I am interested in what kind of turn around times you tell your patients for glasses and whether you do your lab work in house? Do you call your patients when their glasses are ready or do you tell them your glasses will be ready on a certain date?
We are trying to figure out if we can eliminate calling them by giving them a promise date at the time of the sale. I would be very interested in any input.
Thanks for your help! I hope you're all having fun and making money!!
:cheers:
Days where my gratitude exceed my expectations are very good days!
For me, it depends on the Rx. Some are stock that will be here the next day. Some are problematic Rx's that I may tell them a week to 10 days. Most though are done in 2 days, even with "premium jack" coatings.
I think I could safely tell a patient 4 days, except for back orders and those problem jobs mentioned.
Optical Rule #5:
Never make promises you can't keep.
You never know what can go wrong with a job. Nothing seems to make patient's more unhappy than making a trip from wherever and find out they are not ready. Most are not interested in how good your excuse is or even what it is. You can't have everything in stock (or can your lab or other suppliers) all the time. Suppliers for the most part aren't going to tell you it's not in stock until you ask, which is usually after the job is late.
Now customers don't mind as much if you call them an tell them something or other is late. Besides you can't be so busy you can't dial the phone or E. Mail (some employees seem to use thier time this way, whether it's business or not). If you are that busy, hire some one.
Chip
I'm a wholesaler. Most jobs I get done in 1-2 days ( Except for A/R, special order and Drills.) I don't deliver them to my accounts until at least 4-5 days have past.
Reason: Accounts become used to the service I provide. If I started delivering the work in 1-2 days, that's what they get used too, so therefore any job over 3 days they would consider "Late." The nice side effect is that when they ask for a "Rush" job, I can deliver without problems and I look like good for doing it.
When I was in retail we always told the patient to expect a call from us with-in 5-7 working days should all go as planned and that we demand nothing but the best for our patients, so sometimes jobs took longer than expected. This gave room for errors and orders that were porblematic. We found that over time, telling a patient an exact date left for disappointed patients. Calling takes time, but I think in the eyes of the patient, it's more personel..and service is what keeps your patients coming back.
My two cents.
We tell our customers anywhere from a half hour for stock jobs, two - three hours for surfaced jobs, longer if tinted, one to three days for out-of-stock stock lenses and most outside surfaced jobs,a week for AR jobs and ten days to two weeks for VSP jobs.
DragonlensmanWV N.A.O.L.
"There is nothing patriotic about hating your government or pretending you can hate your government but love your country."
Originally Posted by chip anderson
Where do I find rules 1 - 4?
Thomas
Help Optiboard $5.00 a month through Paypal
YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRU..er Rules #1 - 4!!!:D
DragonlensmanWV N.A.O.L.
"There is nothing patriotic about hating your government or pretending you can hate your government but love your country."
Rule 1: Don't trust anyone. Especially the one before you on the production line.
Rule 2: The doctor is always right.
Rule 3: Biggest Sin in the optical business is not reading the prescription.
Rule 4: Never make any promises you can't keep.
For me, it really depends on the RX. Most of the time, for sv lenses I can have them the next business day. Anything surfaced, usually takes about 3-5 business days for me to get, then I edge them here, and call the pt when ready. As far as what I tell the pt...I tell SV pt's that I should have them ready the next business day, and any "surface" pt's that it usually takes 3 - 5 business days. I will call when the specs are ready or if there is going to be a delay of any kind. I give them my card, and tell them that they can feel free to call me to check the status if they wish. That seems to satisfy just about everyone.
I worked in an office at one time that tried making appointments for RX dispensing. We weren't able to iron out the kinks....I can't remember all the specifics, but I do remember it never seemed to work out smoothly...for example, we had jobs that could have been picked up 3 days or so earlier, or we had those that we had to reschedule, because they weren't ready for one reason or other.
Hope everyone has a great day!
___________________________________________
Rule number 5 is great.
UNDER promise and OVER Deliver! It doesn't mean you are slow or lazy.
When you OVER promise and UNDER Deliver, you are setting yourself up for problems. You should never have to apologize to a patient when they show up on that "Promise" date and their glasses are not in.
It puts one in a bad light with the patient.
I tell my patients 7 to 10 days. If I have not received after 5 days I call the lab and update the patient if there will be any delays.
In store stock = 1 hr give or take
Stock ordered = next day (afternoon)
Surface = 1-2 days
Plus 1 on Chip
All are called. Get cell phone numbers. Some of my customers drive 30 miles, I don't want to look stupid if I missed their order.
We dont have an in house lab, but I personally tell patients 5-7 business days and up to 10 days for more difficult RX's. Its easy to explain to a patient that their glasses came in early than try to explain why they are late.
I too call after a few days if I havent received a job check on the status and then call the patient if its going to be more of a delay.
I really don't know if I should reply or not, as all we do is specialty work. I tell the customers 7 - 10 days in lab for most jobs (polarized Franklin tri's are different) and if something happens that it will take longer I call them as soon as possible. Sometimes we can get into a back order situation, such as a pair of special blanks that took 30 days to get and then were the wrong add. I'm a firm believer in keeping the customer notified on all delays as soon as I can and shipping as soon as the job is done.
Ten days to two weeks is the standard answer. Stock jobs by the next morning (I am the optician and the lab guy). That way when something is delayed, I don't have to make excuses and when a job comes in after 3 days, I am a hero.
As far as giving a pick up date, I wouldn't. People won't remember when they were supposed to come in, they will still call and will be upset when they call a month later and find out the glasses were there but they forgot to come in.
My 2 cents.
I read somewhere in some dispensary (maybe I read it on Optiboard), that they fill out a "ready date" on a tear-off portion of the dispensary order and hand it to the patient. Now that is the peak of efficiency, lean process, six sigma, zen, and all that stuff.
I have thought deeply about this and other ideas, but can't get it to work in my mind. Here is what happened last week.
1. I called about a job on the 6th day that should have been routed directly to "America's Lab" in Dallas from VisionWeb. They can't find it and say it never came through. Now we are ready to start on this digital lens w/ AR. It'll be 7 more days:hammer:
2. Called to check on a SV safety job that was at "inspection" for 2 days. Why won't you ship it? "It'll be there tomorrow, I hear" The same notes for 4 more days!! So then they ship it UPS Ground:hammer:. My default has always been Overnight.
And on and on - every week. I know none of this stuff if new to you guys.
I want to hear more about this. This opens up a big issue for me because there has got to be an better way. And the "ready date" and associated turn-around time is the best statistic from the clients point of view. I waste 50% of my time (maybe more) just working on problems. Six Sigma, my butt. I bet most labs aren't at One Sigma.
Last edited by MarcE; 06-24-2008 at 07:35 PM.
when I chose a lab to use for most of my work, I consider consistant good and prompt service as a priority. Therefore, I was taken aback by the wholesaler(Jamesnns) response that he doesn't send out his work when it is done, but waits 3 or 4 days, that way his customers don't get accustomed to great service. He just lost mine with that response.
I tell most patient's 5-7 working days. If they need them quick it can be done as soon as the same day if we run over to the lab. We finish in house for most jobs. Under promising and over delivering really is a good policy. Always call when there will be a delay so check the trays everyday to spot slow jobs. The lab faxes the "in process" list over every morning so we know where each job is hopefully. Why do you want to eliminate calling your patients when their glasses are ready? It's a nice courtesy.
I didn't know you were an account of mine. I tell my accounts 3-4 days and thats what they get, consistantly and promptly which is GREAT service and what you said you look for on a good lab. I also do rush jobs in one day when requested.
So I suppose it's OK for an Optician to shelf a job as I've seen posted here?
I wouldn't want you as an account either with your attitude.
