What would you do in this situation...

[Audiyoda]

I'll give you some background first. Came to this office just over 4 months ago - at the time frame selection was very generic - predominently Safilo product (some Kate Spake along with tons of Polo/RL, 9West and Safilo core product), a little Marchon (Flexon products and Airlocks) and a little Signature (Nicole Miller & Bebe). Doctor made it clear he wanted that changed.

So in the last 4 months I've seriously reduced the Safilo product lines, increased a little on the Marchon and Signature while also bringing in lines like ProDesign Denmark, Oakley Ophthalmic, i.Frame & Stratus by i.Frame, Reflections by Traff and Clearvision's Ellen Tracy and BCBG. Patents now comment how nice it is that there's a varied selection and nicer styles to select from.

This practice has a handful of patients that come to out doctor for the exams but go elsewhere for their eyewear - they want something 'different' - something they've never found at this office. And that's the very reason I brought in ProDesign and some of the others. I didn't want to go overboard in this rural but growing community, but I wanted to offer a diverse selection of frames. One of those patients was very enthused that I wanted to bring in a more diverse selection - she waited after her exam (March) for me to get everything in before seeing if she again could start buying her eyewear from us rather than somewhere else. She even took the time to meet me at the office when I had the ProDesign rep in so she could look over his entire collection.

Well after all these months she finally selected a ProDesign frame - everyone in the office liked it on her and she liked it - so we ordered up her lenses and her eyewear was delivered this past Friday. Well today I get in to a message on my VM that she's unhappy with her eyewear - none of her friends or family like them on her - they all think they look 'dorky'. So I'm between a rock and a hard place - I work hard to get her back as a retail client, a client that could give us plenty of nice referrals because she owns/runs a high-end consignment shop in another burb of Grand Rapids. But she's unhappy with her purchase and wants to return them. I've always considered Rx eyewear purchases a done deal - no returns. We'll remake the lenses if there is a defect of we have a recheck or non-adapt, and we always pass along all manufacturers warranties at no charge. But once the patient picks out their frame, it's theirs.

Has anyone here run into a situation like this? I've yet to call her back - of course the first thing I want to know is exactly what is it that her friends/family don't like. I'll also try to remind her of the amount of time she took to make her decision and that Rx work is personalized and that we really don't have any way of re-doing these without incurring a great deal of expense. But does anyone have any insights or words of wisdom on how to handle a patient like this while also maintaining the practice's integrity?

Any help would be appreciated.

[shellrob]

If the patient wants to return the frame, that's fine, but the lenses are theirs. I explain this to them and it's posted in our office. Lenses are custom made medical devices and cannot be returned, no exceptions. I've only had 1 time in 7 years when there was a problem with this.

[Pete Hanlin]

This practice has a handful of patients that come to out doctor for the exams but go elsewhere for their eyewear - they want something 'different' - something they've never found at this office.
Its good that you are addressing the frame mix- therefore making the dispensary a better option for patients who are "walking" with their Rx. I'd encourage you to investigate further to ensure there aren't other reasons the practice is failiing to capture patients in the dispensary. That is, are the retailers in the area doing anything else (other than offering different frames), which could be emulated, improved upon- or addressed through some alternative?

But does anyone have any insights or words of wisdom on how to handle a patient like this while also maintaining the practice's integrity?
Help the patient choose a different frame and remake her eyewear. This goes back to the point above. Regarding the "practice's integrity-" at the end of the day, retailing is a part of the practice. Part of the retail business (especially today) is having friendly return policies. I'm not suggesting you rush at every customer who is the slightest bit dissatisfied with his/her glasses with cash in hand to refund their purchase- but, when a patient (especially one with the influence you describe) legitimately decides she doesn't like her eyewear- bend over backwards to make the patient/customer happy!

I've always considered Rx eyewear purchases a done deal - no returns.
Being put-out that the customer has changed her mind (for whatever real or silly cause) may win the practice a small amount of money by avoiding a remake- but will cost exponentially more in lost business.

