Oakley.

**dave.fant.lab** · 07-15-2013, 02:19 PM

Love em, hate em, have to have em.

We've been trying, and trying, and trying to bring in Oakley for the longest time now. At least 4 months, I am making this post in hopefully reaching someone who can help, or know someone that may be able to help. Summer is about half over and we have a local outdoor sports expo we're going to in about a month. About a month and a half ago we received a contact email and number for our rep (from another Oakley rep in a different region), our rep has yet to respond to a single call or email. We then found a regional sales manager on LinkedIn (that covers our district), explained the situation and still no response. We have been nothing, but courteous and patient with this process, even though it's been an extremely frustrating process and if it wasn't for the fact that we get asked for Oakley's on nearly a daily basis, we would be over it.

We have a moderately high-end optical shop with a lot of quality frame lines, so I know location and/or our practice are not disqualifying us.

Any help would be more than greatly appreciated, thank you.

**Barry Santini** · 07-15-2013, 03:15 PM

Oakley is mostly staffed with reps under 40, mostly ex-beach/surfer dudes, and really NOT trained in conventional business etiquette.

The best follow up you'll get is "no worries."

FWIW

B

**Uilleann** · 07-15-2013, 04:10 PM

Why feed the GIGANTIC Lux/LC/Sunglass Hut beast? You can certainly do better than your direct competition on quality and value. The burden of showing the Oakley sheeple that come through your door how much better SO many other products are, lies solely with you.

**drk** · 07-15-2013, 04:12 PM

As great as Oakley is from a design perspective, their total lack of business courtesy makes them impossible to deal with. You don't need anything that badly.

**dave.fant.lab** · 07-15-2013, 05:09 PM

Originally Posted by Uilleann

Why feed the GIGANTIC Lux/LC/Sunglass Hut beast? You can certainly do better than your direct competition on quality and value. The burden of showing the Oakley sheeple that come through your door how much better SO many other products are, lies solely with you.

We certainly do not make an effort to fed Six Flags Over Optics, but at times you have to meet your patients needs/wants. What lines do you recommend that are legitimately of higher quality and value than Oakley that fills the same demographic? I looked at Switch, they look alright, not overly impressive. I have previously looked at Under Armour, but I never was able to find out who their distributor was. We presently have Nike and they do fairly well, but not on the Oakley level. We are certainly open to suggestions and I look forward in to hearing your opinions on some quality lines.

**dave.fant.lab** · 07-15-2013, 05:10 PM

Originally Posted by Barry Santini

Oakley is mostly staffed with reps under 40, mostly ex-beach/surfer dudes, and really NOT trained in conventional business etiquette.

The best follow up you'll get is "no worries."

FWIW

B

Frustrating to say the least, I bet they wouldn't be very happy with customers slow rolling their payments to them.

Any Oakley-esque recommendations Mr. Santini?

**Java99** · 07-15-2013, 05:13 PM

Rudy Project is a competitor that we do well with. Best of luck, it also took us forever to get Oakley in the door.

**CME4SPECS** · 07-15-2013, 07:12 PM

Originally Posted by dave.fant.lab

Love em, hate em, have to have em.

We've been trying, and trying, and trying to bring in Oakley for the longest time now. At least 4 months, I am making this post in hopefully reaching someone who can help, or know someone that may be able to help. Summer is about half over and we have a local outdoor sports expo we're going to in about a month. About a month and a half ago we received a contact email and number for our rep (from another Oakley rep in a different region), our rep has yet to respond to a single call or email. We then found a regional sales manager on LinkedIn (that covers our district), explained the situation and still no response. We have been nothing, but courteous and patient with this process, even though it's been an extremely frustrating process and if it wasn't for the fact that we get asked for Oakley's on nearly a daily basis, we would be over it.

We have a moderately high-end optical shop with a lot of quality frame lines, so I know location and/or our practice are not disqualifying us.

Any help would be more than greatly appreciated, thank you.

You don't need them...you've gone half of the summer without them! Wait till you finally get them in, then the service will get even worse.

**Barry Santini** · 07-16-2013, 06:05 AM

Originally Posted by dave.fant.lab

Frustrating to say the least, I bet they wouldn't be very happy with customers slow rolling their payments to them.

Any Oakley-esque recommendations Mr. Santini?

when you get the line, you'll have trial and error to determine what will turn best for you. I've got it pretty much down to what sells. What doesn't is sold at 25-50% off or a few exchanges. Oakley lab work is non pareil and very quick...even in season.

