Can We Talk Second Pairs ?

[GOS_Queen]

I'm wondering if anyone would be willing to share what they offer as a second pair discount?

Do you offer a set amount or percentage?

Is it just on the same day as the original pair or is there an accepted time frame (30 days, 60 days ... etc) when you honor that ?

Is your second pair discount valid on complete pairs only, on "partials" etc?

Do you hand out a coupon with their original purchase or just mention it?


Thanks in advance ...

[Framebender]

on complete pairs ordered within 30 days of the original purchase.

[High_Abbe]

My favorite is the BOGO. When this offer is executed correctly it can mean a lot more money in the till at the end of the night, and a backup pair for the consumer for FREE! A Bogo usually costs the optical next to nothing and it even gives you a chance to sell an AR coating or whatever, that not only covers the cost of the free pair but actually allows you to make more money on the "free" pair.

[cinders831]

We offer 50% off your second pair for ninety days from original order. It is quite a large discount I know but I think the sheer volume we do makes up for the drop in price. We offer a coupon and mention the promo and A LOT of people take advantage. It may be a month or two but a lot come back. We also offer free single vision lenses with the purchase of a frame and a year supply of contacts. We are a medium sized independant practice and these inhouse promos have sure helped us grow.

[Uni-Clip]

My favorite is the BOGO. When this offer is executed correctly it can mean a lot more money in the till at the end of the night, and a backup pair for the consumer for FREE! A Bogo usually costs the optical next to nothing and it even gives you a chance to sell an AR coating or whatever, that not only covers the cost of the free pair but actually allows you to make more money on the "free" pair.

High_Abbe,

Can you please get into more details about this "BOGO"? Are you talking abut buy 1 get 1 free? I don't quite understand how it gets you an AR sales.....

Thanks for enlightening.

Lak Cheong
www.uni-clip.com

[Uni-Clip]

If the primary pair is a high end progressive(AR, high index), do you recommend the Rx sun also in high end progressive? I assume majority of the 2nd pair sales are in Rx sun, am I right? Including a nice frame, it can be quite price prohibitive. Any good tips to overcome this?

Lak Cheong
www.uni-clip.com

[Uni-Clip]

It seems to me that whether 20%, 50% discount offered for 2nd pair, it's always cutting into the profit of ECP's. Any lab or frame vendor, you know of, is offering 2nd Pair discount to support the ECP's?

Lak Cheong
www.uni-clip.com

[Drod3210]

We usually offer 50% off the 2nd pair of glasses.

Time limit 30 days from the day of purchase.

Hope this helps:)

[Drod3210]

The discount is only on complete pairs only.

In our store we offer it to every single customer.

What a nice incentive to increase sales plus the customer is happy they get a good discount for the 2nd pair.

Hum the possiblities, Sunglasses, Readers, Sports, etc, etc, etc,
and lets not forget the backup pair.:bbg:

[cinders831]

Both my labs do. One is 50% off polaroids only and the other is 15% off any order. I agree it cuts into profits but I figure they are going to buy them somewhere, I would like it to be my practice.

[jas256]

We offer 40% off second pair and they can only take advantage that day. We do pretty well with this program too.

[shellrob]

20% off complete second pairs, same day.

[GOS_Queen]

Thanks for the information ~ quite helpful ~

[DOS]

Hi all when those of you give 50% discount on 2nd pair is this limited to single vision or do you include PAL'S and options like transitions & AR?

[GOS_Queen]

DOS ~



1st) welcome to optiboard :)

2nd) great question ~

[fjpod]

I think anything more than 10 or 20 % off on second pairs is BAD for the optical professions. It makes it harder to remain viable, and cheapens the value of the product and service that we render.

If you buy two TVs, do they give you the second one for free?? or 50% off?

[Johns]

I think that anyting you can do to get an optional pair of specs on someone's face is worth it in the long run. How many people have polarized suns (and now pay full price for them) that wouldn't hve were they not initially discounted ?


The point is, as a retailer, it's not how you sell, it's how you buy.

[GOS_Queen]

I think that anyting you can do to get an optional pair of specs on someone's face is worth it in the long run. How many people have polarized suns (and now pay full price for them) that wouldn't hve were they not initially discounted ?

That's a great point ~ it's amazing how many patients I've seen who fall in love with sunglasses and computer/music glasses because they got a discount on the second pair.

[GOS_Queen]

I think anything more than 10 or 20 % off on second pairs is BAD for the optical professions. It makes it harder to remain viable, and cheapens the value of the product and service that we render.

If you buy two TVs, do they give you the second one for free?? or 50% off?

I think you make a great point ~ I think part of the problem in the industry is that there's been too much cheapened ... (massive discounts, keeping standards low for opticians)

[Ed_Optician]

I offer it at the time of original purchase and extend it to the day of dispensing only. After that it is considered a new order and they pay full freight

Ed

[spartus]

The offer that a chain I worked at used (to great effect) was 25% same-day, or 20% within 30 days. Removes the pressure to get it RIGHT NOW!, and the offer is still pretty good even if they sleep on it for a week. Or four.

[Jubilee]

The offer that a chain I worked at used (to great effect) was 25% same-day, or 20% within 30 days. Removes the pressure to get it RIGHT NOW!, and the offer is still pretty good even if they sleep on it for a week. Or four.

This is exactly the same as what our office offers. It can not be used in conjuction with package offers either.

Cassandra

[Uni-Clip]

Are we saying discount scheme is the single most important driving force behind 2nd pair sales? What else can we do to facilitate this?

Lak Cheong
www.uni-clip.com

[Johns]

Are we saying discount scheme is the single most important driving force behind 2nd pair sales? What else can we do to facilitate this?

Lak Cheong
www.uni-clip.com

It may be the driving force today, but only because many despensers believe that that is what it take to make the second sale. It is not always the case.

[Bowmanconsult]

Greetings all.

I work with a lot of clients as an optometric consultant and I would like to share a quick story with you regarding 2nd. pair sales.

A client called me wanting to increase their 2nd. pair sales and said they were going to increase their 2nd pair discount (I like the word 'savings' myself) to 30% instead of their existing 20%.

My reply was that I felt it wouldn't make any difference...their reply was "How could it NOT increase the amount of 2nd pairs?"...my reply was "Most people don't purchase 2nd pairs simply because of the savings...they do so because of the 'benefit' (or value) of the 2nd pair.

To prove the point, I asked them to monitor their current 2nd pairs sold in percentage form for one month (at their current 20% savings), then increase the percentage to 30% and monitor the results for another month...THEN, drop the savings down to 10% for one month and again, monitor the sales in percentage form. Guess what...it didn't change a thing!

(In all honesty, a 50% savings WOULD be tempting to a patient and should yield an increase in 2nd pairs sold, but I would debate a positive income derived from it.)

Here's what I suggest to my clients;
*Include on your 'Welcome to the office' form several life-style questions such as "Do you work on a computer?", "Are your eyes sensitive to sunlight?", "Do you spend time outdoors?", etc.

*Next, the doctor HAS to review this at the end of the examination saying something like "Before you leave today, there are several items that YOU brought up on your 'Welcome' form that I would like to quickly review with you...it says here that you work on a computer, or spend time outdoors, or your eyes are sensitive to sunlight (or whatever the 'Welcome' form states)...allow my optician to show you the best in technology..it's called computer lenses, or golf lenses (or hunting, fishing, etc. etc.), or polarized lenses."

*Next, there needs to be an exchange of information from the doctor to the optician stating "Please show Ed the sample of hunting, fishing, golf, computer, polarized (or whatever) lenses (or frame) as Ed stated that he does a lot of fishing, or stated that his eyes are sensitive to sunlight, etc.

*The optician simply shows the additional lens/frame samples and then offers the 10% savings (and maybe even a payment plan, but only on secondary products).

Simply put...if the patient finds value in the second pair, they will buy it regardless of the amont of savings. If they don't value it, they won't buy it.

If the doctor doesn't take this seriously and recommend the secondary products, this method simply will not work. But if they do, sales should soar and patients will love their additional products.

Don't get caught up in the AMOUNT of savings...take the patients experience to the highest level and have the doctor recommend it and make sure you have the samples necessary to show the patient.

If you don't have a doctor in your location, you can still have the patinet fiil out a quick lifestyle form and then make recommendations based on that information.

The end result will be selling more 2nd pairs PLUS increasing your revenue by not 'giving away the farm'.

Give this a try.

Best Regards to all,

Tom Bowman