What kind of commisions do any of you receive? Do you get the standard UV, Scratchguard, progressives, etc....? I get $10.00 for every Kodak precise, concise I sell. It was 10 fulfilled once a month, but now its every three months. The extra $300.00 is nice, but now it seems it takes a little longer to get. :) As well, I get 10% of all retail sales, but tax time took its toll. :hammer:This year its 30 % right off the top.
Does this compare with anyone here?
What does your company offer?
I want your tax man. 30% isn't too bad unless the commission all you are getting for income.
Originally Posted by chip anderson
Well, I'm getting my commission plus normal income. Its been really beneficial, except what I may have to pay in taxes. Not sure yet. If the commissions are based under bonus' and or earned income and not commissions only then I'm okay. But it still really helps and is a great morale booster. :D
Sales are picking up mighty fine this month. ;)
I don't get any type of commission. I sell what my patients need. They trust me to steer them in the right direction, and I do. I have never been a fan of the commission set-up. I think it breeds dishonesty and hurts the practices bottom line.
But what do I know?
Do YOU get the $10...or does the practice get the $10 and pass it on to you? What do you think of the performance of the Kodak Precise? What if the practice gave you $20 NOT to sell such an over-priced lens? Would you still continue to sell the Kodak? Does the practice see any of that rebate....errr, I mean...commission? Does the owner of the practice think this is a great plan?
Do you believe in the Kodak Precise?
Just curious. No bashing, just plain old curiosity!
No, I do not beleive its dishonest because I TELL the pt about the Kodak , and its uses and allow THEM to make their own choice. I tell them about other lenses as well according to their prescription and needs.
I don't see how it hurts the practice. Would commissions hurt 'other' business' where that income is most of the employees earnings?
Lets face it, alot of Opticians don't make THAT much.
Yes, I get the $10.00. Kodak sends ME the check. I think the Kodak is a good lens and did before I started getting the commission. I sold it in my last position as well. It has a bigger viewing area and not as much abberation as say the Image, the Shoreview or the Excell.
And no my lab doesn't see any of the commission. I make the sale.
And of course the owner thinks a its a good deal or beleive me, they wouldn't let it happen.
BTW, the Kodak lens where I work is not overpriced. We are cheaper because we sell to the Veteran population. The Poly Kodak is higher, yes, but not the reg. plastic.
I have never worked on commision even in a commisioned store. I prefer it that way. I am already giving 100% on the sales floor and with the customers. Offering commision is insulting to me. I won't have it in the office that I run now. You can't have a team if everyone is competing with each other. And say what you will but I feel it breeds animosity, envy and discontent. Here we prefer to pay our employees a living wage already. Anyone that has ever worked here has commented that it is the most fair office and pleasant enviroment they have ever worked in and that they feel appreciated. What does someone do that feels appreciated on the job? They work harder.
Does the practice consider what you get from Kodak as part of your commission?
Let the refining and improving of your own life keep you so busy that you have little time to criticize others. -H. Jackson Brown Jr.
If the only tool you have is a hammer you will approach every problem as though it were a nail
Do you TELL them that if THEY choose Kodak you get a $10 spiff? I'll bet that would influence their decisions.
Note: FezzJohns has never paid a commission to a dispenser. We have built our empire on the merits of our products and services. Commissions are not necessary.;)
Ophthalmic Optician, Society to Advance Opticianry
Really?
http://optometry.osu.edu/COOR/pdfs/O...SciArticle.pdf
I will sometimes use the fact that I do not work on commission to help earn the trust of patients. It doesn't matter to me if you get the $100 Altair frame or the $300 Versace, I still get paid. This allows me to sell based on the patients wants and needs rather than padding my wallet. (Which could really use some padding).
Having worked in an office that accepts Medicaid and also pays a commission on sales and spiff on multiple pairs, I would never want to subject a patient or fellow optician to that. Everyone deserves the same level of care regardless of income or insurance.
"Gee, Mrs. Smith, it looks like you could really use the 1.74 Varilux Physio 360 lens since your Rx is -.50 in both eyes. Might I also suggest adding the UV protection and scratch guard to these lenses. For an extra $50 we also offer a 2 year screw replacement warranty. Why yes, I think your Social Security check this month should cover these glasses."
NOT ON MY WATCH!
Ya know, there seems to BE quite abit of animosity against receiving commissions here. I sell what the pt needs and or what THEY want. If I don't sell a Kodak lens or whatever , then so be it. Commissons are not so very important that all I do is sell one particular product. Gee whiz. lighten up folks.
I've always worked for companies that offer commissions and those I've worked with never had any problems with how much commission a fellow employee made. In fact, no one even asked, we just sold what we sold and that was that. Commissions are an added boost. So what . I've had pts ask me if I get commissions and I tell them, yes on certain things, and no one seems to mind.
I do not make a big deal about it nor do I try to push anything.
Thanks for the info, I will read it.
commission is a crock of an idea for any decent optometric office who's goal is to provide the best for the PATIENT. It may work in retail based settings whose only mission is to make $$ from product.
