Optical Confusion...............theme for a slow weekend on Optiboard................

[Chris Ryser]

I found an article on the web, which fits our times to the point and could be used for some lively discussions.



.............In most states requiring licensure for opticians, there is a 2-year-long apprenticeship program for those seeking a license. In some states that require licensure, opticians can become licensed after they complete an associate degree program, and they also may become certified by taking exams from American Board of Opticians.

But if you live in one of the 28 states that doesn’t require licensed opticians, your optician might be what one expert calls a “Mac-tician.”

By that he means your optician could have been flipping burgers at McDonald’s one day and dispensing advice on eyeglasses the next, says Pete Hanlin, director of training and development at Essilor, a lens manufacturer.

............................Much of the consumer-related confusion in the eyeglasses industry can be traced to a 1978 Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ruling that basically said you don’t have to be an eye doctor to sell eyeglasses.

The good news was that it created many more buying options and led to a boom of discount retail chains. But 30 years later, pricing is still a major issue for eyeglasses.


Read all of it:
http://www.consumersdigest.com/speci...usion/view-all

[wmcdonald]

Interesting article, Chris. I appreciate it. Should make a few folks think, and I look forward to hearing comments.

[lensmanmd]

Interesting indeed. I have always taken CR with a grain of salt. CR has a history of confusing value with price, and has historically promoted mid-level products in their own way. This old article skewers LUX, as it should, but also goes after those that need to adapt to survive in this LUX dominated industry. Barry's module on how to effectively sell multiple pairs is a standard Ready to Wear retail sales practice, and should not be dismissed just because it was sponsored by LUX. The selling of multiple pairs adds to the bottom line of all ECPs and labs. It's just good business.

The article prints a few words about overhead, but not enough. Wholesale cost of goods does not alone indicate markup. There are many other overhead related costs involved at the manufacturing and sales level that CR did not even try to cover. Spoilage, skill sets, wages and benefits (Union shops, especially), maintenance and production costs, supplies, taxes, training, insurance reimbursement (lack of), etc. Plus the added labor costs of warranty replacements. They all add up.

Apprenticeship, licensing and certifications help, but are not the end all to to solve our industry woes. I have had the pleasure to work with many non-licensed/non-certified technicians that could run rings around their licensed counterparts. If knowledge and craftsmanship is what CR is pointing to, then it should do a deep dive into the online optical industry. Besides the LCs and Walmarts, this is where most of the Mac-ticians work, if there is even a human presence behind the robo-scene.

As long as Essilux continues to grease palms and is allowed to expand their influence globally, they will control costs, and to me, that is a monopoly. Here in the states, it can be even called RICO. It would be interesting to see a 2017 update of this article, now that ESS is involved.

[Quince]

[QUOTE=Chris Ryser;537657]

But if you live in one of the 28 states that doesn’t require licensed opticians, your optician might be what one expert calls a “Mac-tician.”

By that he means your optician could have been flipping burgers at McDonald’s one day and dispensing advice on eyeglasses the next, says Pete Hanlin, director of training and development at Essilor, a lens manufacturer.
[/QUOTE]

From my experience, living in a non-licensed state, it is in fact the opposite. Most good opticians here wait and wait and wait and then finally say "I guess I should go ahead and get certified." And then they put it off another year

I don't know a single certified optician here who decided to take the ABO before at least three years of working in the field. Most of the people I work/ have worked with have 5-22 years of experience and out of 27 people, 4 are licensed.

I think more people should get certified here- mainly because they all could pass, but it is an effort that doesn't hold a ton of motivation. Most are just happy to know that they know what they are doing. The general public can believe what they want.

[Bimbol]

... For example, he says, there are 300 types of progressive-focus lenses (bifocals that use one lens instead of two for each opening) available on the market...

This is one of the most pisspoor descriptions of a progressive lens I have ever seen. I had to read it three or four times before I figured out what they were trying to say.

[Bimbol]

Based on our shopping and what experts told us, an identical pair of eyeglasses can cost from $100 to $400, depending on where you shop. In general, you’ll always pay more at an eye doctor’s office or at a frame boutique.

The cost for a polycarbonate lens (a thinner lens meant to disguise a prescription that would normally require a thicker lens) is usually no more than $15. But according to our shopping, a polycarbonate lens costs $185 at LensCrafters, $110 at Wal-Mart Vision Centers and $95 at an independent optometrist.

Yup, Dr Office is always more expensive.

Oh, and polycarbonate is only for cosmetics I guess

[Chris Ryser]

Yup, Dr Office is always more expensive.

Oh, and polycarbonate is only for cosmetics I guess

Polycarbonate lenses and or lens blanks are molded several of them on a rack at a time, which makes them the cheapest lens to manufacture.

They have no pores and they can not be tinted , you have to tint the hard coat only.

They can not be stripped of their AR coatings when they go bad, because the acids used to do it will turn the whole lens opaque, and render it unusable.

[Bimbol]

Polycarbonate lenses and or lens blanks are molded several of them on a rack at a time, which makes them the cheapest lens to manufacture.

They have no pores and they can not be tinted , you have to tint the hard coat only.

They can not be stripped of their AR coatings when they go bad, because the acids used to do it will turn the whole lens opaque, and render it unusable.

Swing and a miss good Sir.

[Chris Ryser]

Swing and a miss good Sir.
and yes I missed

Oh, and polycarbonate is only for cosmetics I guess

yes I missed this one.