Expensive, therefore unscratchable

**Aaron N** · 02-05-2010, 09:15 AM

Originally Posted by rbaker

Since I am now officially a consumer rather than a producer I see things from the other side of the equation. I am amazed by the claims made by eyeglass clerks in some of the places I visit for my eyecare these days. I will admit that I do sometimes "bait" my verbal encounters but the fact remains - these salespeople will say or do just about anything to make a sale. "If these glasses ever fail to live up to your outlandish expectations we will cheerfully refund your money! No questions asked."

Now, I don't want to get into a discussion of semantics here but there is a difference in everyone's interpretation of "scratch proof" and "scratch resistant." You can argue till you are blue in the face the meaning of "impact resistant" and "unbreakable. The operative definition depends on whether you are the breaker or the breakee.

Price does indeed enter into the equation. Should not $600 dollar lenses be twice as durable as $300.00 lenses? I believe that it is a fair question for the consumer to ask. Just remember, if you make a statement concerning usability of a product (scratch resistance) you had better be willing to honor the statement.

You have inherited policies set up in the past. Years ago you could buy a pair of bifocals for about a halt a days wages. No guarantees. If you broke them you bought a new pair or had them repaired. Along came Mr Big Shot Optical Corporation and their first marketing ploy was the breakage guarantee. Marketing pressures forced Small Potatoes Optical to follow suite and the race was on.

I agree that most of what the customer thinks they are entitled to, is because of the selling associate/ optician's effort to make the sale. However, a trend is developing in society where anything that happens is someone else's fault. You spill your own hot coffee in you lap, you can sue who made the coffee or you wreck your car drunk driving not wearing your seat belt because the car manufacturer didn't word the airbag warning so a drunk could understand he will still get injured without a seat belt.

There has to be a time when a little used thing called common sense has to be brought back into society. Codling customers who drop their glasses on concrete and think it is someone else's fault they scratch is not my job. All I can do is tell them the difference between resistant and proof....

**Lee Prewitt** · 02-05-2010, 12:02 PM

I think this will all stop when WE stop it. drk was right...scratch warranty is a holdover from the days of CR39 first introduction. Next came progressive non adapts, then AR warranties. All were necessary in the introduction phase of these new products. When a customer comes in with a scratch because they abused the lenses, we as opticians, are quick to say "Oh it is covered by the lab". When did we start covering stupidity under a scratch warranty?

My other peave is AR with 2 year UNLIMITED replacement. If you are using such a premium (I was told it is the best!) why do you need unlimited replacement? Damn, my quarter ran out! Hey Fezz, can you spare a brother a quarter?