Fixing Warby Parkers

[Barry Santini]

So I have an early 20's client, approx -5.00DS O.U.; who decided to go for a trendy pair of $95 Warby Parker eyeglasses.

When she came back from school around Thanksgiving, her Mom brought her in and asked if I could help figure out why these were giving her such a headache and eyestrain. Rx had been verified by WP with the prescribing office (not our Rx). Rx is as she had been wearing in my eyewear, except that I used FFSV with POW Poly AR, in a much smaller sized frame (older fashion).

Here's what I found withe the WP:

1. RX correct
2. Binocular PD correct (symmetrically set...she is only 1 mm diff between her eyes)
3. Poly OC was set at frame's mid-"B" - This meant, with such a tall shape and high bridge, that her pupil was 7mm above the OC/MC.
4. Panto of frame was 0 (ZERO)
5. Wrap angle was 6 degrees
6. Lenses were non-aspheric
7. Base curve supplied was 1.25D

So, for all intents and purposes, WP eyewear was easily fully compliant with ANSI standards - so much for ANSI ensuring client satisfaction.

Here's what I did:

1. Remade in CR39 AR FF SV with POW included
2. Supplied 4.25 BASE curve (Frame bevel curve was 2.8D)
3. Use ME1200 Variable bevel mode to taper edge thickness as to prevent frame temple "splay"
4. Edge-tinted the lenses to reduce ring effect and blend with frame.

Photos are attached to tell the visual story. Will probably have to mail eyewear to school (I prefitted them). Won't know client response until next week.

Discussion.

Barry

[Barry Santini]

Two additional photos:

[LENNY]

Why 4 BC?

[NavyChief]

4bc, means approx. -9 on back? Yuch!

[Barry Santini]

In Cr-39, choice between 4 or 2. With wrap angle counted, selected 4. It is a choice. This was mine. With FF SV, you can choose either

[optimensch]

how do you tint the edges? Quite a nice job.

[Barry Santini]

Turn your tint unit down 10 degrees approx 175-180. Dip lenses several times quickly. Then...IMPORTANT!...do not quench or dip in water. Let air dry

[Pogu]

Doesn't this leave streaking on the surface of the lens? Or does the drop in temp prevent the tint from soaking into the polished surfaces?

[Barry Santini]

The lenses are always AR coated.
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[Pogu]

Ahh, so the dropped temp prevents damage while the hard-coat prevents absorption. Very slick

[matt2939]

I have a question Barry-

First, I am truly impressed by the level of customer service you are able to offer to this patient! I am assuming that most of your patients/customers do not require this level of in-depth service, but what percentage of patients would you say you spend this much time on? I could guess that this person took about an hour to two hours of your time, 1 hour to go through her story and check the glasses, and another to order/edge/tint/mount the lenses? I'm interested because I find it challenging to devote upwards of an hour to a single patient (during the glasses consult/checkout) in our practice, although that's what ideally we would do for everyone. Between phones ringing, existing glasses orders being picked up, the next patient finishing their exam and waiting next to be helped, orders to be entered, glasses to be checked in, inventory upkeep, etc etc etc I would say we average about 30 minutes per patient - some more, some less. So would your example be the norm for you, the exception? Thanks

[Barry Santini]

15 minutes to discuss/consult/agree to new lenses. First Suggest she take them back for a "satisfaction" refund, but she tried and was told that if eyewear is Rx/PD compliant, then remake/exchange at no charge - no refunds. Fabrication time about the same as most other jobs we do. It is our standard of service to noodle all edging jobs for optimal cosmetics and lens retention. Our ME1200 makes this possible.

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[DanLiv]

I find it challenging to devote upwards of an hour to a single patient (during the glasses consult/checkout) in our practice, although that's what ideally we would do for everyone. Between phones ringing, existing glasses orders being picked up, the next patient finishing their exam and waiting next to be helped, orders to be entered, glasses to be checked in, inventory upkeep, etc etc etc I would say we average about 30 minutes per patient - some more, some less.

I think Barry enjoys, due to his diligent business building, the perfect volume/profit ratio that allows him to dote on every customer and truly meet their every optical need while maintaining a successful business. Many of the rest of us still struggle to find that balance. It's not just our industry, but many business live in dire fear of not enough customers and do anything to bring more people in the doors, most significantly with low prices. In our business it's usually through insurance, and we keep cranking it up and taking on more until our books are full, and only then do we realize we have taken on so much work at such moderate margins that we cannot provide the very service we intended. Barry accepts no insurance and enjoys the fruits of his business built solely on the value of his service, not the value of price which (through insurance) the rest of us leverage to bring customers in.