So were both OK.
must be nice that you have the flexibilty to chose the accounts that don't mind you sending their jobs to them when they are done, just doesn't make a lot of sense to me.
Go back and read the REASON why I wait ONLY 1-2 days before delivery.
If you were a wholesler you might understand.
I can't afford to have jobs considered "Late" because there used to 2 day turn around, and some might take me three.
EVERY single account I have has been with me for years, they LOVE my work and I haven't solicited another account in over 5 years. I don't need too, I have more than enough buisness and don't need more.
Should I have to sit here and defend myself to you when neither of you even know me? You've never even heard of me, you've never done buisness with me, sooooooo?????
If you did, you'd think I was a VERY good lab that consistantly deliveres high quality work. I'm one of the few labs that doesn't charge for mtl, rim groove, polish edges or tinting. It's all free.
Thanks.
I appreciate all the feedback you folks have given!! Its given me some things to think about.
You folks are the best!!
:cheers:
Days where my gratitude exceed my expectations are very good days!
Well, I agree with some of your points as far as not charging for mtl, etc. I don't either on my few wholesale jobs that I do.
But I REMO in my jobs and frequently get surfaced poly and Trivex the next day.I know there's more likely spoilage with say, a -8.00 -5.25 X15 3DBO, than a +4.00-4.00 X180 so I expect them to take an additional day, and of course there will be the ocasional job where the lens is backordered.
But to hold finished jobs for a couple of extra days just so your accounts won't get used to fast service is in the long run self-defeating. How do you think your accounts would react knowing that you could get jobs out in one day, as ANY LAB SHOULD DO, but instead you hold their finished jobs up and make their customers wait a few extra days? If you were my lab, I woould drop you for that reason alone. Does your service get faster at the end of the month so you can include more jobs that month?
Who knows? Maybe some of your accounts will see this post.Maybe they recognize you, maybe not.
Whatever happened to fast, accurate service? They may get accurate from you, and I'm sure they do,but fast? Nope!
Of course you may run your lab any way you see fit, and it it's not affecting your bottom line, I guess you're OK.
DragonlensmanWV N.A.O.L.
"There is nothing patriotic about hating your government or pretending you can hate your government but love your country."
Geez......
I deliver exactly what I promise my accounts. 3-4 day service. 1-2 days on rush jobs.
My accounts are very happy and all long time customers and LOVE my service. My bottom line is just fine thank you.
I replied to someone else's post and never thought I'd get raked over the coals from folks who have no idea about me or my buisness. I get "fired" from someone whom I don't do biz with, I don't know and he doesn't know me, "He just lost mine with that response. "
NICE forum you guys have here.
I'm a one man show. I make 50 pairs a day, I have ZERO staff, just me.
THIS I can live without.
Last post. Good ridence!
I commonly hold jobs in the back too. I often find that when I get a drilled job done in an hour and then the patient breaks it and comes back the patient isn't awed by the fact that I got them the job the first time around in an hour, they are upset that this time it will take me 2 weeks. I am a firm believer in the underpromise overdeliver and it goes with the lab too. I often times find that I look in my order box and the lens was sent to me with the wrong power. :hammer: When I have leeway then patients are happy. I don't know about 4-5 days unless they are AR jobs I don't mind the waiting but am finding that the staff in our office does get used to turnaround times, for example we were using a lab that saved us a considerable amount of money, but had to go back to the more expensive lab because they ship via a method that delivers the work in the morning rather than afternoon so I have time to work on the jobs. If I use the cheap lab which has good service and decent turnaround time I get nailed for working on jobs late, if I use the lab with great turnaround and good service but decent prices I get nailed at the end of the month for the bills being too high. Your darned if you do darned if you don't. I heard somone on here mention a great point:
Great Service
Great Quality
Great Price
Pick 2, I have been on the hunt for the elusive lab that can provide all 3 my entire career and I'll take pictures of the sasquatch when i see it.
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*Dave at OptiVision has a web based tracer integration package that's awesome.
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