Been there, done that, have the T-Shirt... just my $0.02, but I suggest sucking it up, smiling, and helping her find a pair of frames her relations and friends adore on her!
Good luck,
Pete

[Karenrp1956]

It does not help our business when there are places advertising 3 pr for 88.00 which includes "designer frames." And Lenscrafters advertising that the patient has 30 days to change their frames if they are unhappy with them for any reason. This belittles the optical business and keeps us out of the "professional" thoughts of our patients

[Jedi]

If the patient wants to return the frame, that's fine, but the lenses are theirs. I explain this to them and it's posted in our office. Lenses are custom made medical devices and cannot be returned, no exceptions. I've only had 1 time in 7 years when there was a problem with this.

That's how we do things here, and we also have a warranty card that we give out with all our glasses that explains our policies. If you don't have your policies in writing, I would heed Pete's advice, and suck it up.

[Jedi]

And Lenscrafters advertising that the patient has 30 days to change their frames if they are unhappy with them for any reason.

When ever a client brings that ad up, I tell them they don't have to worry, we are professionals and we pick the right frame the first time.
:D

[Andrew Weiss]

If the patient wants to return the frame, that's fine, but the lenses are theirs. I explain this to them and it's posted in our office. Lenses are custom made medical devices and cannot be returned, no exceptions. I've only had 1 time in 7 years when there was a problem with this.

We have a similar policy: if the frame is in good enough shape to resell, I'll credit what the patient paid for the frame toward a new pair of glasses. As to lenses: I will offer the patient some kind of relief on the cost of a new pair (significant discount, meaning 25% or higher), especially if it's a high-end lens.

I also remind the patient that if the frame shows signs of wear and tear, they've bought it and I cannot accept it as a return.

[labbrat]

I agree, Andrew. Depending on the first frame's design/lens size, there can often be the option of edging lenses down to fit a new frame. Not always an option, but occasionally.
Hope her friends/family come along for the 2nd fitting (LOL)

[shellrob]

We have a similar policy: if the frame is in good enough shape to resell, I'll credit what the patient paid for the frame toward a new pair of glasses. As to lenses: I will offer the patient some kind of relief on the cost of a new pair (significant discount, meaning 25% or higher), especially if it's a high-end lens.

I also remind the patient that if the frame shows signs of wear and tear, they've bought it and I cannot accept it as a return.

Yea, we do too. I do give them a slight discount on a new set of lenses.

[Johns]

You've got 3 things here:

1. You've got a customer that like unique product and is willing to pay for it.

2. You've got a customer that deals w/ the public AND has friends that give her input. (And friends that know she got a problem w/ her choice.

3. You've got a golden opportunity to go above and beyond the call of retail duty, and show her what you can do. Suck it up, make her happy, and she'll show all her friends how you solved a problem. Who else would do that?

[C-10]

You've got 3 things here:

1. You've got a customer that like unique product and is willing to pay for it.

2. You've got a customer that deals w/ the public AND has friends that give her input. (And friends that know she got a problem w/ her choice.

3. You've got a golden opportunity to go above and beyond the call of retail duty, and show her what you can do. Suck it up, make her happy, and she'll show all her friends how you solved a problem. Who else would do that?

with out a doubt this is the way to go you can create a client for life

[Alan W]

Why, oh, why, do we make it so hard to fight gaining customer loyalty? That's what retains customers.

If you fill 3 Rx/day @ $250.00 = $750.00
That's $195,000.00/year.
An aggressive marketing budget for small business can be placed at about 10%. That means that you are spending close to $20,000.00/yr on marketing. I doubt many practices spend that much on advertising. But, if one did, then I would think the objective of the advertising would be to generate new business and retain it.
So, it follows that within that $20,000.00 marketing warchest is a certain amount such that if it wasn't entirely spent on new business, it could be used to back up customer satisfaction, which is also customer retention.

Break it down and no matter how you do it, even if you spend 5% for marketing, the number of customers who come in and request exchanges etc. most likely is well within that budget. I believe the shrinkage factor of 5%, which usually includes our own screw ups and stolen merchandise is no more acceptable than a 5% customer satisfaction factor as part of overall marketing.

