Results 1 to 9 of 9

Thread: More Fun with 1-800 Contacts

  1. #1
    Banned
    Join Date
    Jun 2000
    Location
    Only City in the World built over a Volcano
    Occupation
    Dispensing Optician
    Posts
    12,996

    More Fun with 1-800 Contacts

    Last week I had a patient who has been a past user of 1-800-Contacts come in. After securing an O.K. from his ophthalmologist I proceeded to become his contact lens fitter/provider. The patient wasn't sure of of what he had been happy with so he brought his boxes in for me to see. Guess what: The Boxes he had were either specially packaged for 1-800 by B&L or had a tight irremovable bar code over the Base Curve, on all packages. I couldn't really tell if the base was printed on the box (although the box was somewhat different than those supplied by B&L to us for the same product.
    My point? Although 1-800 Contacts wants the patient to be able to supply "The Prescription On the Side of the Box" to them, they don't want thier customers to be able to "Supply the Precription On the Side of the Box" to any other source of contact lens supply again.

    Chip

  2. #2
    Bad address email on file QDO1's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Location
    UK
    Occupation
    Dispensing Optician
    Posts
    1,961
    Quote Originally Posted by chip anderson
    Last week I had a patient who has been a past user of 1-800-Contacts come in. After securing an O.K. from his ophthalmologist I proceeded to become his contact lens fitter/provider. The patient wasn't sure of of what he had been happy with so he brought his boxes in for me to see. Guess what: The Boxes he had were either specially packaged for 1-800 by B&L or had a tight irremovable bar code over the Base Curve, on all packages. I couldn't really tell if the base was printed on the box (although the box was somewhat different than those supplied by B&L to us for the same product.
    My point? Although 1-800 Contacts wants the patient to be able to supply "The Prescription On the Side of the Box" to them, they don't want thier customers to be able to "Supply the Precription On the Side of the Box" to any other source of contact lens supply again.

    Chip
    shocking

  3. #3
    Ophthalmic Optician
    Join Date
    Sep 2001
    Location
    USSA
    Occupation
    Dispensing Optician
    Posts
    12,591
    I think it's remarkable how the contact lens reps come in and tell us how they want us to be able t compete against the online and big box retailers, and then they turn around and give them the best deals available, and do everything they can to crush you.

    Yes, I know that you can't fault them for wanting to make as much $$ as they can from whomever they can, but Im tired of the lip service, and have made a concentrated effort to avoid them . Has a practitioner recently tried to buy a solution from a vendor for resale? They put you on hold and check with their supervisors to se if it's allowed. "We send you free ones!" they say, but want you to send your customers to WM when they are ready to spend $$.

    Look at the "vendor of the year" awards that the major companies give out. It's very telling.

  4. #4
    Banned
    Join Date
    Jun 2000
    Location
    Only City in the World built over a Volcano
    Occupation
    Dispensing Optician
    Posts
    12,996
    Johns: WE even asked B&L and Boston Solution why we couldn't handle Boston Enzymatic Cleaner and why it was only sold at WallyMart. The answer: "Most optometrists want the patients to go to WallyMart."

    Well I am not an optometrist, and I don't really care what "most optometrists" want. I want to be able to supply my patients, I want them coming in my store which they do, because we can supply Boston Products at about 1/3 what Wally Mart sells for. We don't make any money on this, but they stay in touch. They do occasionally buy other products on which we do make money.

    It's a shame more solution companies don't offer practioners lower prices to accomplish the same thing.

    Chip

  5. #5
    Manuf. Lens Surface Treatments
    Join Date
    Aug 2002
    Location
    in Naples FL for the Winter months
    Occupation
    Other Optical Manufacturer or Vendor
    Posts
    23,240

    Not only.....................

    Quote Originally Posted by Johns
    Look at the "vendor of the year" awards that the major companies give out. It's very telling.
    I would just like to add that this is not a unique situation in contact lenses only................this goes through the whole optical eyecare business.

  6. #6
    Ophthalmic Optician
    Join Date
    Sep 2001
    Location
    USSA
    Occupation
    Dispensing Optician
    Posts
    12,591
    Chip,


    Exactly! But isn't it strange how they (reps) spend all the time with us, explaining how good their product is, who should use it, why they should use it and so on ? They want us to educate their Wally shopper.

    I no longer hand out Opti-Free or Renu. I sell a solution from Europe that we sell for $29 for a year supply (6 large bottles). We make the sale by telling the patient that if they ever rip a contact lens while using our sloution, we'll replace that contact (once) at no charge (we give them a trial). We sell about 30 bottles a week, and now we have another profit center in our practice that generates income we've been losing for year.

  7. #7
    ATO Member HarryChiling's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2005
    Location
    Nowhereville
    Occupation
    Other Eyecare-Related Field
    Posts
    7,765
    I am curiuos, if you were to scan the side of these B&L boxes would it be the base and diameter in barcode format or is it encoded?
    1st* HTML5 Tracer Software
    1st Mac Compatible Tracer Software
    1st Linux Compatible Tracer Software

    *Dave at OptiVision has a web based tracer integration package that's awesome.

  8. #8
    Bad address email on file Lynne's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2003
    Location
    Wailuku, Hi
    Posts
    159

    Wave

    Quote Originally Posted by chip anderson
    My point? Although 1-800 Contacts wants the patient to be able to supply "The Prescription On the Side of the Box" to them, they don't want thier customers to be able to "Supply the Precription On the Side of the Box" to any other source of contact lens supply again.

    Chip
    Can the patient access "their" account, to see what they have bought in the past? I have had a couple of folks do that from our office, but don't remember which company they had bought from online. We were able to get their shopping history, which gave the OD the last Rx, when they were new to us.

  9. #9
    Vision Equipment OptiBoard Corporate Sponsor Leo Hadley Jr's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    Florida
    Occupation
    Other Optical Manufacturer or Vendor
    Posts
    1,664

    Incredible!!

    Although this tactic disgusts me, I cannot help but laugh out loud over it. I bet whoever thought of this got a raise, promotion and is hailed as a genious!!!:idea: Great Marketing Strategy!!! Get the RX from the patients boxes and then conceal the RX on the new boxes. I bet this gives them a lot of repeat business. I wish I was at that meeting.
    Leo Hadley Jr
    Vision Equipment
    T: 855.776.2020

    www.visionequipmentinc.com

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Similar Threads

  1. 1 800 contacts automated message
    By IIII in forum General Optics and Eyecare Discussion Forum
    Replies: 40
    Last Post: 12-18-2006, 06:41 AM
  2. Is the focus day and night contacts really the most comfortable brand?
    By Myoptic33 in forum General Optics and Eyecare Discussion Forum
    Replies: 20
    Last Post: 11-13-2005, 07:27 AM
  3. My poor sister! She was overcorrected at -2.75 contacts! Should be -2.00!
    By Joann Raytar in forum General Optics and Eyecare Discussion Forum
    Replies: 0
    Last Post: 08-08-2005, 05:16 PM
  4. Contacts
    By Dannette in forum General Optics and Eyecare Discussion Forum
    Replies: 1
    Last Post: 06-17-2004, 02:14 PM
  5. 800 contacts
    By Cowboy in forum General Optics and Eyecare Discussion Forum
    Replies: 10
    Last Post: 03-04-2004, 02:04 AM

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •