How come I just got new tires and they charged me for the tires, then the valve stems, and then to mount them, and then to balance then and when we sell glasses the edging and misc is just lumped in with the lens price?
How come I just got new tires and they charged me for the tires, then the valve stems, and then to mount them, and then to balance then and when we sell glasses the edging and misc is just lumped in with the lens price?
90% of everything is crap...except for crap, because crap is 100% crap
Great question! !! I would say because this has been the "norm" for so long the general public has come to expect it. Just like free adjustments and screws... When I try and charge someone who is not our patient for and adjustment on an outside pair of glasses they get put off and end up leaving, OR I end up doing the free adjustment anyway and end up looking greedy, trying to charge them in the first place!!
If only we could go back 75 yrs!
"The sands of time have already begun to pour against you.." ~Aaron D Yates
They charged all that "a la carte" becuase tire pricing has become so commoditized from the internet.
Same as what's happenion with eyeglasses.
B
Fix it GD it!!!!
90% of everything is crap...except for crap, because crap is 100% crap
Guess you could have purchased online, then measured and mounted and rotated etc etc yourself.
Was the price fair? Was it worth it?
I'm sure it was reasonable, or maybe it wasn't and you'll never go back.
It's a different story if they advertise $49 tires that are almighty, but then get you for $5/lugnut or something like that.
Different industry standards...Originally Posted by RIMLESS
How come I just got new tires and they charged me for the tires, then the valve stems, and then to mount them, and then to balance then and when we sell glasses the edging and misc is just lumped in with the lens price?
Charge what you feel your services are worth for glasses purchased elsewhere....If they dont want to pay,let them walk...Great question! !! I would say because this has been the "norm" for so long the general public has come to expect it. Just like free adjustments and screws... When I try and charge someone who is not our patient for and adjustment on an outside pair of glasses they get put off and end up leaving, OR I end up doing the free adjustment anyway and end up looking greedy, trying to charge them in the first place!!
If only we could go back 75 yrs!
Who cares if they get "put off".....These people arent your customers anyway...
But they could be, if they have a good experience the first time they're in your office. Which may be why a lot of us don't want to go the charge for service route, right or wrong.
Sounds like desperation....It also teaches people that your skills and services are worth nothing...And takes away from the value added aspect for buying from you....
Damn3d if you do, damn3d if you don't!
Might as well make some money NOW, and start the training process.
Re-training process, that is. We wouldn't have this issue if our forebears hadn't folded their services into the COGS.
Wesley S. Scott, MBA, MIS, ABOM, NCLE-AC, LDO - SC & GA
“As our circle of knowledge expands, so does the circumference of darkness surrounding it.” -Albert Einstein
We need to change the industry standards. All in favor say aye, opposed say nay.
Next, who do we all talk to to bout dat?
Last edited by RIMLESS; 03-26-2012 at 04:09 PM.
90% of everything is crap...except for crap, because crap is 100% crap
Small fish swimming against the tide unfortunately.
The reality is that regardless of what you may want to charge, there will always be someone (likely quite close to you) who will do the same thing (in the patients eyes) for free. Regardless of who: big box, national chain, local chain, next OD or optician just a little more willing that you...whatever. Doesn't matter. There's always someone, and you'd better believe that your potential patient is going to find them if they don't want to pay.
Us humans...we're a petty and fickle lot. Doubly so in good ol' capitalist U S of A! GO US!
Big deal....let them find the "free" provider......Small fish swimming against the tide unfortunately.
The reality is that regardless of what you may want to charge, there will always be someone (likely quite close to you) who will do the same thing (in the patients eyes) for free. Regardless of who: big box, national chain, local chain, next OD or optician just a little more willing that you...whatever. Doesn't matter. There's always someone, and you'd better believe that your potential patient is going to find them if they don't want to pay.
I am a firm believer in charging for adjustments and repairs from glasses purchased elsewhere. While you're screwing around with a free adjustment someone with a script could be waiting to buy an $800 pair of glasses from you. Explain to the "customer" that part of the price they paid for the glasses was for adjustments and since they didn't pay you there will be a small fee. It's time that you and everyone else stopped taking it up the ***.Great question! !! I would say because this has been the "norm" for so long the general public has come to expect it. Just like free adjustments and screws... When I try and charge someone who is not our patient for and adjustment on an outside pair of glasses they get put off and end up leaving, OR I end up doing the free adjustment anyway and end up looking greedy, trying to charge them in the first place!!
If only we could go back 75 yrs!
