unusual request

[don A]

anyone out there ever encountered anything i'm about to mention??
a woman came into our office and asked if we can "process" her eyeglasses. she mentioned that a good friend of her has given her a lens blank and frame but do not have the equipment for processing. she insists that we should not have any problem with this request and she is willing to pay for "labor". we declined her kind offer and she left saying that our industry is a rip-off....that she knows the wholesale prices of glasses (she forgot about all the other costs....).
what are your opinions about this?? would you do it and why??

don "curious" A.

[Matthew]

Never had that happen, but it figures. Tell the lady...lets see here I need to pay Social security X 2, then Fed tax, then state tax, then local tax, then Workers comp, then medical insurance, then liability insurance and my employees AND rent and property insurance and equipment upkeep...NO problem that will be 150.00. Cheap at half the price.

[mikeh]

I am reminded of a letter run in the Dear Abby or Ann Landers column years ago. A consumer wrote to complain that the price for dental braces was outrageous. Imagine paying that much for a few ounces of metal!
The columnist forwarded the later to the American Dental Association who replied that they would happily supply the metal to the writer at cost and she could make her own braces.

Unfortunatley, in our industry, some employees think that, because we pay only "a few dollars" for materials, we are ripping off consumers. There attitude and feelings bleeds right across the dispensing table.

Isn't it incredible that begining employees who are as yet unknowledgeable, are assigned duties such as answering the phone and helping browsers look at frames. The result is that potential customers have their opening experience with the least knowledgable person on the team.

[Blake]

We had a lady bring in some special lenses for her teenage daughter that she had gotten from the doctor. They were plano, but were bluish in color - I forget what they were for. Anyway, the girl picked out a frame, and we cut the lenses for them (after warning them we couldn't be responsible for the lenses). Then we prayed. Hard.
Fortunately, they turned out fine and everybody was happy. But since the lenses cost around $500 a pair, we would've been in deep doo-doo had something happened, in spite of our "disclaimer".
I guess your customer got what she paid for (wholesale). If you're willing to cut her lenses for a fee, more power to ya. Just remember, if something happens to the lenses in your lab, she'll expect you to replace them at no charge! Might want to figure that into your fee.

Blake

[stephanie]

What a nut! I had a woman who lived part time in Fl. had her lenses cut for her frame there and then they mailed them to her. I must admit at first I really thought that she was asking me the same thing the woman in your office did. She pulled out the new lenses and asked me to put them in her frame which I did for her. But cutting lenses from somewhere else when they didn't get anything from you? I would definately not do. I can't believe some of the requests we get. Anyone fix anything non-optical because of those "little screwdrivers" we have? God if I had a nickel for all of those I have done free of charge mind you I would definately be one very wealthy woman!
Have a great day!!!
Steph

[Rich R]

Unfortunately you get all kinds in this business, I once did a favor for a lady with a/r and tinted lenses, her a/r was all scratches up so I send them in and had them stripped retinted and recoated, I felt she was a nice person and charged her pretty much my cost. Well she didn't like the color said they weren't the same as she had and got very irate. I sent them in again and did not recharge her knowing I made a mistake in the first place trying to do her a favor. Ultimately she was still not happy and threatened to sue me. A learning experience for me. Rich R

[Clive Noble]

Originally posted by Blake:
We had a lady bring in some special lenses for her teenage daughter that she had gotten from the doctor. They were plano, but were bluish in color - I forget what they were for.

Blake

They were possibly for helping patients with dyslexia to read, we've also had quite a few of these lenses, pinks, reds and yellow too.
From the results, it seems to be a pretty 'hit and miss' affair but there certainly are some good results.

We make a policy of yes, accepting patients own frames and lenses, charging a reasonable fee for the work but most important, not accepting any responsibility for any damage that may happen when these products are going through our lab.

We've learned the hard way over the years.

