so i got burned....

[charan]

So a lady walks with her Rx she wants to order progressive with photochromic lenses, but only if I take no deposit because she didnt have cash in hand, i never do that i explained but then she was walking away its was roughly $500 sale and times are tough so I agreed, Unfortunatily her glasses got delayed for 2 business days due to lens breakage, I call her to let her know now she's saying she'll think about picking up the glasses! :angry: , her glasses came in i call her she just totally refused to pick them because they were late, I try to give her my explanation she keeps hanging up on me i know i'm basically screwed ! but is there any way I can go after her! I'm so ******! :angry:

[optical24/7]

You learned a valuable lesson: "No good deed goes un-punished!"

[WFruit]

"This job would be great if it weren't for the customers."

[uncut]

I feel your pain.

BTW, didn't you see the big glowing M in the middle of her forehead?

[ih8wlmrt]

you could try offering her an "I am sorry they were late discount" that may be what she is after.
I had a long time patient (a lawyer no less) order 2 pair a $1000 order, she picked up one pair and paid for it when it was ready, the second pair took a little longer (a couple of days) it ended up sitting for over a year, I sent her many bills and called and called she kept saying she would be in next week finally I called her and told her that if she came in before the end of the week I would give her 50% off of the price(I figured some money was better than no money) she came in with cash that afternoon.


YOu could also try telling her if she does not pick up the glasses by xx/xx/xx what ever date you will be hanging her picture (from your security cameras) on the counter with a sign that says "do not sell to this patient" or "not welcome here" or "refused to pay for glasses" kind of like the convenience store does with shop lifters and bounced checks. Tell her you will take it down when she picks up and pays for the glasses. If its a small town maybe that will be enough to embarrass her to come in.

[charan]

you could try offering her an "I am sorry they were late discount" that may be what she is after.
I had a long time patient (a lawyer no less) order 2 pair a $1000 order, she picked up one pair and paid for it when it was ready, the second pair took a little longer (a couple of days) it ended up sitting for over a year, I sent her many bills and called and called she kept saying she would be in next week finally I called her and told her that if she came in before the end of the week I would give her 50% off of the price(I figured some money was better than no money) she came in with cash that afternoon.


YOu could also try telling her if she does not pick up the glasses by xx/xx/xx what ever date you will be hanging her picture (from your security cameras) on the counter with a sign that says "do not sell to this patient" or "not welcome here" or "refused to pay for glasses" kind of like the convenience store does with shop lifters and bounced checks. Tell her you will take it down when she picks up and pays for the glasses. If its a small town maybe that will be enough to embarrass her to come in.

she keeps hanging up on me doesn't want to even speak to me but i've left her a text message and offered her a discount, so lets see what happens

[Ginster]

If she agreed to pay when they came in then just keep billing her for them. In 90 days if she doesn't come to pick them up turn her over to collections. Even though you still have them, she is liable for at least a 20% restocking fee. You can bill for the restocking fee and put the frame back up on your board, return the lenses to the lab if you can for 1/2 credit. Hopefully the restock fee will help you break even. Any court will tell her she at least owes you the restock fee. Or if she's a long time Pt. let the Doc know so he can refuse to see her the next time she needs an exam. Let all the Opticals in your area know about her, she may be a nut job doing this to everyone who feels sorry for her. Sorry this happened to you,

[cocoisland58]

Never ever do this again. But since you already did and she seems like a nutcase anyway, I'd send a registered letter giving her a deadline for picking up and then send her to collections.

[CCGREEN]

Give a wino a bottle of acetone and a dozen eggs while under the cloak of darkness with the promise of a cheap bottle of gut rott. Point him in the direction of her car and tell him to take care of business.
But really......does not sound like you would even want her as a pt. she will always keep coming back with issues that you will never be able to resolve.
If you cant do the wino thing then go for a good workout. It will help relieve the stress. Consider the money you put out its what you had to do to make her go away. Sorry dude.

she keeps hanging up on me doesn't want to even speak to me but i've left her a text message and offered her a discount, so lets see what happens

[Happylady]

I guess this is a lesson learned. :( Offering a discount was a good idea. Just thinking about what she did makes me mad.

[harry888]

Now you know why lenscrafters started the "glasses in one hour". Immediate payment and no accounts receivable, makes up for the lab costs and jobs not picked up. At least that's the rumor I heard.

