Hopefully more of us will do the same and reply with our comments. For me it was a difficult exercise in diplorem, as I really wanted to sound off on these talking heads. We might want to be mindful as to how we come across to the public, if they are reading any of our comments. I wonder, who is this Dr Nikki Iravani and what interest does she represent.
Dr. Nikki Iravani, OD
CEO & Founder Prior to founding EyeXam, Dr. Nikki Iravani was the Vice-President of Clinical and Professional Affairs at CooperVision, the world's second largest contact lens manufacturer. Dr. Iravani has extensive management experience in the contact lens industry as well as clinical ophthalmology and optometry. Dr. Iravani has served as a consultant for a number of eye care related projects and is currently on the advisory board of various start up companies in the ophthalmic industry. Dr. Iravani graduated from the University of California-Irvine with a bachelor of science in biological sciences and received her doctor of optometry degree from the University of Houston, College of Optometry.
...don't forget she is also,CEO of Global Eye Ventures, the fine people who developed EYEXam mobile app. So clearly there were no special interests or self servicing promotions to the news worthy article.
To put things into perspective, a CEO doctor with a CV like hers and a self servicing intetest, isnt going to be trumped by anonymous or otherwise ranting opticians on a forum with self serving interests.Originally Posted by huskypaul
If no public comments are submitted upset opticians just makes the story more concrete.
Glasses have become a commodity.
We ARE the GREEDY MIDDLEMAN!
Meh....................I'm so over it!
I'll cut hay while the sun is shining and when it rains, I'll find something else to do.
There are much bigger things to worry about in life.
As the public is increasingly aware of online glasses - maybe they will begin to wonder why there are $6.95 Zenni glasses and $120 Warby Parkers....why the huge spread...why is WP, selling made-in-china no-name frames charging 17X more than zenni for the same commodity? Who is the greedy middle man?
The fact that there is such a price spread, even on pure web glasses, might get people to stop and wonder.
I don't think unbundling our services is the way to go....in fact our industry has historically been totally unbundled - a fact which the onliners have exploited to their advantage.
You charge for the frame, you charge for the exam, you charge for the coatings, you charge for the drilling, you charge for the transitions, you charge for the tint, you charge for higher index and every possible add on.
The on-liners came in and BUNDLED most of this and SIMPLIFIED, DEMYSTIFIED and CHOPPED prices, seemingly.
So now we are supposed to UNBUNDLE? Unbundle what? Charge for adjusting and changing nose pads, screws?
Completely wrong, in my opinion. You WILL NEVER pay your rent by charging a fitting fee. What, $10? $20? maybe we can add shoe shine services and car wash.
The ONLY answer is in taking a page from the enemy's playbook, and getting with the program. Plenty of people still want to buy quality, service and brand names. There are suppliers who don't prostitute out their frames on line, and they are vigilant when frames show up on sites like ebay. By bundling frame/lens/eye exam services at compelling prices, IN ADDITION to your offering of higher end goods, and being aggressive in promoting these offers, you can prevent a lot of the loss to online.
Last edited by optimensch; 10-27-2013 at 08:43 AM.
That is certainly the perception!
When I used to see sales reps, they would often come in with a product and say, "XYZ Optical is selling this for $$$..." I would ask them why I would be concerned with what they are charging. I know what I need to make a living and to pay my staff. When that starts changing, I'll reduce the number of stores I have, then reduce the number of employees. When/if I am no longer making enough to sustain my opulent lifestyle (yes, the rumors are true...I really do own TWO minivans!!! Yes, TWO!), then I'll start up another business in an unrelated field.
I agree w/ optimensch and Fezz. $10, $20, even $50 for a fitting/adjustment/repair? Sure, if you had an operation like Joe Cole (founder of Cole Key Co.) on East Ninth Street, less than the size of an elevator. No problem! I've often said that if every one of my customers walked in the door, shook my hand, handed me $39 for doing nothing, and left, I would be out of business in a month.
But this is all nonsense talk anyway! This is like a college tutor sitting down with a professor and trying to have an intelligent conversation on how they can make more money. One of them sells the product(learning), while the other tries to make the product work. Sure, a college student loves the extra income, as they have no investment. You are asking the professor to cut his pay in half, and make it up in tutoring. Pure lunacy.
I'm with Fezz; I'm focusing on what I do best, and when people no longer appreciate it, then off I go. There will be no hard feelings, and I'll be content to know I made a decent living doing it the right way.