Matt your practice sounds like a pretty typical one were you have enough time to provide good service, but it's hard to be exemplary. When your time is so tightly budgeted, every extra minute you devote to a "special" customer necessarily cuts corners on another customer. The only way to improve service is increase staff to master the volume, or decrease volume such that existing staff can master it. The worst place to be is too busy with your job to even do your job. Chain stores deliberately limit the level of service their staff can offer so they can ratchet up productivity to match any amount of volume that walks through their doors. That's not a happy place. We all want to be Barry's, not LCs.

[Barry Santini]

Don't give me too much credit here, fellas. Every business has its challenges.

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[golfnut]

I tend to use edge coat pens. Is edge tinting better or just easier? I did similar thing for a pair of warbys , didn't use pow but did specify proper oc and edge coated. Pt was extremely happy.

[Barry Santini]

I tend to use edge coat pens. Is edge tinting better or just easier? I did similar thing for a pair of warbys , didn't use pow but did specify proper oc and edge coated. Pt was extremely happy.

The only material we found safe to edge tint with dyes is CR-39. For the rest I use edge pens too.

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[optical24/7]

Trivet too, in fact it's edges will tint quicker and darker with even lower temp settings.

[NCspecs]

In Cr-39, choice between 4 or 2. With wrap angle counted, selected 4. It is a choice. This was mine. With FF SV, you can choose either

I think it's wonderful that you chose your own base curve based on your calculations. I've tried to do that in the past but I have been told with most FF technology I am unable to specify my BC. Do you just have a different relationship with your lab or are you using a particular FF lens which allows the optician's specific calculations for BC?

[Robert Martellaro]

Photos are attached to tell the visual story. Will probably have to mail eyewear to school (I prefitted them). Won't know client response until next week.

Discussion.

Barry

She'll love 'em! Symptoms were probably due to an increase in yoked BU prism and its associated higher level of LCA on-axis. The floor should look flatter too, especially if you were able to dial in some panto tilt.

There's a reason why Warby Parker won't sell multifocals. They also shouldn't sell SV lenses without an optician fitting when the Rx has more than 1 DC and/or more than 2 D in the strongest meridian.

[LENNY]

She'll love 'em! Symptoms were probably due to an increase in yoked BU prism and its associated higher level of LCA on-axis. The floor should look flatter too, especially if you were able to dial in some panto tilt.

There's a reason why Warby Parker won't sell multifocals. They also shouldn't sell SV lenses without an optician fitting when the Rx has more than 1 DC and/or more than 2 D in the strongest meridian.

Most of the ones that I saw were over minus 4.00

[jefe]

I just had a case yesterday involving a woman w/WPs. She had R: -5 ish, L: -4 ish with the OCs about 10 mm below the pupil, zero panto and lots of discomfort. We're changing to a frame with a smaller B and 1.60 index.

[Uncle Fester]

She'll love 'em! Symptoms were probably due to an increase in yoked BU prism and its associated higher level of LCA on-axis. The floor should look flatter too, especially if you were able to dial in some panto tilt.

There's a reason why Warby Parker won't sell multifocals. They also shouldn't sell SV lenses without an optician fitting when the Rx has more than 1 DC and/or more than 2 D in the strongest meridian.

Oh dear--- here's my ignorance showing again.

LCA on axis?

1 DC?

I got the 2 D as 2 diopters though!!! (woot woot)

[Uncle Fester]

Questions Barry-
Is that a fitting cross on the white laminate part of the bench in picture 3 or just some scratches? Also what's the black U shaped thing in the background?

[Barry Santini]

Questions Barry-
Is that a fitting cross on the white laminate part of the bench in picture 3 or just some scratches? Also what's the black U shaped thing in the background?

Scratches. The blk "u" shaped thing is an air-heater's flow concentrator...from B&S.

1 DC = 1 Diopter Cylinder correction

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[Barry Santini]

Oh dear--- here's my ignorance showing again.

LCA on axis?

1 DC?

I got the 2 D as 2 diopters though!!! (woot woot)

You must have missed this article:

http://www.2020mag.com/l-and-t/41604/

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