The real world of consumer optics

[Uilleann]

As I read many of the threads here (and have read over the years), there seems to be a great thrust with many about this lens/material/treatment/coating being superior to that because of reasons: X, Y & Z. This isn't the consensus of all of us of course for any single given product, but many do seem to trend towards one material, manufacturer or vendor over another. My question isn't to get into the semantics of why you FEEL one product is "better" than any other, but what are the criteria you use to make your best educated decisions? What tells you that lens A outperforms lens B? If you have a lens that has yellowed and it's AR has crazed, would you continue to dispense the same because you believe in the marketing, the spec sheet they provide, or the company itself? What if you have a frame line that you really like the styles of, but can't get serviced by rep or home office? Or you have a lab that does immaculate work - but it takes a month to get a job back to you?

Where/how do you draw the deciding line between what's acceptable to you vs. what is (or should be) acceptable to the patients you dispense to? Is it performance alone? Profit margins? Back-end service? Remembering that this is all strictly subjective - how do you do it?

[chip anderson]

If it sells well, and doesn't come back to give me any headaches, it's a good product..
Headaches, mean frames that break, mountings that loosen, coatings that peal or discolor, tints that fade, frames that won't hold adjustment. Especially stuff that I later see a customer wearing something I didn't sell him and if asked he tells me how the product I did sell him didn't hold up.

I know this isn't an ideal world but I like products that when I sell them, the next time I see the customer he either has a new Rx or is tired of it.
Planned oblesence sucks.


Chip

[cocoisland58]

If it sells well, and doesn't come back to give me any headaches, it's a good product..

Exactly.

[Now I See]

If it sells well, and doesn't come back to give me any headaches, it's a good product..
Headaches, mean frames that break, mountings that loosen, coatings that peal or discolor, tints that fade, frames that won't hold adjustment. Especially stuff that I later see a customer wearing something I didn't sell him and if asked he tells me how the product I did sell him didn't hold up.

I know this isn't an ideal world but I like products that when I sell them, the next time I see the customer he either has a new Rx or is tired of it.

I've got to give this post a big "Ditto" :)

If I use a product; frame/lens/coating, etc. and the pt comes back over and over, then I will stop using it. While I don't mind seeing my patients come back for adjustments and the like, I don't want them coming back because the product I sent out was inferior.

As far as some of the other examples you mentioned:

no service from reps...ehh, there are other ways to buy frames...:)

jobs that take a month to get back?? No way..I'd have to draw the line on that one...being independent and one of 4 optical shops within a mile, I have to get my jobs quicker than that, I have to do everything I can to stay competitive. There are plenty of labs out there that do excellent work in a reasonable amount of time, I'd have to use them instead. :)

[FullCircle]

If it sells well, and doesn't come back to give me any headaches, it's a good product..
Headaches, mean frames that break, mountings that loosen, coatings that peal or discolor, tints that fade, frames that won't hold adjustment. Especially stuff that I later see a customer wearing something I didn't sell him and if asked he tells me how the product I did sell him didn't hold up.

I know this isn't an ideal world but I like products that when I sell them, the next time I see the customer he either has a new Rx or is tired of it.
Planned oblesence sucks.


Chip

I'll ditto this too.And 've got nothing to add since Chip has summed it up perfectly