Last edited by Johns; 10-27-2013 at 09:40 AM.
Just my ever changing but consistently humble opinion.
Last edited by Stan Tabor; 10-27-2013 at 06:35 PM.
Stan: I respectfully disagree.
Here's a Story. Applicable. Resonant.
A few weeks ago, a friend in the optical field told me of his love for motorcycles and his "trusted" motorcycle mechanic. Whenever he needed service or parts, he followed the advice of his mechanic. A few years ago, he needed tires, and the mechanic said "$450/pr., mounted and balanced." And he paid the price - no questions asked. A year later, in for other service, he happen to ask his mechanic how the tire business was going. "Not good" was the response. " People are starting to buy tire online much cheaper, and bringing them to me for mounting and balancing." "How much are you charging?", my friend asked. "$35.00" was the mechanic's reply. "How do you fell about this?" my friend asked. "Mad and resentful" said the mechanic.
Recently, my friend returned to his trusted motorcycle mechanic for service, and again asked how the tire business was going. "GREAT!" was the mechanic's reply. My friend followed with "How's that? Last time we spoke, you didn't feel great about customers buying tires online." "Yeah, but that was then, Overtime, I slowly raised my prices. First $45, then $55 and $65. Now I charge $85 to mount and balance a pair of tires. I make more money now, with less hassle about inventory, than I used to when I sold the tires!"
Parallels? Yes, IMHO. Sure, we won't make a living off adjustments only. But by beginning now to unbundle what we have previously bundled, not only do we finally begin to attach a value to all of what we do, we finally begin to travel down the path of progress in raising our fees to properly represent out skill, time and value. The very act of doing this is quite empowering. Freed of resentment about what once was, it is an action plan that takes all emotion out of servicing anything an optical consumer might bring to you, and bring to you they will. Last time I looked, the potential for service fees fir ALL optical transactions was exponentially greater than just the ones sold within a single B&M location. And it also finally levels the optical playing field between B&M and online. You want a la carte because it is cheaper. Fine.
You can pay me now, or pay me later. The money saved by consumers for most price points purchased will be offset in large part by the fees and inconvenience they will experience.
If we all get started tomorrow, we'll be a lot happier in two years from now.
So what are you waiting for?
B
Last edited by Barry Santini; 10-27-2013 at 10:18 PM.
bravo!
Mechanics have the luxury of being able to sell, service, and install literally thousands of parts on autos, trucks, and motorcycles. Tires are a small part of their business, and in some cases, they view them as necessary evils (much like we do contact lenses).
I have talked to tire dealers (only tires) and they are NOT installing the internet tires...at least not most of them. They sell only tires, just like we only sell glasses.
ECP's have the luxury of being able to sell (fit, dispense and provide follow-up care) thousands of eyewear parts (frames, lenses, coatings, tints, screws, nosepads, temple tips, etc.) all of which require specific skill sets and considerable experience.
It's not about that elusive government contractor's $700 hammer, it's about knowing how, when and why to use it.
If a motorcycle mechanic loses a tire sale, he still has the benefit of being able to do a $149 tune-up, and add on a $45 fuel filter, and new set of brake cable for $58, and probably sell a bottle of gas additive for $7.99.
Are you suggesting that if an optician loses an eyewear sale (F/L), they will be able to make it up by selling...
I was wrong on my estimation. EACH car has approximately 30,000 parts.thousands of eyewear parts (frames, lenses, coatings, tints, screws, nosepads, temple tips, etc.)???
source: http://www.ask.com/question/how-many...erage-car-have
I can't recall of a pair of glasses that I've ever sold that has more than 27 (realistically - 10)parts to it. I've given you the benefit of the (huge) doubt, but here's the count I get:
2 ea. eyewire screws
2 ea. temple screws
2 ea. temples
2. ea. nosepad screw
2 ea. temple tips
1 ea.eyewire
2 ea. lenses
2 ea. cyl. power
2 ea. sphere power
2 ea. axis
2 ea. AR Coat
2 ea. Transition
1 ea. eyeglass case
2 ea. hinges on eyeglass case
1 ea. bag to carry glasses out of office in
____
27 "parts" total
Okay, so given your scenario, the optical loses a sale to the internet. The next day, Joe consumer comes in and you are going to:
A. Charge him $25 admission to your office
B. Disassemble his glasses and use you specific skill set and considerable experience to reassemble them and charge him $40.00
C. Adjust his glasses for $10.00
D. All of the above, and net a whopping $75.00 (only 50 more and you've got your rent covered/40 of those a week and you can afford an employee.)