Heck o gee . . . I'll bet we see Dr. Remakes take a bigger chunk than customers who we would gladly make "enthusiastically happy all the time!!!"
Personally, I honestly think resistence to customer satisfaction comes from a bad attitude towards what a customer really is. Don't we eat because of customers?

That's my opinion. But what do I know . . . I'm not a doctor!

Alan W
P.S. Take a rep to lunch, a nice lunch, and make him/her take back the exchanges. (Yah.....that's rich!)

[Marketometry]

cj, your best course of action is determined by your goal for your business.

Do you want to avoid losing money on that sale? Then put the businesses interests before the customers. The disadvantage though, is that you will limit your word of mouth referrals, and the business will stay small.

Do you want to grow your business? Without hesitation, let the customer know you will do anything it takes to satisfy her. The benefit is positive word of mouth that will bring in more clients. If you're lucky, you might be able to fit her lenses into a new frame.

[Marketometry]

P.S. Alan W is right!

[Audiyoda]

I'm not disagreeing with any of you - we do have our policies on our warranty card and we make it clear to patients that if they at all feel like the frame they are selecting is not the right one to take it over night and ask friends/family how it looks. I have no problems doing an exchange - I do have a problem of abusing a system.

Alan W - I respect your POV, but your numbers don't add up. $195,000 is gross, net is more like $100,000. Now include overhead (salaries, ancillary COG, shrinkage, utilities, professional fees...), other remakes, discounts, and the like and you've down to around $30,000. 10% is 3,000 - still well worth putting towards patient/customer retention, but it must be used wisely. Sure customers put food on our plates, but giving away the store takes that food away. And there is a fine balancing act between making a customer happy and a customer abusing the system over buyers remorse.

Anyway...I spoke in depth with my patient today and now that she's had the weekend to think about it she's fine with her purchase. These glasses are NFO and in the end, they are what she wanted - as she said, if she were wearing these all day it would be a different story. But for what they are being used for, she's happy with them.

So the moral of the story is - you've got to fetch out buyers remorse for what it is and play every situation as something unique.

[loncoa]

Remake it of course! But let her know in no uncertain terms..."this is it!" This type of redo must be borne. But not repeatedly. Eat the costs and fix her problem; you will build your practice. But don't do it more than once for her. She must be told that this is her final choice of frames. If she has to get all her "friends" (and I use the term loosely-who tells their friends that their new specs are "dorky"- I mean who even uses that term- are we still in grade eight?) to come in to the office to approve them, then that's what she'll have to do. Then she needs to get some therapy to increase her self-esteem. It must be awful for her to require everyone's constant approval to feel ok about her choices. How about you folks, Optiboarders? Personally, I feel like some kind of pioneer when people don't like my new clothes or hairstyle or some other thing that I did because I liked it. Funny, but then about 2 or 3 months later a lot of those people are sporting the same thing. Hee Hee Hee Ha Ha Ha. Think everyone on the bus agreed with Rosa Parks?

[Dannyboy]

Since th patient refers so many patients to you that it is worth the advertising, do the darn thing again but this time make sure you lend her a few frames (DEPOSIT OF COURSE) so that she can take it to her friends including the "ugly one". Offer her 50% off the lenses and 25% off the next frame. If she still does not like them offer her only 50% refund and in your business card write a set amount towards her next purchase within 3-6 months. If she still complains refund the full amount and tell her to get the hell out of your store!

Dannyboy

[HarryChiling]

Alot of great ideas here. I would personally ask her if she wouldn't mind bringing in a friend or two that she really values the opinion of. Then pick a new frame out and tell her that you don't do this for everyone, but she looked so beautiful in the frame that you did not want to have her walk away feeling doorky, please don't wear this line out as it works for me all the time. 50% of the time the friends start looking for glasses and might even schedule an appointment while you are schmoozing her, before they walk out of the store hand her friends a couple of business cards a piece and hand her a small stack and ask her to do you a favor and maybe place them in her store on the counter. Tell her that you think her glasses look great and if she doesn't believe you watch how fast those business cards go.