[Dave Nelson]

I once had a lady come in for contacts. She said she knew what the "mark-up"was on them, and mentioned contacts must be the single most profitable item for sale in North A merica. She went on and on during biomicroscopy, K readings, case history, discussion of options, care systems, lens insertion, vision assessment ect. we had spent about an hour of chair time, and scheduled a couple follow-up visits. I told her after she left, I would have to record everything on her chart, phone and order some contacts, pay an invoice, keep a file, do phone follow-up to insure compliance with her follow-up schedule,ect. I then asked her to subtract the wholesale cost from the retail, then calulate how much was left to pay a skilled technician for about 2 hours work, then see if she could get a plumber, auto mechanic or locksmith to work for the same hourly rate. So much for the outrageous mark-up on the contacts. The same goes for the idiots who spend 4hours with a skilled optician over 3 or4 visits to find the "perfect frame" then complain that 200 bucks is an outrage. You've already cost the company $300 BEFORE you even decide on the frame. you'd have to spend $500 to allow the optical compant to BREAK EVEN because TIME costs MONEY. Just getting this off my chest i guess...

[Jeff Trail]

Originally posted by don A:
anyone out there ever encountered anything i'm about to mention??
a woman came into our office and asked if we can "process" her eyeglasses. she mentioned that a good friend of her has given her a lens blank and frame but do not have the equipment for processing. she insists that we should not have any problem with this request and she is willing to pay for "labor". we declined her kind offer and she left saying that our industry is a rip-off....that she knows the wholesale prices of glasses (she forgot about all the other costs....).
what are your opinions about this?? would you do it and why??

don "curious" A.

Don,

You should be in "wholesale" I get (atleast) 10 calls a day from local people wanting to buy "direct" :) ..
I found when I was in both ends of the market (wholesale & retail) the best explanation when they used that line " I know the wholesale price.. and those couple of pieces of "plastic" couldn't cost more then a few bucks" .. I told them you could produce them yourself as well for that few "bucks" for the lens.. but to have the same EQUIPMENT I have, you better pony up around $250,000 ... So it will only cost you a few bucks for the lens but your overhead is running a hundred grand a lens
Well I guess if they understood equipment and had the right connections you could always get a very "cheap" used equipment lab for around $45 to $60 thousand I guess, since they are not planning high production then they could get by with the basics :) ..hey look at that got their costs down to around $20 or $30 Thousand a lens already...
Most tend to forget that the cost of the equipment is just as big a factor as your overhead and the rest..
As for the line "I KNOW what they cost WHOLESALE" yada yada yada.. They tend to forget that price is BASED on VOLUME... If they wanted to spend (my average account is $3,000 a month) then hey I'll do it for the "wholesale" price :) ..Look at that , got it knocked down to around $1,500 a lens..

Jeff " Thats my bottom line" Trail

[EYERX]

Well I'm finally geting out of the field! I've been in 15 years and it going straight to HELL! I presently earn 20 an hr. and I started out licenced at 16.50. Does that keep up with the cost of living? I THINK NOT! The patients are getting nastier the ins. companys are paying out less and less and the super opticals and management companies want you to be a salesman first! If I wanted to be a salesman I would be selling cars or boats and make some real money.Most of you think education will get you more money well I hate to tell you it won't. At best it might let you hang onto your job and thats it. I have a B.S.in ophthalmic science I am N.J. state licenced and ABOC & NCLC and its done nothing for me except take more money out of my pocket!If you think the optometrists ar ever gonna let you refract your DREAMING! The optometrists have a far bigger lobby than we will ever have because we cant pull together and form a single tight society we are too splintered!OH YEA and if you think the optical chains will allow it then SANTA CLAUS IS A JEW!(I'm jewish no harm intended) What you will see is more states doing away with licensure because of the ODs , chains and oh yea the NAOO (some of you never learned to stay away from that group!) Luckily I have other skills and taken on a job at a large boat builder at more than twice my opticians pay! I urge you all to consider what is left in the future of this bussiness.
Pretty soon the night shift at Mcdonalds will be making more than you!
Sincerely
Andy

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[Cindy Hamlin]

I once encountered the same thing with a male patient. He would come in yearly and ask me to commit insurance fraud! Send in claim and when he got money would come in and buy glasses. IMAGINE! Then he came in wanting new lenses for his 5 year old glasses and I didn't have them. He went to a competitor and they had lenses, but no tech. He returned to my store 1/2 hour later with the blanks. I cut them at his risk and sent him on his way. Sure enough he saw a scratch that he said I put there! I must be honest I didn't check the lens since I was only cutting as courtesy. The other optical told him they wouldn't cover under warranty since they didn't do the work. Imagine that! I refused to redo and the patient never returned!