I can't understand how people can be dead set against taking any form of insurance can be such ardent supporters of enabling the purchase of internet garbage...to the point of becoming internet advocates.
What are you trying to say? Joe consumer comes in to your office with the bargain eyewear purchased online or from any other competitor, and asks for a repair or an adjustment and you just give away your services and any parts, however small and inexpensive? Who's the sucker?
And to be perfectly clear, I consistently oppose vision insurance, purchasing eyewear of any kind online and enabling the disintegration of our industry by supporting entities who are doing just that, regardless of how soft and sweet their voices and "deals" may be.
Perhaps we should return to the original comparison of providing service for tires vs. providing service for eyewear not purchased from one of your stores.
Last edited by Judy Canty; 10-27-2013 at 10:41 PM.
While you are busy arguing the semantics of it, the Internet Onliners have stolen your cheese, moved it and they are devouring it, you are left arguing over the left over crumbs not the main meal; your licensing boards are continuing to feast on your renewal fees; your insurance companies are vacationing on your Professional Liability Insurance fees; and your Associations are twiddling their thumbs enjoying the landscape and Vision benefit providers have taken over your staffs time at no cost to them.
Each of these players has marketed their product by using you as their whipping post. Each successful onliner or other provider is using and labelling you in a similiar fashion. Why not use their techniques and use the politicians techniques and make them the whipping posts ?
Why are you arguing over the crumbs? Its the meal you want not the crumbs. They moved your cheese , now you move theirs the same way with the same techniques.
Last edited by idispense; 10-28-2013 at 05:33 AM.
Cheese?
For years, well before the advent of online purchasing, B&M stores like mine have had to compete against all sorts of discount opticals in their local market. We've not only survived, we've thrived. Even with the advent of directive marketing forces such as insurance, we've carved out a niche based on quality, service, skill and ease of doing business.
This has not yet changed. In fact, I'd dare say that the reason most fear online and demonize it is that they either don't understand or believe their own added value.
Cheese...bring it on!
B
Eyeglass frames. X.xx
Lenses x.xx
My fee. 3.95
Mandatory Public Protection Regulation licensing fees 50.00
Health Benefits Processing cost. 60.00
Politician 70.00
Association Dues 70.00
Landlord Convenient location fees 50.00
Costs to a B&M operation might look more like this if unbundled
Last edited by idispense; 10-28-2013 at 07:47 AM.
If we listen to Barry we will all have results like this :
http://www.yelp.ca/biz/long-island-opticians-seaford
Last edited by idispense; 10-28-2013 at 07:18 AM.
idispense, can we have a link to your Yelp reviews? I think most practices would love to have reviews like LIO.
There is only one Barry and he knows what he is talking about.
We should encourage him to set up web cams in his store and sell live streaming subscriptions to teach us the techniques he has mastered.
Barry certainly does have what it takes, and we can (and do ) learn a lot from him and his customer service practices. The irony of the reviews (some longer than high school term papers), is that all were exemplary, except for one...the one that was charged $20 (not $30, 40, or 50) for an adjustment.
His best reviews are those where he took the time (a lot of it, as we often must do) to educate them, to research what they want/need, and in some cases, even refer them to the competition. Great stuff, and many of us do that. What I also noticed, was that when Barry referred someone to the comp., it was a B&M, and not the internet.
Kudos to Barry, and all of you that continue to make a great living selling eyewear, and not adjustments.
When the hay runs out....what about harvesting some hops together me boyo? :)
Interesting that I just read a "Managing credibility in your social media" column in a trade mag yesterday that said that "...having just positive reviews ONLY appears as not credible..." - almost as if they are seemingly fake. Having a few negative ones offers "real world balance" (after all, no one is perfect).
Yes, the adjustment review stung. And I have beat myself up over NOT responding back in public. But this column expert said responses to negative reviews should be "taken offline."
Surprisingly, some new clients have mentioned that they perceived the charge for adjustments as "being worth something"
Go figure.
B
No, I can see their point.
I've had some nonsensical reviews like this directed at me personally, not just the practice where I am employed. They don't have anything to do with my skill or the way I address people but I take them all to heart nonetheless. Sometimes I wonder if I have a tough enough hide to be an Optician. I'm glad that one of the best in the biz feels the same way about negative reviews.
"Strictly speaking, there are no enlightened beings; only enlightened activity." -Shunryu Suzuki
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