Grow your business, you already have a large advantage in knowing who your customer is, use this to your advantage.

[shellrob]

If it comes down to losing the patient, then by all means do what you have to do. It's very rare that I have that problem and it's usually a special circumstance on why the patient has or wants to change frames. I can always tell which patients that might be. If they ask numerous times about warranty info or are hesitant to purchase without a family member, those are the ones to be careful of. But, again, I cannot even remember the last time it happened.

[Alan W]

Dear "CJ" (Hope the abbrevation is OK)
Meet me in the lounge after the management seminar. We'll have a sip and discuss your interpretation of "giving away the store." I have no problem with anyone disagreeing. But, we're talking about basic business strategic planning. You can expect customers to push the envelope. And, you can expect yourself to account for that when you set your parameters for "shrinkage." The issue is what you will allow your customers to get before you start call it something nasty. Sorry, but you're still thinking the way doctors do. Every nickel is theirs and anyone who wants it is a thief. Health care professionals make big bucks because they go unchallenged on who and how gets satisfied. That's changing. Anyone who offers "healthcare services in a retail environment" learns quickly that the rules are different. But, you know something . . . the rewards are handsome for those professionals who go by the retail rules of consumerism. There are a great deal more "winners" in that game than you can imagine. "Giving away the shop" is throwback thinking. Sorry. Your parameters are different than mine . . . not wrong, just different. When you've given away all you can to make a customer happy and it doesn't work, it's very easy to admit openly that you failed to give them whatever they need. Maybe someone else can do more for them. You can do no more.

[drlebby]

:idea: If the patient likes the eywear, they will tell approx 2-3 people, if they dont, they will tell approx, 10-13. Do the math, crunch the numbers. Better to make 'em happy, ( with-in reason)
If that doesnt work, then go to her store, buy something, use her time and money and then return it, exchange it, say your friends dont like it.

[Mojo]

You've got 3 things here:

1. You've got a customer that like unique product and is willing to pay for it.

2. You've got a customer that deals w/ the public AND has friends that give her input. (And friends that know she got a problem w/ her choice.

3. You've got a golden opportunity to go above and beyond the call of retail duty, and show her what you can do. Suck it up, make her happy, and she'll show all her friends how you solved a problem. Who else would do that?

I have to say you nailed it.

I hate these kind of problems as much as the next guy but you're standing on very thin ice here.

Your decision will either cost you a little profit and lock in a customer for life as well as all her family/friends/customers or you will save a little profit and lose all those residual sales down the road.

[Sincere]

Hey, I understand your problem as does everyone here. I think that your patient needs more validation at this point more than anything. I work in a high dollar boutique and we face this concern on a regular basis. I do agree with your inventory swap, but in the case of taking a patient out of a silver dollar frame and putting them in something like a theo or pro design could show up twice as much as the p.t. anticipated. This is where the opticians duty goes back to basics with LISTENING to the customer's needs are CRUCIAL.. Any cold blooded corporate Wally World, or Lens Crafters employee will tell you-( not that you don't know )- that lifestyle questions are a good place to secure your capabilities and trust within a weary p.t.-,Now, I will say that patients place a LOT of trust in our hands, but they must ultimately be responsible for their own purchases. A smart optician knows that when you've got an undecided p.t. wandering endlessly that your best hope of ending the search is to assist in frame selection and aimfully narrow the choices down to 2 or 3 frames. The same concept applies here. You must make a cosmetic driven shopper realize what the frames are doing to her face and narrow down her needs in/re functionality and fashion to a bare minimum. Touch on subjects like "this frame is a fun, colorful frame --versus--something they will wear proffesionally and is functional while dressing up or down. A patient will likely decide after identifying the purpose of each frame which one serves the best overall purpose and usally make a coscious decision. This usually ends up being something the patient relates to as his/her fault if something is unacceptable because they made the choice under your guidance, not you taking a "best Guess " as to what the patient needs--Meaning absolutely no offense.- Or tell her to take that undecided crap to lens crafters and best of luck....

[akeroptical]

That font hurts my eyes.