What would you do?

[FVCCHRIS]

Pinz-balls!

Would that make you a pinzball wizard??

[Chris Ryser]

People are using the internet to shop, compare prices, and SAVE MONEY! Optometry has shown us a way to compete in this market but it's going to require some major changes in our thinking. It's called "fee for service" and it will allow us to compete, (perhaps compete better than) internet retailers. Our retail prices reflect not only the cost of goods sold but the service required on that product for a protracted period of time. As a result, the reatail price of a frame might be considerably higher than what some would think a normal markup.

Harry has put it straight forward in his post. There has to be a total new way of thinking in order to survive this new way of doing business.

Adapt to new times, give good service against being paid for it. Sell the product at a fair markup instead of an inflated price that includes all future free services as it has been in the optical retail forever.

That is the only way to counter the fast growing new wave of optical on- line retailers. I have been following the trend very closely and there are definitely dangerous clouds hanging on the optical horizon.

On-line means selling through a website. The website is their store, and finding their store is a matter of being well listed on search engines, which will direct potential customers to their on line store which is open 7 days and 24 hours per week..
Success on-line is simply the law of average. If you make 5 sales per every
200 visitors, you need 2,000 visitors to make 50 sales. Therefore you have to get all the website traffic that is possible, the more you get the more you sell.

As the on-line websites are showing heavy increases of web traffic to their sites over the last 12 month we can safely assume that their sales have increased as well.
On line optical sellers do advise their customers to have the purchased glasses adjusted by an optician, that should be one of the first changes opticians should do without delay. Start charging for that service. Mention it in the shop window and the store with the fee charged.
And start rethinking how to charge for new glasses without service and then add the service and you could be able to compete with the new wave of on line opticals.
Do not count on help by lens or frame manufacturers as they will sell their goods anyhow.

[Johns]

Harry
Adapt to new times, give good service against being paid for it.

Am I reading too much into this statement, or are you saying be compensated fairlyh for what you do?

I'm am sometimes too literal, and I read that as "give" good service, as opposed (against) to being paid for it.

[Johns]

Adapt to new times, give good service against being paid for it. Sell the product at a fair markup instead of an inflated price that includes all future free services as it has been in the optical retail forever.

.

Now here, you are differentiating between goods and services. That is where the issue is being clouded. (And the "inflated price" really bugs me)

If you are building the service into the product, then it is not inflated at all. Those attempting to get a free ride on products purchased elsewhere are trying to steal your services.

Yes, the times are changing. THe fact is that 15 years ago, the general public had a dose of integrity and class that would have made the act of asking for an adjustment from somewhere the product wasn't purchased, too embarrassing to endure. Remember when your customers, those that DID purchase from you, were too embarrassed to accept the adjustments for free? They'd make you take $5 for the "coffee fund".

Now, w/"YOUR PANTS ON THE GROUND!:bbg:" type mentality, there is little to be embarrassed about, and the word shame is no longer a vocabulary in 2nd grade.

It's every person for themselves. They'll pay 2.50 more if they think it'll buy them coffee that was harvested by people being paid a fair wage, 2,000 miles away, but they'll look you in the eye and expect you to work fof free.:hammer:

[Johns]

Do not count on help by lens or frame manufacturers as they will sell their goods anyhow.

That is something we can ALL agree on.

[drk]

Yeah, it's not so much that prices are inflated for service, it's that pirates are now low-ball selling without any service whatsoever.


Should we follow suit?

• Well, for one thing a lot of these internet companies are going belly up tomorrow for their silly pricing
• They have no cost of regulatory compliance
• They source from second and third world sources (way to treat the Chinese peasants and their fearless leaders who keep the profit!)
• They don't have a complaint department for their cheap crap
• They don't have community standing and reputation, and won't bump into their customers in the line at the grocery
• They are so low in price as to be disposable like OTC readers--what's $20-40 down the tubes? We're going to be held to a higher standard.

No, we can't do it. We are virtually obligated not to, as professionals with public health in mind.

But there are adjustments to make, and Harry J. isn't wrong. We need to QUANTIFY, PRICE, and PROMOTE our services that are included in the retail price. What's more, we flat-out need to charge for additional professional services.

It won't be all at once, but you can see it, can't you?

"With every prescription you fill in our office, you have the following professional services included:

Frame fashion consultation: $x
Lens design services: $xx
American National Standards Institute-level quality control: $x
Frame fitting and lifetime adjustments: $x
30-day satisfaction guarantee: $x
Protection package: $x

Total value: $xxxxxx."

And if you didn't get your glasses from us:

"Optical services package: $xx
Adjustments for life of frame
Nosepads
Ultrasonic cleaning
Temple tips
Lenscloth
Cleaner (sorry, we do not a-la-carte)"


This postions opticians for the future if/when services become totally severed from material supply.

Heck, why do you think we don't do Spectera or Davis? They provide the materials, and ask us to provide services for an impossibly low price. Even if we allowed patients to choose their own glasses and drop shipped from Crown to the patient, we'd still lose money by virtue of providing aftercare.

[Optigrl64]

As an Independent Optician who owns their own dispensary I run into to this same thing weekly. Initially I did not charge for adjustments, nosepads, etc., but as people continued to come in that were not my customers, I now charge. I based my pricing off of what the independant lab that services some of my lens sales would charge me if I had them do it. I have not had any problems in doing this. I have actually gained quite a few customers off of these kind of services, which in this economy I am greatful for each one that walks through my doors:D

[icare]

If someone has gone "black market" with their eyewear, I won't touch them, because it's against Ohio law, and I don't want any liability when they crash their car into a schoolbus.

I'm confused. What aspect of the situation is against Ohio law?
I'm not sure if PA or any other states have such regulations.
Thanks.

[gmanlook]

I would have pointed out what was wrong with the glasses...a lot of times they will agree with you and tell you how much they dislike them. By telling her that they are too small might help you to bring her in for a future sale. Gary