Why should you get commission when the doctors and the other staff got the patient to the point of dispensing. The front desk staff, the pretesters, insurance staff and others all contribute to a successful office.
Our staff will never work on commission. It doesn't make sense in a health care setting.
I've never been a fan of commissions. I've seen the discontent it can breed. At our clinic, the commissions (or bonus, rather) is based on reaching certain dollar values on a given sale. The advantage is that they aren't tied to selling a particular product. The major disadvantage is the competition that arises. I have seen one colleague actually duck in and "steal" a sale from another colleague. As well, not all the staff dispenses. So those of us who don't have absolutely no chance at earning extra bucks. :(
The past generation of my family was in the automobile repair business (back when we had mechanics instead of certified technicians). I got to know most of the innerworking of this. It's true that those that are paid on commission tend to hustle a lot more. They tend to get the jobs done faster (sales were not involved here).
But then I had car with a troublesome electrical problem, several shops failed to fix the situation. Finally one referred me to a place in town that specialized in automotive electrical work. I was talking with the electrical mechanic working on my vehicle and commenting on the fine reputation his establishement had.
He went on to tell me that was because everyone employed there was on salary (most other shops were commission or salary+). He said: "Here it doesn't make any difference whether we take 10 minites or all day to find and fix the problem. It only matters that we find and fix it right."
I found a great deal insentive in this.
Now I admit that the big box owner absent stores that center on sales probably should be on commission as quality or effort expended on jobs that do not seem profitable (but may extend goodwill, which may result in future sales) do not seem to be of concern.
But as long as one isn't lazy on the job and his work is of the highest quality or at least the best he is capable of, I think salary is the best system.
Chip
I certainly do see the points made and I do agree with some . But I'm not ashamed one bit for making commissions. I earn them. I run the optical shop all by my little lonesome. The eye clinic is not retail, I'am. I also deal with the patients, the paper work ( no computer... all by hand) , I do everything, I have no competition. True, after the eye clinic has done all their fine work, but now I do MY fine work as best I can.
;)
Salary........................
I grew up in the optical and the family store is still there and operating since 1905. Every one of the 24 emplyoees has been over the time my father took over in the 1930s been on a good monthly salaray with a full month pay as a bonus of on honeste month pay at Christmas time. That has created good will and good employees that very seldom changed.
I think you are a rare breed in that you sell based on patient needs as oppose to the spiff you get. And it seems you have had only good experience with your peers. As a person who has worked with "show offs" who do little dances and call out everything they sold to the little old lady on a pension like nana nana nana, (imagine thumbs in ears waving hands), I have to say, as I'm sure a lot of folks on this board can attest and have been, that it's for the most part, not a good thing. I did not even consider the spiff involved as I need my sleep at night. There are soooo many people that are all about the money and it makes our profession seem like that of a used car salesman. Not the image I want for myself. Sorry. That extra pay is nice, but it has a cost.....Ya know, there seems to BE quite abit of animosity against receiving commissions here. I sell what the pt needs and or what THEY want. If I don't sell a Kodak lens or whatever , then so be it. Commissons are not so very important that all I do is sell one particular product. Gee whiz. lighten up folks.
I've always worked for companies that offer commissions and those I've worked with never had any problems with how much commission a fellow employee made. In fact, no one even asked, we just sold what we sold and that was that. Commissions are an added boost. So what . I've had pts ask me if I get commissions and I tell them, yes on certain things, and no one seems to mind.
I do not make a big deal about it nor do I try to push anything.
Oh yeah. The one office I worked at that gave comission was so very competitive it was scary. I did not accept any commission in exchange for a higher salary. There was a young dispensor there that lost out quite a bit because she was not as aggressive as some in elbowing her way to the next patient who walked in the door. Many times I would do the sale and then hand over the invoice to this dispensor so that she could write it up and get the commision. I didn't care who knew it either. The doctor was informed by someone that I was doing this. He shrugged and said "Good for her".
Yea, good for you!! After I left that particular office, they tried to use a system for waiting on patients, but some were in the business for 30 years and some only a few, so of course the old timers got requested quite a bit from their regulars, so still not a fair situation. I don't know if a really fair way can even be accomplished. I like the idea of goals instead of spiffs. Like furthering your education or analyzing your office for more efficiency.
I Concure, this is exactley right, many years ago I worked for a Pearle store in Colo. in the lab, the opticians on the floor where alway's in fear of someone else stealing there sale. When I went out there to train, I unknowingly stepped on the asst, managers toes when a pt, came back in and I sold him two pairs of glasses, the man did not mention to me that he was previously working with some one else and the asst. manager was off that day. Forth of July started early when he returned the next day and saw the guy's name when someone bragged about the great sale I made. I was accused of stealing commisons. I left shorly after that. :angry:
I have been very lucky . Commissions have not been a competition anywhere I've worked. We all sold what the customer/pt needed FIRST, THEN... if we got a commision , great ! Thats really ridiculous and a childish way to act .
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