How many pairs of Internet eyewear = $269 Billion dollars

**Barry Santini** · 06-27-2009, 01:54 PM

Follow his link:

http://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/87/6/08-055673.pdf

Barry

**For-Life** · 06-27-2009, 02:28 PM

Barry, the $269 billion is lost productivity caused by under corrected or uncorrected vision. It said nothing about online eyewear

**Jacqui** · 06-27-2009, 02:29 PM

Hmmmm.... need to think some more about this one

**Barry Santini** · 06-27-2009, 03:31 PM

Some of my friends who travel extensively to remote, underdeveloped regions of the world to see Solar Eclipses (it's called "getting time under the shadow of the moon") are emphatically told *not* wear their eyewear.

Reason: In these and other poor areas, eyewear is seen as a sign of wealth, and they're often targeted to be mugged or to steal from.

My point is that with internet eyewear being so cheap (as low as $7.50 complete), perhaps we could overcome this calculated loss of productivity with the availability of cheap eyeglasses.

So: How many pairs of internet eyewear = $269 billion lost in productivity?

Sorry for my bent mind.

Barry

**HarryChiling** · 06-27-2009, 03:59 PM

Originally Posted by Barry Santini

Some of my friends who travel extensively to remote, underdeveloped regions of the world to see Solar Eclipses (it's called "getting time under the shadow of the moon") are emphatically told *not* wear their eyewear.

Reason: In these and other poor areas, eyewear is seen as a sign of wealth, and they're often targeted to be mugged or to steal from.

My point is that with internet eyewear being so cheap (as low as $7.50 complete), perhaps we could overcome this calculated loss of productivity with the availability of cheap eyeglasses.

So: How many pairs of internet eyewear = $269 billion lost in productivity?

Sorry for my bent mind.

Barry

Sounds like we're going to see a www.barrysoptirama.com :finger:

**Jacqui** · 06-27-2009, 04:06 PM

Originally Posted by HarryChiling

Sounds like we're going to see a www.barrysoptirama.com :finger:

Don't give him any ideas !! He has enough trouble with out them.

**cocoisland58** · 06-27-2009, 08:26 PM

Originally Posted by Barry Santini

Some of my friends who travel extensively to remote, underdeveloped regions of the world to see Solar Eclipses (it's called "getting time under the shadow of the moon") are emphatically told *not* wear their eyewear.

Reason: In these and other poor areas, eyewear is seen as a sign of wealth, and they're often targeted to be mugged or to steal from

So the fact that we might look like touristos has nothing to do with it? Maybe the sign of wealth is that you don't live there and yet there you are. I think I'd rather see what is coming at me.

**Johns** · 06-27-2009, 10:44 PM

Originally Posted by Barry Santini

...perhaps we could overcome this calculated loss of productivity with the availability of cheap eyeglasses.
Barry

Cheap glasses are and have been available everywhere near me. From around the corner from me ($39 complete) to the internet ($2?), and yet people still keep coming in shelling out $4-700 for quality.

What are we supposed to be overcoming...loss of productivity or loss profit? I don't care how productive (units?) we are, so long as the smart ones keep coming to us.

Now that I think of it, I have seen fewer price shoppers in recent years. Hopefully they've found the internet also.

**bob_f_aboc** · 06-28-2009, 09:10 PM

Originally Posted by Johns

Cheap glasses are and have been available everywhere near me. From around the corner from me ($39 complete) to the internet ($2?), and yet people still keep coming in shelling out $4-700 for quality.

What are we supposed to be overcoming...loss of productivity or loss profit? I don't care how productive (units?) we are, so long as the smart ones keep coming to us.

Now that I think of it, I have seen fewer price shoppers in recent years. Hopefully they've found the internet also.

I don't get as many as I used to either. But my standard line when someone tells me, "I can get glasses at *@!*@! for $xx.xx" is, "OK, next!"

Its not worth my time trying to convert someone from cost to quality. I can't price match the big boxes, so I'm not going to waste my time trying to convince them.

As soon as people start to realize that $40 crap is still crap, they will start to come around. Cheap doesn't mean anything if it doesn't do what you need.

Sorry for the thread drift.

**Barry Santini** · 06-29-2009, 06:15 AM

Originally Posted by bob_f_aboc

"I can get glasses at *@!*@! for $xx.xx" is, "OK, next!"

Its not worth my time trying to convert someone from cost to quality.

In situations like these, if I intuitively determine that all this person needs is an education and an experience to back it up, I will "seed" them:

I will present them a complete lens/frame package, utilizing the features and quality of lenses and/or frames that I feel they really need, and put it at a price I know is just past their comfort level.

Then I wait.

They'll be back, often years later, when they are able to contrast other eyewear they've gotten with the ones I've given them, which, they'll exclaim, "are the best glasses I've ever had!"

Patience is a virtue.

Barry

**Johns** · 06-29-2009, 07:36 AM

Originally Posted by Barry Santini

In situations like these, if I intuitively determine that all this person needs is an education and an experience to back it up, I will "seed" them:

Barry

Yes, you can give some folks a master's degree in eyewear selection, but at the end of the day, if they're cheap, unemployed, underemployed or whatever, they're still the same person.

Plus, you're making the assumption that old tightwad is actually coming in to your office to give you the opportunity to "educate" them. I don't have many folks leave w/out a purchase, once they're in my store.

**optical24/7** · 06-29-2009, 07:59 AM

Just tell Mr. Tightwad what a friend of mine says....

"What's the most expensive pair of glasses? The one's that don't work, won't stay adjusted and fall apart after a month of use".

**Fezz** · 06-29-2009, 08:03 AM

Originally Posted by optical24/7

Just tell Mr. Tightwad what a friend of mine says....

"What's the most expensive pair of glasses? The one's that don't work, won't stay adjusted and fall apart after a month of use".

:cheers::cheers::cheers:

**coupe** · 06-29-2009, 09:08 AM

Costco/ Club Price has always seen the need to offer eyeglasses at a low retail price but has now stooped to even (IMO) cutting out their optometrists chance to earn a living. The enclosed pics show that now you can walk in to a Costco ....go up to a machine....look into the display (OD then OS) and the machine will tell you the nearest correction needed to purchase "ready made readers. This means the average cheap "Joe" will not even have to pay for an eye exam.

Sorry but I could not get the pics to load up. They are from an email I received.

**Refractingoptician.com** · 06-29-2009, 09:19 AM

Originally Posted by coupe

Costco/ Club Price has always seen the need to offer eyeglasses at a low retail price but has now stooped to even (IMO) cutting out their optometrists chance to earn a living. The enclosed pics show that now you can walk in to a Costco ....go up to a machine....look into the display (OD then OS) and the machine will tell you the nearest correction needed to purchase "ready made readers. This means the average cheap "Joe" will not even have to pay for an eye exam.

Sorry but I could not get the pics to load up. They are from an email I received.

Is that at costco in Canada ?

**coupe** · 06-29-2009, 11:53 AM

Yes

**Jacqui** · 06-29-2009, 11:59 AM

Isn't that the same as refracting without a license??

**coupe** · 06-29-2009, 12:41 PM

The Quebec Order of Opticians were made aware of this situation when the equpiment and "readers" were being used in the cosmetic section of Costco. I would guess that the order sent a letter to Costco and informed them of this "irregularity" and so they just moved the equipment to the optical section of Costco.

If I were an optometrist working at Costco I would be up in arms about this due to the fact that opticians (who run the optical dept of Costco) are independent of the optometrist that work there. By having these machines prominently displayed at the optical section, JOE PUBLIC can just self test his eyes without the optometrits.

ATTENTION COSTCO OPTOMETRISTS.......TAKE NOTE OF THIS.

PS: LOL.... maybe the idea of this type of "self examination" came from ....GREAT GLASSES in Toronto.

**Barry Santini** · 06-29-2009, 01:32 PM

Originally Posted by coupe

\. By having these machines prominently displayed at the optical section, JOE PUBLIC can just self test his eyes without the optometrits.

Hey the American public does this now, with OTCS

What's the ding-dang difference?

Barry

**coupe** · 06-29-2009, 02:23 PM

First time I have seen a machine,available to the public, that allows them to self-test their vision and get and equivalent Rx. Before it was hit or miss IE: RX or arms lenght . I guess it would be like someone buying an auto-refractor and setting it up in an airport. For only $19.95 have your eyes examined and get the proper Rx.

**Johns** · 06-29-2009, 04:40 PM

Originally Posted by coupe

First time I have seen a machine,available to the public, that allows them to self-test their vision and get and equivalent Rx. Before it was hit or miss IE: RX or arms lenght .

Given some of the remakes we've had from outside Rx's, I'd say it's pretty much "hit or miss" now!