was a wonder'n ???

[Jeff Trail]

I off the normal pace here in the lab, the vast majority of my accounts (wholesale) are FL. based .. they are down across the board here around 30% this month.. :)
I was wondering if everyone else is having one of "those" months .. I have been getting calls like nobodies business from OD's and opticians about what's going on.. even had an OD drive around town "spying" on other offices and retail sots looking for tha answer
It a love/hate deal for me ..hate not being behind .. but love the part where I actually will be taking a 4 day weekend this weekend.. going to the NASCAR pepsi 400 in fact...
Any body else below par for normal this year? Oh well thats life in the optical lane

Jeff"likes spending FREE time doing odd sruff"Trail

[Jim Seebach]

Hello Jeff;
maybe it is slow in Florida because Elian finally went back to Cuba, and the let up in tension was so overpowering that every one collapsed and can't get out to buy anything.
Out here in Odessa, Texas USA, we have been busy. we are up about 18% over last year, which was a good year. Sure hope it picks up for you guys soon..

Jim, slow is scary, Seebach

[Framebender]

Jeff,

The people I talk to here in metro Denver are seeing a slight increase over last year, but nothing like the gains we had last year! We are considered a growth market so alot of people went out & bought new equipment, remodeled or even opened new locations based on that information. Everybody is making it I think, but there may be a couple who fall by the wayside before the end of the year. Unfortunately, there is some post belt tightening going on.

I hope you're having fun & enjoy the race!!

Framebender

[Jackie L]

Up here in New England, we are extremely busy with customers coming home for the summer, children out of school (college) and the tourism thing. Tourists' sales would not pay the rent, but they certainly keep us busy.

Jackie O

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Still a Maina for now

[JennyP]

Hey, if you're like us...you can use the slower time to let some employees take their vacation time! And it's a great time to train new people...you actually have time to explain the "whys" as well as the "hows"...One of our guys came up with a new definition for ABO today...Awfully Bored Optician...it'll pick up again shortly!

[This message has been edited by JennyP (edited 06-29-2000).]

[Joann Raytar]

In CT we've had a weird first half. Normally what would be the winter slow season wasn't slow for us this year. We have been seeing steady gains since January but have definitely started to slow down over the past two or three weeks. I was talking to someone at the travel agency next door to us and they are having their busiest summer in a long time. Perhaps people are just traveling or spending more money on vacations right now. We started the month running 107% to last year and have just dropped down to 70% over this past week. We have to work for our dough around here normally - no Doc. People could be purchasing at their OD's instead of coming back but I doubt it; we have a very loyal customer base.

[Bob Rihl]

School lets out in Augusta, Georgia, right after Memorial Day, so we're always slow until right before it starts up again towards the end of August. Only the customers with not much cash to spend are left in town. The good spenders are at the beach in South Carolina for the summer, up in the North Carolina mountains, in Europe or up in Maine or Canada. Some even go down your way to Baja Georgia (Florida). So the only ones left in town are the ones who call you on the phone and say "how much is glasses," "how much is blue contacts," "do you accept assignment?" (HELL, NO!), or the one lens changes for all of the old folks getting their cataract surgery done over the summer, because it's too hot to do anything else, if they can find an Ophthalmologist not in one of the above listed places. It's a good time to sit on the back porch, mint julep in hand, and listen to the birds and crickets. It's summertime and the living is easy. Enjoy, while it lasts.

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