3000 employers to use Clearly Contact (Coastal) for vision plan .....................

[Chris Ryser]

It has now happened..........................so what is the reaction now ???????????????????????????????


Coastal Contacts Concludes First Canadian Vision Plan Agreements

Canadian online optical retailer Coastal Contacts causes controversy: reactions

British Columbia online optical retailer Coastal Contacts announced that it has secured vision plan agreements with a leading Canadian benefits administrator, servicing approximately 3,000 employers across the country, and with two corporate clients, Paladin Security and BuildDirect.com, to serve the vision requirements of more than 6,000 employees in total.

"Our program will allow benefits administrators, health maintenance organizations and corporate clients to tackle the growing costs of health care for their teams, while allocating benefits dollars to areas which matter most. We are thrilled with progress in this national program and look forward to providing additional updates in the coming months," said Coastal's Vice President, Business Development Greg Lechner.

Opti-News contacted Dr. Michael Naugle, Chair of Optometry with the Canadian Coalition of Eyecare Professionals (CCEPro), for his response to this development. "Our focus is on collaborative patient-centered eye care. As any eyecare professional may tell you, the difficulties and risks of purchasing unregulated eyewear from an online retailer with no after-care far outweigh the benefit gained by the patient in terms of convenience. There is always a concern when eyewear providers put patients at risk through unregulated internet dispensing. We believe that eyewear dispensed on the Internet should be done in a regulated manner and follow-up care should be provided through the dispenser's ECPs to ensure safety and accuracy."

CCEPro is active on the political front in an effort to ensure that its message of upholding high standards of eyecare in Canada is well communicated to decision-makers.

see at -------------> http://www.mido365.com/en/news/opti-...lan-agreements

[Chris Ryser]

So...................are you going to provide after care for a fee...........or are you going to ignore the issue ??????????????????????

[Golfnorth]

So...................are you going to provide after care for a fee...........or are you going to ignore the issue ??????????????????????

I am not going to do anything that legitimizes online prescription eyewear ordering. That includes rufusing to service any and all product purchased online even for a fee.

Regards,
Golfnorth

[Chris Ryser]

I am not going to do anything that legitimizes online prescription eyewear ordering. That includes rufusing to service any and all product purchased online even for a fee.

Regards,
Golfnorth

Thank you for giving a clear and firm answer.

[Golfnorth]

Thank you for giving a clear and firm answer.

Always a pleasure Chris.

Regards,
Golfnorth

[drk]

They're probably taking a loss per job, so they're trying to make it up on volume?

[LENNY]

They're probably taking a loss per job, so they're trying to make it up on volume?

And to get the first contract!

[Plausible]

Double Post.

[Plausible]

It has now happened..........................so what is the reaction now ???????????????????????????????


Coastal Contacts Concludes First Canadian Vision Plan Agreements

Canadian online optical retailer Coastal Contacts causes controversy: reactions

British Columbia online optical retailer Coastal Contacts announced that it has secured vision plan agreements with a leading Canadian benefits administrator, servicing approximately 3,000 employers across the country, and with two corporate clients, Paladin Security and BuildDirect.com, to serve the vision requirements of more than 6,000 employees in total.

I would love to know the total number of employee's covered, anyone have info for that?

[Chris Ryser]

I would love to know the total number of employee's covered, anyone have info for that?

Take an imaginary minimal figure of 5 employees per the 3000 employers and you get 15,000 plus the 2 corporations at 6,000 equals 21,000.

This might not be much in a number for people needing glasses, but it is a start, I do not consider Coastal to be stupid, and would guess that is the start for a campaign, to win over larger vision plans and to steamroll ahead as they have proven so far.

With an economy that that shows us the largest factory buildings empty, for block after block, with for rent and for sale signs as I have seen yesterday afternoon in one of Montreal's most affluent large industrial areas, one could assume that Coastal has a good partner to help it to eventually succeed.

When are you going to realize that we have to fight a cancer that is attacking our profession and will slowly destroy it if not stopped in its track ? On-Liners have access to the most modern optical labs and well trained employees, some of them come from the larger corporations with tons of expirience.

Yesterday the driver that picks up the parcels going to the US border, his glasses all ill fitting and bent, he had purchased on line 2 years ago, said that he was going to order another pair......................"what is the problem at $ 45.00 total with bifocals"

[HindSight2020]

They're probably taking a loss per job, so they're trying to make it up on volume?

This has been their strategy since day one. They have never yet made a single penny of profit. The bottom will eventually fall out.

[Craig]

When the average sale hits $600 it will be time for me to pay attention. I embrace the internet at a real price, but not to lose money on every pair.
I do very well with the internet and still have an average sale of over $1,000. The internet is my friend and how i build my business. We are up 20% this year because we are on the internet.

I love the internet and what it means to my business model. You can embrace it or have it run you over; your choice!

[Golfnorth]

When the average sale hits $600 it will be time for me to pay attention. I embrace the internet at a real price, but not to lose money on every pair.
I do very well with the internet and still have an average sale of over $1,000. The internet is my friend and how i build my business. We are up 20% this year because we are on the internet.

I love the internet and what it means to my business model. You can embrace it or have it run you over; your choice!

Craig;

I agree with you. When your business model starts not to make sense from a profit perspective then you should consider tweaking or changing it and not a moment before.
Racing to the lowest common denominator is not the way to go.
Glad you are having a successful year.

Regards,
Golfnorth

[Tallboy]

When the average sale hits $600 it will be time for me to pay attention. I embrace the internet at a real price, but not to lose money on every pair.
I do very well with the internet and still have an average sale of over $1,000. The internet is my friend and how i build my business. We are up 20% this year because we are on the internet.

I love the internet and what it means to my business model. You can embrace it or have it run you over; your choice!

Craig what are the ways you incorporate the internet into your business model? Just facebook pages and stuff like that?