Hi all,
Read through many threads and thought I'd bring up the AR issue again. I currently use my lab's AR : Rhino AR and also CHC AR. I haven't had any issues so far with quality and their price points are great compared with the others but I don't hear a lot of people talking about these less commonly used ARs. I've had no patient complaints at all and no returns!
Any experiences with lesser known/used ARs that have surprised you (good or bad)?
no patient complaints at all and no returns!..............
Very refreshing to read you post. For years there has been an tendency on the Optiboard to glorify only AR coatings produced by the major corporations as the only, best and forever lasting products.Originally Posted by f2chow
Knowing that AR coatings are all made with the same materials on the same coating machines with maybe a little difference in the application methods, the end results should be very close to equal.
Uusally when this subject comes up it might erupt into a fullsize war of the AR fanatics fighting for their beloved AR coatings made by the one and only...................with a blue, gold or pink hue.
Well I am glad that you are having success.
I have had too many failures with other, less expensive coatings in the past. I would love it for Chris to see a pair of glasses from my store after two years compared to the competitors glasses after two year.
Honestly, the selling point to me and my patients is the Alize Warranty. Not only is satisfaction guaranteed, the adhesion and scratch resistance is too! TWO year unlimited replacement. And you know about 90% of people use it at least once. B/C IMHO, glasses should always be in tip, top condition so that they perform to the highest standards. If the frame and lenses both have a two year warranty, I know I can keep them both looking brand new for two years.
Is there a "cheaper" brand that offers that warranty? And is easy to clean? And is anti-static?
90% use it at least once?? Are you kidding? That is the highest return rate that I've ever heard of. Ridiculous! You aren't one of those that tell the customer to come back in next year to get a free lens replacement are you?
The one reason why I love Crizal (yes, I specifically named a brand) is because I get very few people coming back using the warranty. With HCC it was slightly higher. With UTMC is was much higher. With Seiko, CHC, Hoya's cheap one from a few years back, and other no name brand ones, it was very high.
I don't recall ever replacing a Crizal, others...yes.
So does that make us brainwashed?
Nope! I don't care who makes it or what it's called...it just needs to work! Crizal works! And there are others that work too.
In regards to the warranty, I don't replace the newer super tough coating nearly as often as I used to with previous generations. I have, however, actually replaced a pair of Prog, Poly with Teflon lenses for a patient. I made a call into the lab to make sure it would fall under the warranty. To this day, I'm not sure if it really was. Maybe it was just a pitty replacement. The guy was in a motorcycle accident and the lenses were okay till the paramedics got a hold of them and scratched them all to hell. It was done and I'm glad I could make the patient happy. Me personally, I like my super tough coatings from the major lab suppliers. I may never use the warranty, but it makes them easier to sell if the patient can count on us to replace it if they do mangage to scratch them.
Our lab has an in house coating that is pretty good and we do use it in a pinch but, Crizal is our product of choice. All of the employyes wear it and my own are over two years old and in pristine condition with only a warm water rinse and a swipe of a tissue in the morning. We only offer a one year warranty as a point of sale and have only had to use it once for myself when I let my hairdryer get to close. If you believe in the product it will sell and we make an awesome profit. Sure there are other brands that are just fine but I haven't found one I like as well.
Are you telling me that you don't think 90% of people get a scratch on their lenses within two years of purchase? I'm not one of those "Oh, my warranty's about to expire. I'd better get a new pair!" kind of people. However, I know that as an independent, my main advantage over a corporate chain is my warranty. Everyone is going to get a scratch on their lenses, and I can make it brand new again. All it costs us is two minutes of my time, and it makes customers fiercely loyal. I don't see anything wrong with that.
No! No way! If I had to redo 90% of the lenses I sell, I'd get out of this business! And they may not cost you anything to redo, but, they cost somebody!
To clarify, all the ARs I use have unconditional 2 year warranties and are often available with the "flavour of the month" hydrophobic top coats. Honestly though I don't see too much difference in the quality and the rate of returns. Maybe I justt got lucky with my lab doing great work .... but compared to when I used Crizal or UTMC or HCC Ice I don't see any increase in defect rates/warranty returns.
I'm interested though in hearing stories from people who you have tried switching our of a Crizal into another AR. Anyone have this experience?
Is there a.............................
Lots of labs offer you good AR coatings at good prices.
For the easy to clean coating you can apply it yourself and dont have to pay the high price for that item.
It is anti- static...........and also...............anti - fog, which nobody else does offer at this time.
See the product review right here on Optiboard.
Review: OMS Diamond Slick Coat
Fezz
"Lots of good AR's at good prices"
Chris, I do not know about that.
We all pay more for product due to these warranties. I have no problem replacing a pair of lenses that are truly faulty. I do have a problem replacing lenses that are abused, neglected, and mistreated. One time replacements=maybe, after that...PATIENT RESPONSIBILITY!
Eyefitwell stated that "All it costs us is two minutes of my time, and it makes customers fiercely loyal. I don't see anything wrong with that."
I have a different take. I believe it takes more than two minutes. This is figuring pulling the charts, ordering the new lenses, verifying the new lenses, calling the patient when ready, removing old lenses, inserting new lenses, verifying proper alingment, readjusting, and delivering. Do the lenses have to be returned(some do, some don't), paying for postage, tracking credit. etc. All of this TIME adds up to $$$$$$!
Warranties do cost, please do not believe that they do not.
Last edited by Fezz; 11-15-2006 at 03:11 PM. Reason: addition
Chris, I do not know about that...............
For-Life.........On January 21 it will be 3 years that I met you here on the Optiboard the first time. You are one of the most active and nicest guy's around and I hope you are going to stick around for a while longer.
If I remember right (without search( you made many statements right of the start that you preferred the one and only AR coating supplier, ecause you had not best expieriences with all the others you tried. I accept your point of view.
However we are all 3 years older now and a ot of water went under the bridge in that time. Maybe you have not given anybody else a second chance to prove that their product has considerably improved over that time. If you were unhappy with the quality received, so were many others.
It just would make sense that these companies must have seen the dip their production took by loosing customers and most probably worked hard to come up with a decent and better product. Maybe it's time to find out if they learned their lesson and are matching the quality of your preferred supplier.
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