Regards,
Golfnorth
Charge what you feel your services are worth for glasses purchased elsewhere....
Originally Posted by 4554lake
Charge what you feel your services are worth for glasses purchased elsewhere....If they dont want to pay,let them walk...
Who cares if they get "put off".....These people arent your customers anyway...
Compared to tires......................A much more + clear example is the restaurant business. You have the fast food industry and the conventional restaurants as they existed forever. The fast food industry sells you a few items at what people believe rock bottom prices but if you would eat there 100% of the time you would be dead within a period of one year.
The regular restaurants have their specials with all included meals at a certain price and they have their a la carte menus where you are charged item by item and end up paying alot more. You can eat a soup or a salad only, if you choose to do so, or you can eat a whole combination of choices it is up to, and your wallet will decide.
If the food and service is good, the price is right, many people will prefer this way of going out to eat and come back, while the fast food industry is booming.
We have to compare these 2 ways of eating to the optical retail industry, which now has an advantage over the fast food places.
1) Before going to the fast food place the consumer needs something from the conventional restaurant............and has to pay for it or get it for nothing?
2) and after eating at the fast food place the consumer needs or wants a fancy dessert. available only from the conventional restaurant.......and has to pay for it or get it for nothing ?
[QUOTE=Chris Ryser;417389]
Compared to tires......................A much more + clear example is the restaurant business. You have the fast food industry and the conventional restaurants as they existed forever. The fast food industry sells you a few items at what people believe rock bottom prices but if you would eat there 100% of the time you would be dead within a period of one year.
The regular restaurants have their specials with all included meals at a certain price and they have their a la carte menus where you are charged item by item and end up paying alot more. You can eat a soup or a salad only, if you choose to do so, or you can eat a whole combination of choices it is up to, and your wallet will decide.
If the food and service is good, the price is right, many people will prefer this way of going out to eat and come back, while the fast food industry is booming.
We have to compare these 2 ways of eating to the optical retail industry, which now has an advantage over the fast food places.
1) Before going to the fast food place the consumer needs something from the conventional restaurant............and has to pay for it or get it for nothing?
2) and after eating at the fast food place the consumer needs or wants a fancy dessert. available only from the conventional restaurant.......and has to pay for it or get it for nothing ?
In the end, it's all just hopper fodder! That is what optical has become, hopper fodder.
IMHO, the over-arching theme for future survival of small B&M is based on two things:
1. Reducing tacet reliance on the precept that "people will always need glasses" (they just won't need them from you, unless...)
2. Your ability to vet your business as if it had no secret "power pills" - meaning imagining that *all* opticals carried EXACTLY the same products, i.e., were almost indistinguishable in their frame and lens offereings.
Then, a successful business would be striving to attract customers strictly on their value-added, instead of crutches like territorial brands, OEM frames or lenses, insurances, etc. The only work-around possible that I see for avoiding the above is to do what some other optiboarder do: buy so cheaply that no matter what price the customers pay, they make money. The only thing about this approach is that it can tend toward lacking passion.
B
Update. Didn't even catch this one $8.00 fee just to chuck the old tires. And my optician has to dig out green ooze from eye wires for what?That's gotta be worth some sort of hazmat charge
90% of everything is crap...except for crap, because crap is 100% crap
Doing a little bit of "gratis" service can pay big dividends in the long run.
At least it was itemized. I would like to see my car's "itemized" gas bill...exactly what is in the $5 a gallon price tag....
One of my patients had friends visiting from out of state. Her friend's very expensive Silhouette frame fell apart at the hinge...and of course, no back up pair. So they came to the office thinking I could fix it.
Had an old frame in my parts box. Fixed it at no charge. Husband was so impressed, he spent $1100.00 in my optical. Yes...I'll fix it for free :)
If you took just a bit of initiative you could have answered your own query.
http://energyalmanac.ca.gov/gasoline/margins/index.php
How come I just got new tires and they charged me for the tires, then the valve stems, and then to mount them, and then to balance then and when we sell glasses the edging and misc is just lumped in with the lens price?
Because breaking anything out isn't the best way to make profit. Bundle it as a total solution and either sell it all-in or don't. IMO, tire stores are silly for even breaking it out. I buy my tires at Tire Rack as IMO they do offer the very best price and even local stores have told me they can't match the prices but will be happy to mount and balance them for me. No need to break out the costs for Balancing, stems, etc...as I'm not going to shop each of those components.
Where there's mystery, there's margin. IMO, keep it bundled.
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