Results 1 to 15 of 15

Thread: A suggestion for all

  1. #1
    Rising Star
    Join Date
    Nov 2003
    Location
    mass
    Occupation
    Dispensing Optician
    Posts
    151

    A suggestion for all

    My stores are in very tech savvy towns where customers are always trying to see what their P D is. On several occasions, after writing it down the customers have said..."oh its 62". One time the customers saw the P D and cancelled the order. I have come up with a very simple way to combat this little problem..... Just take monocular P D and now ALL P D's are a 6 digit number. Example 290300 (59) or 310305 (61.5).

  2. #2
    What's up? drk's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2004
    Location
    Ohio
    Occupation
    Optometrist
    Posts
    9,387
    I use inches. Really throws 'em.

  3. #3
    Master OptiBoarder LENNY's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2000
    Location
    BROOKLYNSK, NY USA
    Occupation
    Dispensing Optician
    Posts
    4,351
    Or meters!

  4. #4
    Master OptiBoarder MakeOptics's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    none
    Occupation
    Other Eyecare-Related Field
    Posts
    1,327
    No one is concerned with the fact that this person recognizes his clients as tech savy and is "writing" a PD down? Update to a computer and put a privacy filter on your monitor problem solved.

  5. #5
    Rising Star
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Location
    Houston, TX
    Occupation
    Dispensing Optician
    Posts
    79
    Quote Originally Posted by mrmac View Post
    My stores are in very tech savvy towns where customers are always trying to see what their P D is. On several occasions, after writing it down the customers have said..."oh its 62". One time the customers saw the P D and cancelled the order. I have come up with a very simple way to combat this little problem..... Just take monocular P D and now ALL P D's are a 6 digit number. Example 290300 (59) or 310305 (61.5).
    I've begun using mono PDs as well due to similar issues with patients. I have also stopped referring to this measurement as the PD in front of patients. I have started referring to it as the horizontal optical center placement...That seems to do the trick :-)

  6. #6
    Manuf. Lens Surface Treatments
    Join Date
    Aug 2002
    Location
    in Naples FL for the Winter months
    Occupation
    Other Optical Manufacturer or Vendor
    Posts
    23,240
    Another thread on PDs. In the ftsr 5 posts none of you have mentioned if the customer has walked out and you did not make the sale or did you ?

  7. #7
    Master OptiBoarder
    Join Date
    Jul 2012
    Location
    Houston, Texas
    Occupation
    Other Eyecare-Related Field
    Posts
    450
    Quote Originally Posted by Chris Ryser View Post
    Another thread on PDs. In the ftsr 5 posts none of you have mentioned if the customer has walked out and you did not make the sale or did you ?
    It doesn't seem to matter; preventing patients from purchasing eyewear from others seems to be more important than getting them to purchase from oneself.

    I have enough confidence in my products and services that I'm comfortable giving a patient his or her PD; if what they end up with is somehow inferior to what I am providing, that individual will be back looking for the expertise and supplies that I can provide. I also understand that in the current economic climate, there's a very good chance that my patients might simply not be able to afford a three-digit price tag on a product that he or she can purchase somewhere else for a discount; and if financial strain is the case for their wanting to shop around, I don't need to make anyone's life just that much more complicated by screwing around with them. I've been on the other side of the dispensing table when someone's dropped a number on me I simply couldn't afford for a piece of medical equipment I needed just to maintain the meager lifestyle I was already leading at the time. Do unto others and such.

    The "tricks" in this thread are duplicity, plain and simple, and betray a spitefulness that is unbecoming of a "professional" in any setting. I see less concern for the patient getting an inferior product than I do individuals desperately trying to prevent their patients from possibly getting that product anywhere else, no matter the means.

  8. #8
    ABOC-NCLEC tigerlilly's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Location
    Midwest, US
    Occupation
    Dispensing Optician
    Posts
    353
    I think you're missing the point, Browman. Nobody is hiding info from a patient - they own the eyes and can measure for themselves whenever they want if they choose the DIY option of ordering online. The problem is all of the people who want to take time away from paying customers by demanding assistance in order to purchase elsewhere. Sometimes they'll try to trick opticians into doing this work for free, pretending to be a customer and then walking once they've taken advantage of the professional services we provide. Many, many others then expect more free service with adjustments, repairs and troubleshooting when their cheap, crappy glasses aren't satisfactory. Yeah, maybe sometimes a few of these folks might convert to paying customers. Most will not, and I have too many legitimate patients to serve to waste my time on someone who has no intention of ever buying anything from me.

  9. #9
    Manuf. Lens Surface Treatments
    Join Date
    Aug 2002
    Location
    in Naples FL for the Winter months
    Occupation
    Other Optical Manufacturer or Vendor
    Posts
    23,240

    Redhot Jumper

    Quote Originally Posted by tigerlilly View Post

    Many, many others then expect more free service with adjustments, repairs and troubleshooting when their cheap, crappy glasses aren't satisfactory. Yeah, maybe sometimes a few of these folks might convert to paying customers.
    According to the on-line websites, these companies are selling the same models and brands that you B&Ms are carrying. So they can not be crappy and cheap in the way of quality.

    But does the service have to be free ?

  10. #10
    Master OptiBoarder
    Join Date
    Jul 2012
    Location
    Houston, Texas
    Occupation
    Other Eyecare-Related Field
    Posts
    450
    Quote Originally Posted by tigerlilly View Post
    I think you're missing the point, Browman. Nobody is hiding info from a patient - they own the eyes and can measure for themselves whenever they want if they choose the DIY option of ordering online. The problem is all of the people who want to take time away from paying customers by demanding assistance in order to purchase elsewhere.
    I have come up with a very simple way to combat this little problem..... Just take monocular P D and now ALL P D's are a 6 digit number. Example 290300 (59) or 310305 (61.5).
    I use inches. Really throws 'em.