It is a terrific addition to our business. I am proactive stocking the various rubber tips for their frames and suns, and even keep a healthy stock of replacement lenses on hand. I donate custom colored sports models to the various high school teams in the communities I serve, and that brings in the athletes and their families for sales.

b

**Plausible** · 07-16-2013, 06:23 AM

Originally Posted by Barry Santini

I donate custom colored sports models to the various high school teams in the communities I serve, and that brings in the athletes and their families for sales.

b

Barry, can you please expand on the above? Donating Oakleys is an interesting concept, may I ask if you donate a few frames for the Coaching Staff or outfit a whole team? If it is the whole team that is some serious coin. Also how quick is their turn times for Rx Lenses?

**Craig** · 07-16-2013, 08:02 AM

Originally Posted by Plausible

Barry, can you please expand on the above? Donating Oakleys is an interesting concept, may I ask if you donate a few frames for the Coaching Staff or outfit a whole team? If it is the whole team that is some serious coin. Also how quick is their turn times for Rx Lenses?

Hate to tell you, but Oakley will not allow dealers to order any more custom products!! It must be done on the Oakley site and they get paid. My Oakley rep cannot get them anymore nor does he get paid on that business now.

**Barry Santini** · 07-16-2013, 10:24 AM

Originally Posted by Craig

Hate to tell you, but Oakley will not allow dealers to order any more custom products!! It must be done on the Oakley site and they get paid. My Oakley rep cannot get them anymore nor does he get paid on that business now.

The rep assists me with getting donation/custom product.

B

**Plausible** · 07-16-2013, 12:49 PM

Originally Posted by Barry Santini

The rep assists me with getting donation/custom product.

B

Nice!!! That's a one in a million rep!!!

**EyeManFla** · 07-16-2013, 01:12 PM

We have been having this argument for over a year. The customer service from Oakley is...well, if it were any other company, I wouldn't put up with it.......
My rep....well, let's not even go there....
I can't replace them with Maui Jim because both my Boss and myself HATE Maui Jim with a passion.....
I love Costa Del Mar...but hell, you can practically buy those in the grocery store now a days.....

AT ONE TIME WE HAD AS MANY AS %) OAKLEY FRAMES IN THE STORE....WE NOW HAVE FIVE!!!!!!

**karen** · 07-16-2013, 02:39 PM

Hi guys! Oakley rep here. Now Barry, I'm sure Tuttle would be upset to hear you describe us all that way. Lol. So. I'm 44 and ABOC. I don't surf but I do enjoy the outdoors. I'm sorry if you guys aren't getting the service you need and if you would like to message me your info I can pass that along to the regional in your area. For the gentleman who wants to open an account, please message me with your location and I will personally get ahold of whoever is your rep and ask them to contact you. Hang loose!!

**Kemiranda** · 07-16-2013, 09:48 PM

From what I have been told, expect a very large buy in for the Oakley product. The practice I work at would like to carry them, but the excessive buy in has prohibited that from happening.��

You may want to consider bringing in Kaenon sunglasses. Excellent optics and very well made frames from a much smaller company with excellent customer service. Safilo Carrera's are always a favorite too.

**DanLiv** · 07-18-2013, 04:33 PM

I looked into adding Oakley too. Called their customer service, left a message with the rep, no response. They did tell me it would be a 60(!) piece buy in and that you are required to carry both sun and ophthalmic. No thanks. I got SPY http://www.spyoptic.com/ instead. Same construction, price point, and similar style to Oakley.

**King of the Lab** · 07-19-2013, 10:29 AM

I have never had a problem with Oakley. 100% great customer service every time. Maybe it helps that the headquarters are a couple of cities away. I do have to be truly honest though, I enjoyed their frame styles a little more when they were not owned by Lux. Never heard of a 70 piece buy in...that doesn't sound right.

**OPTICALTROLL** · 07-19-2013, 10:45 AM

Originally Posted by King of the Lab

I have never had a problem with Oakley. 100% great customer service every time. Maybe it helps that the headquarters are a couple of cities away. I do have to be truly honest though, I enjoyed their frame styles a little more when they were not owned by Lux. Never heard of a 70 piece buy in...that doesn't sound right.

It was what I was told by by the rep for the Houston Tx area. Flat out with no terms on payments, but he did offer 1 free frame with this buy in. His area manager called, and told me the same thing but in a much nicer way. They have gotten so big they don't need our business basically. I remember a much smaller buy in at another office I worked at. They let us order whatever opth we wanted just to try them out and see how they do. Meanwhile LC has a much smaller selection at their office but we are required to buy 70. F LUX

**OPTICALTROLL** · 07-19-2013, 11:50 AM

I apologize for my foul language. This was my first post edited.

feedback@us.luxottica.com

Give them a email and let them know how uneasy Oakley has been to work with. I was shocked with the response I received when I had the same problem. I got responses from some of the higher ups in Lux. I informed them I was going to stop selling my Lux lines since they would not let me open an account.

The rep was a (not nice) to say the least. Did not want to be bothered with us.

20 ladies opth
20 mens opth
30 suns

To carry the whole collection. A freaking 70 piece buy in!

I have since eliminated Prada, Vogue, currently working on ridding Brooks B, then possibly Coach as well.

**CCGREEN** · 07-19-2013, 11:56 AM

Originally Posted by EyeManFla

We have been having this argument for over a year. The customer service from Oakley is...well, if it were any other company, I wouldn't put up with it.......
My rep....well, let's not even go there....
I can't replace them with Maui Jim because both my Boss and myself HATE Maui Jim with a passion.....
I love Costa Del Mar...but hell, you can practically buy those in the grocery store now a days.....

AT ONE TIME WE HAD AS MANY AS %) OAKLEY FRAMES IN THE STORE....WE NOW HAVE FIVE!!!!!!

Interesting how things work in different parts of the country. My first year here we had Oakley sold maybe 3 pair. Oakley is geared to wards more of a youthful group then what we have in here. This is a OMD office. I have Maui Jim and Costa in here also. I have had a awesome Maui rep and great service but she just got off the road and into a office somewhere. I have been in here seven years now and have had a Costa rep stop in here one time. I wanted to send back some old Costa only way I could do that was exchange one old one for two new ones. I was told it was my responsibility to know which Costa frames were being discontinued and to keep new ones in stock. Then next time I heard from Costa I need to place a order with them for one frame. They did not want to send it till I signed the contract with them when they started making their own Rx's. Told them I never see a rep. Well the rep tried to tell me that when ever she came in she stood around and no one would wait on her. Told her that was not so its just me and one other lady work in the dispensary and I have been here seven years and you have been in the door once.
So needless to say. I hate Costa's on account of the lousy service should I say NO service from their rep.

**Been Klivage** · 07-19-2013, 09:41 PM

They have gotten so big they don't need our organization usually. I keep in thoughts a little buy in at another office I performed at. They let us buy whatever opth we preferred just to try them out and see how they do. Meanwhile LC has a little option at their office but we are required to buy 70.

**OPTICALTROLL** · 07-20-2013, 09:17 AM

Originally Posted by Been Klivage

They have gotten so big they don't need our organization usually. I keep in thoughts a little buy in at another office I performed at. They let us buy whatever opth we preferred just to try them out and see how they do. Meanwhile LC has a little option at their office but we are required to buy 70.

Im glad to find out I wasn't the only one. So are yall still selling Luxottica products? I have gone from 6 to 3 lines and should end up with 1-2 at the most. Maybe just one with Rayban.

Email that feedback at Luxottica and share how you were treated and let them know you will stop selling their product.

**EyeManFla** · 07-20-2013, 11:25 AM

This may well have changed with Costa when I carried their product in Florida...always great customer service and never a return problem...but that was 10 years ago.

**johnnyocook** · 07-20-2013, 07:43 PM

Originally Posted by EyeManFla

We have been having this argument for over a year. The customer service from Oakley is...well, if it were any other company, I wouldn't put up with it.......
My rep....well, let's not even go there....
I can't replace them with Maui Jim because both my Boss and myself HATE Maui Jim with a passion.....
I love Costa Del Mar...but hell, you can practically buy those in the grocery store now a days.....

AT ONE TIME WE HAD AS MANY AS %) OAKLEY FRAMES IN THE STORE....WE NOW HAVE FIVE!!!!!!

I'm opening a shop in Louisiana in a few months and have selected Maui Jim as our "sport sun" line. What are your issues with them? I'm honestly just curious. I'd much rather know of any potential headaches ahead of time.
Costa Del Mar is SUPER popular here, but you're right that it's saturated in this market. Im also not as impressed by their styles and I've heard of headaches with their repair dept from customers.

I am not a fan of Oakley. I actually like some of the Revo stuff. In the ten years I've been in optical, this is the first I've seen/heard a bad word about Maui Jim. My Rx is too high to wear them, so I don't have personal experience other than every friend, family member, customer, or patient has loved their pairs.