[Darris Chambless]

Andy said "Luckily I have other skills and taken on a job at a large boat builder at more than twice my opticians pay! I urge you all to consider what is left in the future of this business.
Pretty soon the night shift at McDonalds will be making more than you!
Sincerely
Andy"

Hey Andy,

I think that's pretty cool. I use to work at a boat manufacturing plant here. I loved the work, they paid me well and gave me a truck to drive. I was the foreman for the whole operation the only problem I had was how badly I was treated by the owner. No hard feelings toward him though since his treatment of me was how he treats everyone ;-)

I think you'll enjoy the work at least. It's interesting stuff. The only advice I have for you is to watch for cracking in the gel coat around the screws when installing trim tabs. Also make sure the hydraulic motor is mounted high enough on the inside of the transom. AND whatever you do don't left anyone tell you that you can saddle strap an outboard motor and hoist it into place. Get the crankshaft ring and life will be much easier :-)

Take care my soon to be aquatic friend :-)

Darris "I built boats once." Chambless

PS. If you need any info about boat stuff let me know and I'll help where I can. You can always find me around here.

[Bob Rihl]

Andy and Darris:
When I retired the first time, three years ago, I wanted to go up to Maine and take one of those crah courses in wooden boat re-finishing. Wifey thought I was nuts, and now I'm back in the optical business until the bitter end, 220 more stinking, lousy weeks. I wish I had gomne into boat rebuilding. But considering that I've been doing this for almost 23,000 weeks, 220 weeks doesn't seem to bad.
Then I'll HAVE a boat built. Maybe by Andy. They sure know how to put boats together in NJ. My family had a 31' Chris-Craft based up there in the summertime and I had a 15' Lyman. Lots of varnish, but lots of fun.
Bob Dreaming in Georgia (about twin screws, opposite rotation, flying bridge, etc)

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[karen]

Don, they brought in semi finished blanks???? Wonder where they got them...I can only think of a few places where they could have gotten them and they are manufacturers or labs. My own lab I work for grumbles if I give them some to do for me-that a manufacturer gave me even! (something about having to pull lenses from our stock of they are defective or go bump in the night when someone is edging them)

[Bob Rihl]

Andy and Darris:
When I retired the first time, three years ago, I wanted to go up to Maine and take one of those crash courses in wooden boat re-finishing. Wifey thought I was nuts, and now I'm back in the optical business until the bitter end, 220 more stinking, lousy weeks. I wish I had gomne into boat rebuilding. But considering that I've been doing this for almost 23,000 weeks, 220 weeks doesn't seem to bad.
Then I'll HAVE a boat built. Maybe by Andy. They sure know how to put boats together in NJ. My family had a 31' Chris-Craft based up there in the summertime, Ft Lauderdale in Winter and Virginia in between, and I had a 15' Lyman. Lots of varnish, but lots of fun.
Bob Dreaming in Georgia (about twin screws, opposite rotation, flying bridge, etc)

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[EYERX]

The companies name is Viking Yacht and the cheapest boat they make is 1.6 million dollars
Mark Mguire and Sammy Sossa each just bought a 4.5 million dollar ship!I will be involved in engine installation.

[Jackie L]

"Unfortunatley, in our industry, some employees think that because we pay only "a few dollars" for materials, we are ripping off consumers. There attitude and feelings bleeds right across the dispensing table."

Mikeh

Well said. When are we (Opticians) going to stop apologizing for the prices we charge? Our time, labor, education, chair time, equipment and so forth and so on costs money. Dollars, Pounds or Punts, it costs to run a dispensary. If Josephine consumer wishes to purchase an uncut pair of lenses and frame, that is what she paid for. The lab that sold her the bill of goods should be ashamed of themselves. I would no more ask the dentist mentioned above to fit the metal to my mouth at no or little charge than to ask my Audiologist to properly fit my Miracle Ear.

Stand strong and let the consumer go.

Jackie O

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Still a Maina for now