I just had a patient come in complaining his single vision glasses were causing eyestrain and they had been re-made 4 times. I checked and his right lens was almost a half diopter too strong with waves in it. This was a -1.25 diopter lens with a half cyl. A previous patient with a stronger Rx was advised by the OD at Walmart not to order lenses there since they transferred all the lens manufacturing to Mexico. It seems cheap is not equal to quality.
That's the Wal-Mart way!Originally Posted by rdcoach5
I remember visiting the WalMart lab in Dallas when I was working with SOLA. It was a very strange experience, not unlike visiting a prison. Did they close the Dallas lab and move operations to Mexico?
OptiBoard Administrator
----
OptiBoard has been proudly serving the Eyecare Community since 1995.
That's what I hear.
I heard it was the Columbus OH lab, not Dallas. It was in the Ohio papers a couple years ago. Apparently they closed it without notice to the staff.
Wesley S. Scott, MBA, MIS, ABOM, NCLE-AC, LDO - SC & GA
“As our circle of knowledge expands, so does the circumference of darkness surrounding it.” -Albert Einstein
I believe WalMart had three big labs in the U.S. at the time I visited the WalMart Dallas Correction...., I mean Lab.
OptiBoard Administrator
----
OptiBoard has been proudly serving the Eyecare Community since 1995.
Right, there were three: Dallas, Fayetteville, and Columbus; but Columbus closed.
Wesley S. Scott, MBA, MIS, ABOM, NCLE-AC, LDO - SC & GA
“As our circle of knowledge expands, so does the circumference of darkness surrounding it.” -Albert Einstein
It's not all done in Mexico. The company operates 2 large labs in the US, and contracts with both Essilor and Zeiss labs as well.
Wesley S. Scott, MBA, MIS, ABOM, NCLE-AC, LDO - SC & GA
“As our circle of knowledge expands, so does the circumference of darkness surrounding it.” -Albert Einstein
Wal-Mart has three optical labs ...........................................
Laboratory Operations
Wal-Mart has three optical labs located in Crawfordsville, Indiana; Dallas, Texas; and Fayetteville, Arkansas.
- The company's 3,000-plus Vision Center locations are served by Wal-Mart labs, which process more than 100,000 lenses per week and manufacture more than five million pairs of eyeglasses each year.
In March 2009, Wal-Mart closed its fourth lab, which was located in Lockbourne, Ohio. The lab's work was picked up by the other Wal-Mart operations. This cost-cutting effort reportedly eliminated 650 jobs and reduced overall laboratory costs for the company. While it no longer produces eye wear, the location continues to serve as a merchandise distribution center.
Read more: http://www.ehow.com/facts_5919519_gl...#ixzz2mFtzDkTJ
Why is my local Walmart sending jobs to Mexico if they have a lab in Indiana ?
Could they be falsely blaming the Mexicans for crappy work in their American labs (and if they are then it becomes a question of, at what level is the disinformation starting)?
Last edited by jpways; 12-02-2013 at 11:27 AM.
Only Zeiss lenses are sent to Mexico. Or during the holidays, if one lab is overloaded they may be sent there. But otherwise, just the Zeiss's.
My Dr's patients who went there are being told Mexico is the problem. It could just be an excuse.
It isn't.
Omega ELOA lab in Dallas still processes Walmart. Or it did a year ago when I was in the building and saw the special area for Walmart jobs.
Last I heard, Wal-Mart's lens ordering system routes all jobs to the appropriate lab based on the lens type (SV, PAL, brand, etc.), add-ons/coating, and turn around time. For example, the Dallas Lab would show up in the system as the lab where the job had been sent to, even though the work is actually being done by the outside lab in Mexico. Every night, the orders completed by the cut-off time at the Mexico Lab for that day are all put on a truck or plane and delivered to the Dallas Lab. They are then sorted, along with other orders done in house, and shipped to the appropriate stores. It's basic logistics and cost-saving measures practiced by a lot of companies in our industry and many others. Personally, I wish everything we bought was "made in the USA" but it doesn't always make business sense to do so. That's why we're able to buy electronics so cheap, they are almost all made in Asia. Let's face it, labor costs abroad are usually cheaper. I've heard that most 1.74 lenses from Zeiss Labs come from Germany, which is why they take so long to be delivered. Not sure if that's true or not.
I don't think that just because a lens is being done by a lab in Mexico makes it a less quality lens. A Doctor practicing at that location should not be telling patients not to buy eyewear there just because it's made in Mexico. Common sense tells you that word will get around quickly and patients won't even go there for their exams either. In my opinion, it all goes back to training and if people know what they're doing. Same goes for Opticians. Just because an Optician is employed by a certain retailer, doesn't make them less of an Optician. For this particular Wal-Mart in Ohio, a courtesy call to get more information about this patient's order, prescription used, why was it remade 4 times, etc. would be the most professional thing to do. Also, you have to remember, sometimes patients don't give you all the facts. I've had numerous patients bring me two or three valid Rx's and ask me which one they should get filled. This patient could have done something similar, we don't have all the facts or know the situation.
The large companies are doing that now. There used to be several wholesale labs in my state. Now there is only a hand-full, and even the largest maintain minimal stall to give the "local" lab feel.
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks