Who is your favorite frame manufacturer and why?

[PAkev]

THE FOLLOWING IS NOT A PAID ADVERTISEMENT


Although a majority of our eyewear represents the companies listed I must also say that my most enjoyable company to work with is not listed.

OK Get ready to snicker again.
My New York Eye, Hart Specialties rep makes life so much easier than some of those other companies which I pay 2 or 3 times more for their product.

First of all, I only see one rep and therefore no multi line reps who can't write up a return or exchange for another line from the same company. The warranty policies have been very liberal. I don't have to worry about sending old stock back because she personally takes the frames and replaces them with the same dollar value frames. Credits are issued in a timely manner. Quality is not sterling but acceptable for the price point we are able to sell it for. They offer decent POP material for all their lines. Finally, they work with my buying group to facilitate payment.

I have sold through their Woolrich line of eyewear on countless occasions. Sometimes nearly all the frames in inventory within a week or two.


Kevin

[Chris Ryser]

excert from Vision Monday........................




Rodenstock GmbH Seeks Finance Partners



MUNICH—Rodenstock GmbH, the recently formed limited liability company that controls Rodenstock’s worldwide spectacles business, is seeking financial investors.

Rodenstock press spokesperson Jürgen Hopf confirmed to VM that the company has been holding talks with potential partners both inside and outside the optical industry. However, he emphasized that “these talks are in a very early stage.”
Rodenstock’s move follows its previously reported loss of about €19 million in 2001, its first loss in years. Rodenstock president Randolf Rodenstock has characterized the loss as “a one-time failure.” The major factor was costs associated with the restructuring of Rodenstock North America, of which Rodenstock GmbH holds a majority stake.


............Look up the balance at


http://www.visionmonday.com

[ShellyJaffer777]

Jo, we sell LAEyeworks at my store. This is the first time I have ever worked with these frames. Unfortunately, they are VERY expensive. I feel they justify the cost due to the fact that every part of the frame is so well crafted. The barrells are sturdy and the screws don't rattle. The finishes stay new looking. I truly enjoy selling these. Almost everyone I have fit in these return for mutiple pairs. I love them!:D

[shimsham]

i have lots of pairs of specs but i keep going back to my favourites. l.a. eyeworks al in chocolate brown. i've had them 7 years now and apart from a few scrapes, and a little wear on the corners of the temples, they are in pretty good condition. even thogh i've had them reglazed 3 times.
i haven't seen them for a while so i don't know what the current line is like but if the quality is the same then they are worth the expense.

[Paula]

I find Safilo to be the largest selling brand in my optical shop. We carry Marchon, Charmant, some Kenmark, and few other varied smaller companies.
Safilo reps know their product, they know my office, they know what sells in my area. I find them to be the most helpful from this aspect and with adverstising and marketing.

[Chris Ryser]

Safilo reps know their product, they know my office, they know what sells in my area. I find them to be the most helpful from this aspect and with adverstising and marketing.

Paula,

Having been out of frames sales for a while, maybe I am loosing my touch a bit, but sales tactics have not changed that much.

How can a salesrep say that a or certain models sells in a certain area better than an another one. Selling frames is the job and choice of the optician doing it.

We used to take sales psychology courses and learned to sell patients the frames we wanted to sell. The right questions to the patient gave all the indications of price they wanted to pay, the color and shape range they preferred.

Then it was boiled down to 2 or 3 frames which were the perfect choice for that patient, with all the reasons explained to them. If they insisted looking at another hundred other frames it did not matter, they ended up at 95% choosing one of the 3 we had originally proposed to them that they were the perfect ones.

If you can see and judge the quality and craftmanship of a frame when showed to you by the sales rep you know what to order.
If you choose your frames alone without consultation of all your sales staff you might choose models that please you, and not the others in your office. If the sales staff does not like a model, they will not sell it or advise patients against it.

Sales reps are trained to promote the product that they are carrying and entice you to purchase as many frames possible of their line. That gives them more sales and more commisssions. A sales rep will just about do anything to make sales.

In 1969 I owned a frame distribution company and had the idea of putting good looking women on the road when the profession was totally dominated by males only.

I used to hire them on the concept of having a garbage face, on which mentioning they where all insulted at first, but then they were pleased when the full explanation was made.

A garbage face meant: They could model any garbage frame and still look georgous because they had the perfect face to wear spectacle frames of any kind

Sales went way up, as at the time we had only 10 models for men and over 50 for women.

You can all vote which frame company you prefer on an individual basis, but it will not change the fact that your sales staff can or could sell anything the want if they would get the proper traning and the feel how the patient reacts, and then propose just the RIGHT frame for them.

Having proper training in sales psychology of the staff is not cheap, but worth every dollar spent, because you will not have to believe every sales reps cermons and the massive advertising by which you and the public is bombarded these days.

Where are the frame companies that used to guarantee 5 years of spare parts for their products?...........or maybe which one will start some system like this again?

Selling frames in an OD office or an optical store can be an art and profession and does not have to rely on the preferrance of frame companies with the important exception of giving you top class service in each one of their fields, from stock to delivery and service.
:hammer:

[Augie]

What no one voted for Kenmark? It's my vote.

[Robert Martellaro]

SILHOUETTE

The SPX material has made their plastic frames the best in the industry. Now they have the best metal frame with the Minimal Art. I have never seen a Silhouette frame that was not designed for the real world. My guess is that their frame design engineers are either ex-opticians or the products must be approved by a dispensing optician. They support the labs by providing accurate and thorough manufacturing information. Product cost is reasonable if not somewhat underpriced. Strongly recommended.

[Jedi]

Robert,
I wholeheartedly agree. The minimal art and the minimal x frames are the 2 best sellers in our office for many months running. I have but one complaint, the Minimal Art clip stinks! the notches break off because they are too difficult to take off, so we use the Uni-Clip (a rimless clip) to resolve that problem.

[fletch]

Safilo is #1 I wonder if some of these votes came from wal-mart or TJ Maxx. It seem they both carry alot of Safilo product?:shiner:

[drk]

Chris, you are ever the wet blanket!

If they are living up to the standards they are supposed to, "substantial transformation" has to occur...NOT just assembling temples. I think you are wrong. http://www.eyecarebiz.com/archive_results.asp?loc=archive\2003\september\0903fbframe.h tm

I voted for a single vendor, Tura. I like their narrow, laser-beam focus on women. (Men's and kids, well, nice try). Very good quality in the Tura Treasures and Escada.

I think the counterpart to Tura for the guys is Seiko. Don't ask me why, I just like Seiko.

Jedi, warm up the clip's prongs and spread them apart for the correct pressure.

[For-Life]

What do you guys think about Viva? It amazes me how much they have improved over the last few years. Another things is when working with them I feel that I can get almost everything from them from kids to older ladies, from young men to young women. I am also quite happy with the selection of inexpensive sunglasses they have. Additionally, they are very easy to work with.

[Joann Raytar]

Kenmark and Viva have both been added to the poll list.

[Chris Ryser]

in the uk, independants have a problem with the big guys (safilo, lux, etc.) as they will sell to the multiples as well, who then put the frames into their half price sales. .

Follow the news releases in the optical and you will find out that some of the big guy's own more and more of the retail chains, as wll as the large labs are owned by lens manufacturers..

[For-Life]

I read the other day, and I will try to get you guys a link, that Escade has signed a contract with De Giro (sp?) and they are rumoured to be dispensed by Viva. Saying that you have to wonder if the product will stay the same.

[drk]

http://www.abc-luxe.com/actu_focus/a...php?idart=7266
Link for Escada licence agreement with DeRigo.

Called Tura, it's true. They will no longer carry past end of year. Will introduce "Tura Elegance" collection to make up for it. Thanks for the heads up!!!!!

[Tennessee]

In the high-end category, Lafont is a keeper. My overall favorite. They offer a variety of styles, both zyl and metal. Quality product. Classic and funky looks for the young and older patient. Great quality laminates that really hold high power lenses (no rolling).

[scepsdtus]

Chinese Made Products Of Big Manufacturers:

Safilo 27%

Charmant 25%

Marchon 39%

Luxottica 13%

(of Course , Marchon Is Just A Distributor)

[scepsdtus]

Follow the news releases in the optical and you will find out that some of the big guy's own more and more of the retail chains, as wll as the large labs are owned by lens manufacturers..

AT LEAST HERE YOU MENTIONED MORE THAN JUST LUX. ALL OF THE BIG GUYS ARE GEARING TO GO INTO RETAIL. SAFILO ALREADY HAS.

WHY AREN'T THEY BEING BOYCOTTED?

[Chris Ryser]

WHY AREN'T THEY BEING BOYCOTTED?

Because if labs become manufacturer owned the choice of suppliers becomes very limited and they have the power to eliminated other lens manufacturers through competiton or through buying them up.

The retailer has less and less choice in labs as there are not as many around as there are retailers. So far they have not ventured in the retail.

But beware maybe they have that in mind too for a later date......................and that would mean total dominatioim.

[scepsdtus]

So, then you wouldn't suggest boycotting Lux???

I was refering to frames companies too?

Still Curious Chris, what is your best selling frame line.......?

[Chris Ryser]

Still Curious Chris, what is your best selling frame line.......?

I am a totally neutral guy now. I owned a frame distribution company representing 2 major european frame manufacturers, one French and German for 20 years. That should make me competent to give a valid opinion.

[scepsdtus]

I am a totally neutral guy now. I owned a frame distribution company representing 2 major european frame manufacturers, one French and German for 20 years. That should make me competent to give a valid opinion.

So you don't even sell frames......or dispense them..........

[scepsdtus]

I am glad to see Charmant & Safilo doing well here. I am a little surprised by Luxottica. We have moved out most of our Luxottica line. We use to carry alot of their stuff including their Brooks Bros. line. They haven't had any decent representation (if any at all) in our area for more than 3 years. They have changed some of their policies also. We started moving their stuff out recently after we found out from a phone rep that they don't issue credits until sometimes up to 2 months. No one else does this that I am aware of. They also have some of the most indifferent phone reps. I sometimes feel like I am an intrusion to them!!

I just feel like over the past few years they have gotten away from customer service for independents that don't buy large amounts of their product. They are catering to the big accounts & letting the little guy fall to the wayside. I am seeing this at Silhouette as well. We haven't seen a rep in over a year & they still have the same rep in my area that has been there for at least 10 years.

Safilo, Charmant, & Marchon are offering good service. I really like calling Safilo, & immediately they know whose calling. I don't have to give them my account number. That's customer service!

I know why some of you like Silver Dollar - they send candy & treats with their orders. They give good customer service as well but their product quality isn't comparable to the other major players. Their Beta Titanium is pretty good but the rest could use some re-engineering. I have compared some of their stuff to the economy line of Hart Specialties. Hart's stuff is cheap, so you sort of expect lower quality. For the price I think Silver Dollar could find a better factory to give them better quality stuff.

That's my $.02!!

Luxottica credits are always posted in a billing cycle. I have sent back product on a monday and had the credit posted friday. I think your info is off or someone is complaining about a very isolated incident.

Luxottica's Port Washington location only ships to independant shops. NO chains. They ship so much out of this location they have been assigned their own zip code and have a post office in the building. Only to service independants!!!!

Where are all those orders coming from? Hmmm.

[rinselberg]

SILHOUETTE awarded Certified Space Technology Status

The Space Foundation has officially recognized the Silhouette Titan Minimal Art collection of ophthalmic and sunglass products as Certified Space Technology.

News from the Space Foundation

After an exhaustive selection process NASA chose Silhouette's Titan Minimal Art (TMA) eyewear for use by Shuttle crews beginning in 2000. TMA eyewear continues to meet NASA's mission critical requirements without any alterations or modifications to the original design.

Maybe this will help you close a sale with some of your "geekier" customers!



Al Roker, weatherman and host of NBC's The Today Show, wears and endorses Crizal Alize spectacle lenses