    Doesn't sound like there's any problem in "wasting time"-- more like a gleeful kick out of deceiving someone.

    Many, many others then expect more free service with adjustments, repairs and troubleshooting when their cheap, crappy glasses aren't satisfactory. Yeah, maybe sometimes a few of these folks might convert to paying customers. Most will not, and I have too many legitimate patients to serve to waste my time on someone who has no intention of ever buying anything from me.
    If the product is of a poor quality, a quickie adjustment is the perfect opportunity to point out the flaws and inadequacies-- gunk-loving AR; rigid, flimsly, hard to adjust metals; cheap hinges, etc-- and an explanation of why the glasses were so cheap and why they're needed to be adjusted.

    If the product is not of a poor quality... It's just another wakeup call to our industry that there is a reason besides "oh, they're cheapskates" that patients are going to online retailers.

    I've seen the complaint in threads before, "They have a Gucci handbag and a Mercedes in the parking lot, but they want to get $10 glasses online!" The response to that shouldn't be, "Spendthrifts," it should be, "Why?" That person probably didn't log onto a website and order that car and that handbag for a pittance-- they went to a storefront where they were provided a service, and they paid lots of extra money for that service and that product. Why? Because it was worth it to them. Whether for some real or perceived functionality, or simply for the brand name, that individual was willing to spend extra money because it was worth it to them. That should make it our priority to figure out why they do not consider the glasses in the store worth it. There are designer frames-- Gucci and Coach and what have you to match that purse and those shoes. So it isn't a matter of branding. What is it a matter of, then? Why does that individual think it's worth it to drop $30,000 on a car but not $X on a pair of eyeglasses?

  11. #11
    Master OptiBoarder LENNY's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2000
    Location
    BROOKLYNSK, NY USA
    Occupation
    Dispensing Optician
    Posts
    4,351
    In our woods lots of people lease or buy their cars from smaller leasing companies and not from dealers, even though the leasing companies still have to get the car from the dealer!
    I ts just cheaper! Dealers got used to it and still service them!

  12. #12
    Manuf. Lens Surface Treatments
    Join Date
    Aug 2002
    Location
    in Naples FL for the Winter months
    Occupation
    Other Optical Manufacturer or Vendor
    Posts
    23,240
    Quote Originally Posted by Browman View Post

    So it isn't a matter of branding. What is it a matter of, then? Why does that individual think it's worth it to drop $30,000 on a car but not $X on a pair of eyeglasses?

    These days there are more cars leased than purchased. Maybe you should start another new venture in the optical and lease out your glasses for a 3 years period and the 3 rd year could be pure profit. Then you take them back and donate them and get a tax break and lease the same customer a new pair.

    However with 33 million people without work and no other income than food stamps they look for bargains in everything, and so do others that have lower incomes than the used to have. Specially now that they say another recession is coming in the next few month.

    Are you buying Peaches for $ 2.39 a pound when the next door place sells the same fruit at $ 0.99 for a pound. This a purely human reaction and has worked for hundreds of years.

    The barber that cuts my hair has uped his price to $ 20.00 a hair cut, which he does in 15 minutes, and probably uses the same scissors for the last 20 years.
    Our washing machine stopped working the other day full of soapy water. The service man came at 7.30 am, emptied the machine by hand and then took the pumpout hose of the outlet and handed me a 5 cent coin and said that is going to cost you $ 139.00 for service. 30 minute later he was on his way to fix somebody elses. He did not accept a cheque because they bounce, a VISA card was the only thing he would take.

    We all have to start adapting to a new world and its new way's of doing and giving service.

  13. #13
    OptiBoard Professional Jamelina's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    Seattle
    Occupation
    Dispensing Optician
    Posts
    122
    Quote Originally Posted by Browman View Post
    [/B]There are designer frames-- Gucci and Coach and what have you to match that purse and those shoes. So it isn't a matter of branding. What is it a matter of, then? Why does that individual think it's worth it to drop $30,000 on a car but not $X on a pair of eyeglasses?
    I've found that occasionally it is a matter of branding. It can be irritating when the purpose of glasses is clear vision, and you educate the patient on lens options etc that will benefit them, but they end up choosing the most expensive name-brand frame you have and only want plastic lenses without AR. I don't personally care how much money a patient is able to spend on their glasses, but would prefer they focus on the lens quality first and making a fashion statement second.

  14. #14
    Master OptiBoarder
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Location
    new york
    Occupation
    Optometrist
    Posts
    3,749
    not another pd thread. yer all kiddin' yerselves.

  15. #15
    Optical Curmudgeon EyeManFla's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2000
    Location
    Smithfield, North Carolina
    Occupation
    Dispensing Optician
    Posts
    1,340
    I use to have an office right down the street from NIH. These people were the biggest pain in the world.....
    "Coimhéad fearg fhear na foighde"

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Similar Threads

  1. any suggestion for p.o.s?
    By modeho in forum Canadian Discussion Forum
    Replies: 1
    Last Post: 04-25-2012, 07:15 PM
  2. PAL Suggestion
    By AlexLaw in forum General Optics and Eyecare Discussion Forum
    Replies: 7
    Last Post: 02-08-2007, 11:45 AM
  3. Any suggestion
    By C-10 in forum General Optics and Eyecare Discussion Forum
    Replies: 20
    Last Post: 05-01-2006, 05:10 PM
  4. Need a suggestion!
    By aaron in forum Smart Lens Technology by Transitions Optical
    Replies: 6
    Last Post: 12-04-2003, 02:52 PM

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •