Free Exams- how does this work?

[Johns]

Ha! How about I talk to the doc today given all the feedback I got here from my peeps and let her know (gently of course) that the whole idea blows? Then we'll talk about marketing 101 and the perception of value.

Just print it out, and hang it in the break room!

[jmchapman]

maybe try something really different, contact a few other medical businesses in the area and create some sort of little health fair where your optical is and you can do free screenings like you've done in the past but on a bigger scale, I don't know if your location is great for that but at least that would somewhat benefit the community and your business would be seen.

[Ed_Optician]

Would offering a discount on a second pair of glasses equal to the value of the exam circumvent the issue? You are not giving a free exam you are giving them a comp in the amount of the exam toward a purchase of glasses.

[cocoisland58]

So far we have agreed to offer free vision screenings for students during the summer. Did this a few years ago and booked several exams because of it. Thank you all for your input.

[varmint]

How about free eye exams, free glasses, a $50 voucher for internet glasses, a $20 gift card to McDonalds, and a free back rub?

I'd like to make an appointment please.

[MIOPE]

So i am a good Optometrist if i charge for the exam and i am not if do not charge for it. And the higher the fee the better Optometrist i am. Where did you learn this? Sincerely i am the same person who cares about his patients even if i do not charge for the exam (no one charge for the exam in my country). And i do not recommend glasses to anyone that do not need it. When i am with the pattient the last thing i think of is how much money i am going to make selling a pare of glasses.
Treat people faily and you will have a good reputation no matter if you charge for the exam or not.
There are more important thing in life than money.

[engnenk]

The purchase of eyeglasses is to a large degree a bundled transaction and the value of each component is somewhat obscured, The best thing for any business is to add tranparency to its pricing policies by charging the full price for each and then offering a discount off of each one if it is necessary. If you offer me a free exam, I will take my Rx and go online to find the cheapest glasses.

Bad idea.

[MIOPE]

If i do not charge for the exam i will tell you if i thing you should wear glasses or not, is so, what you should expect from the glasses and all of those recommendation we usually give but i will not give you the prescription.
As i has said before, this is the way things are in this country and if i start charging for a exam, people will go where they do not charge for it.
Look it in another way. I will charge you for the solution of your visual problem. That includes exam, frame, lenses, etc.

[APBOD]

I have not seen anyone mention that good quality optometrists charge more than terrible optometrists.

You are correct that there are more important things in life than money. But how can I pay my rent, utilities, lab fees, employees, car, home, ect if I give away services? It's the services learned from 8 years of education that make the optometrist, not the materials (glasses)

If you charge fairly for your services you dont care whether your pateints buy glasses from you or not.

Unfortunately, in unlicensed states anyone, untrained, can sell glasses. In Texas you can quit your job managing a sandwich shop and manage an Eyemasters the next day. I know this first hand, therefore, anyone can under cut your material prices. (Walmart, internet, ect) Your value as a doctor of optometry is your training and expertise. Only other doctors can under cut you. It is unfortunate that this is what has happened in Panama.

[Fezz]

I
Unfortunately, in unlicensed states anyone, untrained, can sell glasses. In Texas you can quit your job managing a sandwich shop and manage an Eyemasters the next day. I know this first hand, therefore, anyone can under cut your material prices.

What are YOU doing to improve things?

Are you stepping up..........or stepping aside?

[APBOD]

several things:

1. charging for all services
2. hiring experienced opticians - offering ABO test reimbursement if test is passed
3. choosing to do buisness with companies that support private practice (no E)
4. refusing to release PDs for internet use. I dont care if you dont buy glasses from me, but Im not perpetuating or endorsing interent eyewear in any fashion.
5. trying to educate my collegues to do the same.

[hcjilson]

In most regulated states it is a violation of regulations to offer a free eye exam as an incentive to purchase spectacles.

[MIOPE]

In most regulated states it is a violation of regulations to offer a free eye exam as an incentive to purchase spectacles.

I am not informed about regulations on each state in U.S.A... Remmenber that i am in a different country with diferent laws. But anyway it is not ethical to offer free exams as an incentive to purchase glasses. Here the patient has a free exam but he is also free to go somewhere else where he will also have a free exam because the exam is free everywhere. So free exam is not an incentive.
There are no opticians here. Optical stores must have a Optometrist most of the time the store is open to public. Optometrist must also do most of the things a optician would do on the U.S.A.
Optometrist are licenced. Not all the universities in the world that offers the career are accepted. In fact, only a few.
So as you can see, we are regulated by the law but in a different way compared to U.S.A.
Different roads can lead you to the same place.
For those worried about incomes for the optometrist. Some own the store and others work for another optometrist. The salary is good compared to other professions and in some cases it is higher.

[Lmzsenia]

I actually work at America's Best and its 2 pairs for $69.95 and there are about 6 frame boards for women, 5 for men, and 1 for kids with atleast 40 frames each on them for that price.

Just saying!

[cocoisland58]

Just saying!

Just saying what exactly?

[APBOD]

just wondering how often patients come back with frame breakage.

Lmzsenia "I actually work at America's Best and its 2 pairs for $69.95 and there are about 6 frame boards for women, 5 for men, and 1 for kids with atleast 40 frames each on them for that price."

[OHPNTZ]

America's best is not concerned with quality. Many people I graduated with tell me about the rushed exams...no longer than 5 minutes in length, and terrible eye care...I'm sure that philosophy carries over to their optical approach...a slaughterhouse approach...