-coat products consistently test at the top of the bunch for abrasion resistance, durability and cleanability. Better than a number of products with 'more recognizable' names.

[rolandclaur]

Could the variations that I have been experiencing in terms of the AR quality I have seen at my store be a result of the lab work being done by the facility that we farm out our lenses to? Apparently our Costco lab sends out all AR jobs to a separate lab to apply the AR and when I asked my optical manager who has been working for the company for almost 20 years, she said that they don't do backside AR because the lens is AR dipped.


The promotional material for the Vivix I have read states that it is hydrophobic and resistant to smudging, fogging, etc. I have worked with Alize, Platinum coating from Zeiss, and the Teflon, and these coatings have definetely been better than what I have seen so far.. I definetely don't want have a close minded, ignorant opinion of a product without comparing it to what others thing. So I'm opened to being enlightened fellow optiboarders...

[rinselberg]

The iCOAT website displays an upgraded version of Vivix, called Vivix Stainless.

Vivix Stainless is described as the same Vivix hardcoat/AR stack, finished with an upgraded "super slick" hydro/oleophobic topcoat. (Quoting the website.)

http://www.icoatcompany.com/stainless.html

[AWTECH]

Could the variations that I have been experiencing in terms of the AR quality I have seen at my store be a result of the lab work being done by the facility that we farm out our lenses to? Apparently our Costco lab sends out all AR jobs to a separate lab to apply the AR and when I asked my optical manager who has been working for the company for almost 20 years, she said that they don't do backside AR because the lens is AR dipped.

If you are correctly understanding your manager, I would have to say she does not understand AR at all. Many people despensing AR have been confused with technical lingo and then the consumer is confused and doesn't know who to trust. In almost all cases in the US AR is applied in a vacuum chamber. (I know there are some small systems using Sol-Gel, but I would guess much less than 1% of AR is by any method other than Vacuum applied). The term "dipped coating", is like Mr. Schafer stated, it is the hard coating that is dipped into a liquid this places a 2-4 microns of coating that is then baked in an oven until it becomes cured.

What you may have not understood, or she did not say it correctly, is that you are providing a superior hard coat that is applied by a dip method on both sides of the lens. Then the AR is applied after the dip hard coating is cured.

The other way hard coating is done in the US is to apply a hard coat to the back side after surfacing using a spin on process to apply the hard coat and then cure this with Ultra Violet light. Ask if this is what she was saying and let us know.

[rolandclaur]

ahh I got ya.. Then my question is why won't my lab do just backside AR only? I completely understand now when you mean the lenses are dipped for the cure coat.

[AWTECH]

Why do you want to order backside AR? If it is for sunglasses that is what you should order and they should be able to supply.

If they will not supply backside AR. I would assume they use an automatic flip over system in their vacuum chamber and without a full run of (40-120 lenses, depending on chamber size), they do not want to slow down their production.

[coda]

It is possible that your manager was thinking about the hydrophobic. Some hydrophobic coatings are applied in the vacuum chamber and some are applied outside, generally by dip coating.

Incidentally in (almost) any dipcoating process both sides of a lens are coated. A lens isn't dipped face down, rather from the edge.

[rolandclaur]

Well backside AR for sunglasses .. that's it..

[deeseyes]

but comfort and benifits are

[William Walker]

deeseyes...just wanted to say hello to another Costco optician. I'm at #357(E. Jacksonville).

[Lee Prewitt]

Amd when I was in the business, I Coat was definitely one of the premier AR coating companies in the U.S. Great company and great product.

Hey Steve! We still are!

[Lee Prewitt]

Could the variations that I have been experiencing in terms of the AR quality I have seen at my store be a result of the lab work being done by the facility that we farm out our lenses to? Apparently our Costco lab sends out all AR jobs to a separate lab to apply the AR and when I asked my optical manager who has been working for the company for almost 20 years, she said that they don't do backside AR because the lens is AR dipped.


The promotional material for the Vivix I have read states that it is hydrophobic and resistant to smudging, fogging, etc. I have worked with Alize, Platinum coating from Zeiss, and the Teflon, and these coatings have definetely been better than what I have seen so far.. I definetely don't want have a close minded, ignorant opinion of a product without comparing it to what others thing. So I'm opened to being enlightened fellow optiboarders...

iCoat does the AR for Costco in our facility. Yes, your lab sends the lenses to us to apply the AR. Jim Schafer is correct in the process he described in that the hardcoat is dipped, then thermal cured, and AR stack is by vacuum chamber. As to no backside AR, that may well be a Costco policy. We certainly can do backside AR on any lens.

Do a fair comparison of your AR coatings. Vivix is in the same class as Crizal and Teflon and it compares very well. Alize and I am assuming Platinum from Zeiss ( I have not heard of this unless your are meaning Carat Advantage) are in the next class up. They are part of the super-oleophobic class of AR. Our Stainless is part of this class and it compares well too. PM me if you want further details.

[Chris Ryser]

Yep from what I understand they only carry one progressive lens and that is the Ovation lens in different materials.... kinda sounds kooky huh?


I dont call that kooky........................I think that is pure good business sense. Costco have their own labs, and they have to stock only one type of lens in the progressive range.

That allows them to work out super discounts for large quantities.............sell for cheaper and maybe still make more money on them than the independents, that sell a hundred different variations of the same type lens just because they have been brainwashed to do so.

[deeseyes]

Thanks for introducing yourself. I'm at #336, it's nice to meet you.