[BMH]

Now you know why lenscrafters started the "glasses in one hour". Immediate payment and no accounts receivable, makes up for the lab costs and jobs not picked up. At least that's the rumor I heard.

Although the reasoning may have some truth to it, it was not Lenscrafters that started glasses in an hour.

Any Opti-World alumni out there?

[DragonLensmanWV]

"This job would be great if it weren't for the customers."

And I wasn't even supposed to be here today!

[scriptfiller]

We always try to get half or enough to cover materials on the lenses. Frames we will from time to time do on a balance due, at least we can return them if the sale defaults.

[WFruit]

And I wasn't even supposed to be here today!

I knew someone would get it.

And I don't think you can send her to collections, since she has not picked up the glasses. Since she has not received the product, there is nothing to collect on.....

I would write it off at the full retail value of the glasses. Oh, and don't ever be nice to anyone ever again.

[Eyefish]

I would say, lesson learned and move on. Some things are just not worth the trouble

[opticianbart]

[QUOTE=WFruit;348524]
And I don't think you can send her to collections, since she has not picked up the glasses. Since she has not received the product, there is nothing to collect on.....
QUOTE]


I don't see why you wouldn't be able to send her to collections - when you make a custom product for someone it's not like it can be "unmade." It would seem to me that at bare minimum the patient would be responsible for the restocking fee to cover the cost of making the lenses.

Our shop frowns upon anything less than a 50% deposit to get things started - not to mention that if you decide to go ahead and do it anyway and they don't pick up you get stuck paying the cost for the lenses yourself.

[Striderswife]

Our shop frowns upon anything less than a 50% deposit to get things started - not to mention that if you decide to go ahead and do it anyway and they don't pick up you get stuck paying the cost for the lenses yourself.

You mean, the Optician who broke the deposit rule has to pay for the lenses? That's one way to internally enforce the policy!! :/

[skt]

NEVER NEVER NEVER make glasses up before the job is p[aid in full!!!!!

[wolfman]

If you send it to collections one of the first things most agencies will look for is if there is some way the patient knew there was a restocking fee and the second thing was did she sign something that states she is aware of a restocking fee. If not they will probably tell you it is not possible to collect.

I would suggest you just write the thing off as a lesson learned.

[For-Life]

Yeah, through my experience, the collection agency will be difficult. If you end up going to court, she can flat out deny that the purchase ever took place.

[tigerlilly]

"This job would be great if it weren't for the customers."

And I wasn't even supposed to be here today!

Two Clerks references in one thread? Now I can go to sleep a happy woman. :D

I used to be in bridal about a million years ago, and we had each customer sign a receipt right under a paragraph that said they acknowledged that nothing would be ordered with less than 50% down, and that there would be no refunds, returns or exchanges. It said in caps "ALL SALES ARE FINAL" and my boss damn well meant it. The occasional customer changed their mind and tried to fight for money back, but once their credit card company learned they'd singed the receipt with that wording, that was generally the end of it. We never lost a dispute. Would working like that be possible on your paperwork in the future?

[Bill West]

Big sign on the wall," 50% deposit required on all orders",

[-> ectovis]

YOu could also try telling her if she does not pick up the glasses by xx/xx/xx what ever date you will be hanging her picture (from your security cameras) on the counter with a sign that says "do not sell to this patient" or "not welcome here" or "refused to pay for glasses" kind of like the convenience store does with shop lifters and bounced checks. Tell her you will take it down when she picks up and pays for the glasses. If its a small town maybe that will be enough to embarrass her to come in.[/QUOTE]


I like this approach. :D Have you personally tried it? Did it work?

[CLANDGH]

I've been in the optical business 38 years. I've seen just about everything, from "no picker upppers" who use every excuse in the book to change their mind, to "haggle on the balance due" once the glasses are done because they know you will be stuck if they don't take them. It always seems her type, and those people who are never happy with glasses they bought anywhere will show up in your store when money is the tightest. You are always tempted to trust and try, but you are better off remembering it is easier and less stressful to live without making that "temporary sale" than to refund the money and absorb the lab bill loss. Next time they don't have the deposit, write up the order, and tell them you will hold it for a deposit. If they don't show up, call them, if they are going to buy they will follow through.

You will just waste your time and effort with this person. In the end you will still be screwed. Lick your wounds and learn from it. Clean the frame up and restock it. Ask your lens rep for a complimentary lens or coating coupon to help ease the pain and cut your losses. Decline the lady if she should ever come in again...and trust me, they usually do.