If I may interject my viewpoint on this , please.
This topic has come up many times and I should like to put a different spin and perspective on it and that is from the perspective of the customer as opposed to the perspective of ourselves.
I know both sides of this argument from the optician/owner point of view and can agree with either side .
First we are really all in agreement and we are all very consistent in our approach and by that I mean that no matter which side of the argument we deal from (charge or not charge) we are all consistenetly applying our own rules inconsistently.
Second from the customer point of view some are insulted that we charge them and some are equally insulted that we did not charge them .
Third when the customer in front of us is charged when his friend or relative or even him/herself was not charged before on a previous visit, then that inconsistency is very confusing to the customer because there is no consistency .
Fourth the most successful businesses are those that replicate their consistencies into hundreds and thousands of similiar stores . A prime example is McDonalds. Their burgers , fries and service is the same in Texas as it is in New York. They succeed based on the public's non-confusion , the customer knows what to expect. These are customer based businesses fine tuned to the customer's desires and expectations not the emotional day to day whims of the owners desires and mental state of mind at any given time during the day.
So I say to you, be consistent with your customers so they know what to expect no matter which way you decide ... charge or not charge.
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