We have a patient who has received a pair of glasses 6 months ago and has not paid for them due to issues with his health savings account. He still has a balance of over $400 of which he is aware. He has made one payment of $40 two weeks ago. He now wants new lenses for another pair of glasses which are still under scratch warranty. Do we have to remake the lenses and give them to him even though he still owes us a large sum of money? Your thoughts would be appreciated.
It sounds to me that he is hoping to get the new lenses to fix whatever issue prompted him to want the pair that isn't paid for. If it is still under warranty from the lab, then I would tell him that I would be more than happy to assist him. However I would need to see another payment on the other pair (whatever it takes to at least cover your cost invested)
"Some believe in destiny, and some believe in fate. But I believe that happiness is something we create."-Something More by Sugarland
We have a "No Pay - No Dispense" policy. The patient doesn't leave the office w/o payment in full, and if it's a HSA or Flex Plan, they usually have a debit card attached, or we will print out a master receipt for them to submit. The scratch warranty is a separate issue, but my call would be - no warranty assistance until account is paid up.Originally Posted by amdee
Lost and confused in an optical wonderland!
You can do the remake when his bill is current and paid in full.
Have him pay in full, give him the receipt, and tell him to take care of the reimbursement.
Ophthalmic Optician, Society to Advance Opticianry
This is a tricky one.
He's asking for his scratch warranty, which I am guessing that he has been told he's still available to do, for his old glasses in which he has already paid for and is currently wearing. But, he has an outstanding bill within your office for a new pair of glasses that has been made but not dispensed yet.
Legally I say he is able to get his scratch warranty fulfilled whether or not he has a bill (For no matter what) because it is a "Free" service/warranty that has been discussed and offered by your office to him.
Is there a major difference in his old RX to his New? If so then I would openly discuss with him that you will do the scratch warranty for his older glasses, but, with the change in his RX things will not be as clear as with his new RX and that if anything happens to his older frame (Assuming that it's not under warranty also) such as an unforeseen breakage that there is a high possibility that you will not be able to get a new frame to replace them for him.
This is why in our office we have a "No Full Payment, No Glasses Made" policy. It helps to ensure that those whom "Forget" about their glasses that have been made and not paid for, we don't loose out on the bill.
Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.
~ Mark Twain ~
Who says "Free"? I often hear "included" which means included WITH the purchase. So far, the transaction is not complete.
When I'm driving down the road at 6:00 AM, and I drive by the Holiday Inn Express and see the sign that says "Free Breakfast", can I just stop in and eat, or is it assumed I'll be required to PAY for a room first? (Well...I can, but that's a different story!)
Or, when you see the sign in the window at Steak and Shake that says, "5 meals under $4.99", do you expect to get 5 meals and only pay $4.99? Most don't...
Ophthalmic Optician, Society to Advance Opticianry
This is an example of why a very clear remake/warranty policy should be posted in every office and included on every receipt. If the original pair, not the one that has not been paid for, was sold with a warranty, then the obligation, onerous as it may be, is assumed.
It's not unlike you asking the lab for an extra (non-warranty) remake, because you're such a good customer. Somebody's having lenses for lunch.
I would take the frame and lenses and redo them. Then inform the patient that the lab will only release his job after payment is made in full for the other job, your hand are crossed... Its his flexible account not yours. Legally, it can be retain by you until all monies are collected. Play hard and if worse comes to worse fire the patient from your office and move to happier pastures.
CNG
Thank you for all of your replies. I should have made clear that the second pair which he has but has not paid for were a sunglass pair, same rx. Regardless, it was my feeling that he should not get the remake until he paid in full for the other pair. However my partner feels that he should get the lenses as it is a "warranty" issue. Just wanted to get some more opinions on this matter. We do require payment in full at time of dispense for glasses, and he did pay with his FSA when he picked them up, but we were contacted the next day by the FSA that he did not have funds in his account and we had to reverse those charges. He has been aware of this for 6 months. Normally we would have sent him to collections by now but he is a longstanding patient with a lot of family members who are also our patients and this is the first problem we have had with him so we have been cutting him some slack. I say enough is enough. Thanks for the replies!
amdee: He sounds like some of those game show contestants who get on a winning streak and start calling the host by his first name.
I would stand behind the warranty and just do it, and present him with a new statement when he picks them up. The jobs are separate, and he did make a payment, and if the issue gets pushed, it is worth losing his and his family's business over? In the future he pays 100% up front. Stinks but sometimes sh*t happens.
When we let our patients "make payments" the patient's lenses/glasses were "officially" not theirs until it was paid in full, so no warranty was issued UNTIL the glasses were paid in full...and then the warranty would start (starting the date of the exam, or when the glasses were ordered). We now have a policy that no glasses or contacts are leaving our office without being paid for first. They may make payments, but they do not receive their glasses/contacts until their bill is paid.
So do you charge patients for a scratch warranty?
We are not talking about his CURRENT transaction, we are talking about a PAST transaction. An older pair of glasses that he has already pair for. That is a legal and completed transaction, therefore he is eligible for his warranty to be filled. Am I wrong?
Now I'm not talking about something that someone has not purchased, such as your example of a "Free Breakfast with purchase of a nights stay" at your local hotel. I'm referring to something that he has already purchased. So if he had paid for his night at the hotel, and he was staying through the night, then yes he would be allowed his free breakfast.
Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.
~ Mark Twain ~
Legally you couldn't "Hold" his existing frame. He has already paid in full on that frame the previous year. You'd have a big, or small, law suite on your hands for holding his property hostage. Ask your lawyer and see what they say.
Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.
~ Mark Twain ~
I don't order any glasses until they are paid in full. This is why. Deny the remake until he coughs up the dough, but make sure you have a policy in the future were it states "Optical and Warranty service are provided only to patients whose accounts are paid in full", otherwise you could have legal issues.
tell him you need the pair to send to lab. it will take a couple of weeks then hold a little longer, he will just have to use his sunglasses
untill they came back. do not just order uncuts, tell him thats the lab rule,and remind him if he waits to long to drop off frame warr will be over 1 year
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks