Looking for opinions and explanation of those opinions.

[SailorEd]

We have a warranty for our frames and lenses. We don't charge "extra" for that warranty, it comes with the purchase.

Am thinking of charging a $10 processing fee for any warranty work since it takes up time and time is money, i. e. - if lens is uncut, we have to cut the lens down at our lab. If the frame is bent out of shape (we do this under warranty), then we have to order a new one and change the lenses into the new one and dispense the frame - it all takes time and even though we don't get charged by the lab or the frame company, we take our time from our schedule to service the patient.

Any thoughts on the subject? And yes, we will tell the patient when we dispense the initial pair of glasses.

[Judy Canty]

It sounds logical, but I'd extend that logic back down the manufacturing chain. Would you be willing to pay a service or processing fee when lenses and/or frames are returned for warranty issues? In all fairness, those actions require time and money as well.

[Sam Pelican]

I think it's more than fair to charge a small handling charge. When I looked at what shipping costs ended up being, especially on direct buy frames, it made sense to charge something. There is hardly anything you can but today that is warranted that doesn't come with a charge. If you have $5.00 to $7.00 overnight shipping charge and then have to return it for around $2.00 it's not unreasonable to expect the customer to share that expense. Even the labs usually charge a couple of bucks to ship something.

[TLG]

It sounds logical, but I'd extend that logic back down the manufacturing chain. Would you be willing to pay a service or processing fee when lenses and/or frames are returned for warranty issues? In all fairness, those actions require time and money as well.

Actually, this is logical. For frames, you're likely going to have two shipping charges - the replacement frame to you and the broken one back. Depending on how you ship, the ten bucks may or may not even cover it. If you are doing your own finishing, you're going to have time and possibly shipping charges as well on lens warranties. The last office I worked in we did this - very few complained. If you simply explain your costs when discussing the charges, any reasonable person will understand (yeah, I know...there are plenty of the other kind out there too. If you have to eat one for Mr/Mrs Grouchy, do it quietly knowing that at least most are paying). And the fact you're explaining it at the time of sale eliminates a lot of negative vibes when the time comes.

Think of it this way; when I buy a new muffler or brakes with 'lifetime warranty', I fully expect that when they fail that I will get the product replaced for free but will have to pay whatever it takes to install it. That's reasonable to me.

[chip anderson]

Actually you can handle this two ways: 1) Charge enough money up front to cover this. Advantage, when you do have to cover a warranty the customer will really feel they are being treated well. 2) Don't charge enough to cover this and possibly pass some of the savings on to the customer. He may think he's getting a bargain. He won't feel he's being patted on the po-po when he has to pay for service.
Kind of like eating the cost of nose pads and temple tips and building a lot of good will vs. charging about eight bucks. Which is worth more to you or your customers?

Chip

[snooki]

Make sure you tell them about the $10 processing fee upfront. We have a similar program at my office. However, I had a "Mrs. Grouchy" flip out on me yesterday, so we waived the fee, and she was still upset at us!!

[CME4SPECS]

If you are talking about replacing something that is defective, it's not right to charge for the labor or handling. The product should not have failed the consumer. Any charges that you'd make them pay would not do much for your reputation.

Do you have enough warranty replacements that this is a real issue? I have very very few warrant type replacements.

[Speed]

We have a warranty for our frames and lenses. We don't charge "extra" for that warranty, it comes with the purchase.

Am thinking of charging a $10 processing fee for any warranty work since it takes up time and time is money, i. e. - if lens is uncut, we have to cut the lens down at our lab. If the frame is bent out of shape (we do this under warranty), then we have to order a new one and change the lenses into the new one and dispense the frame - it all takes time and even though we don't get charged by the lab or the frame company, we take our time from our schedule to service the patient.

Any thoughts on the subject? And yes, we will tell the patient when we dispense the initial pair of glasses.

Well that should cover your cost. What are you selling them for?

[fortheloveofframes]

We charge $9.95 warranty fee at our office to cover shipping and handling, as well as time costs. We have actually been thinking of raising this price seeing how shipping costs have gone up in the last couple of years. I think it is completely reasonable to charge a warranty fee.

[Chris Ryser]

There was a time when only manufacturers material defects where replaced. We also tried to stay away from cheap not well made products. Our markup was good enough not to have to charge a few bucks to order a replacement.

Everything else that got broken by the customer was charged and paid for by the customer, and also should be. In the eartly 1980s when the market got real over flooded by umteenth new frames, and competition got real fierce by new products, this new weapon called "warranty" started to come into fashion.

Today when people can choose frames on the internet that are sold with markups way below of what we have seen over the last 30 years, all this warranty business should be done and gone and terminated.
Many of the internet sellers have just about everything on the market for sale on their catalogues and the consumer has no judgement nor know how of "whats good and whats not". They will and do buy just for the looks at a cheap price and can not question quality.
Therefore most probably the question of replacing or repairing will pop up at the B&M places in an increased pattern.

Maybe it would be a new idea of selling a warranty as they do in office equipment and electronics.

[John@OWDC]

Actually you can handle this two ways: 1) Charge enough money up front to cover this. Advantage, when you do have to cover a warranty the customer will really feel they are being treated well. 2) Don't charge enough to cover this and possibly pass some of the savings on to the customer. He may think he's getting a bargain. He won't feel he's being patted on the po-po when he has to pay for service.
Kind of like eating the cost of nose pads and temple tips and building a lot of good will vs. charging about eight bucks. Which is worth more to you or your customers?

Chip

I have to agree with Chip on this one. The customer service piece of this is what counts. I LOVE taking a frame that has been seriously damaged and where the customer is expecting to have to pay to replace them and not only not charging them, but usually pulling one off the board and having them on their way in a matter of minutes. Like nose pads, temple tips and adjustments good will goes a long-long way.

[Barry Santini]

In the end, it all depends on the wholesale price of the item, and what your markup is.

Tacitly Conditioning your clients to free and they'll expect it.

I think its high time every ecp really sat down and defined the actual costs of all services bundled into their pricing, and determine what they would charge a la carte, especilly for outside origin lens or frame issues

[Chris Ryser]

I think its high time every ecp really sat down and defined the actual costs of all services bundled into their pricing, and determine what theywould charge a la carte, especilly for outside origin lens or frame issues

You are so right............................and it can be soon too late

[oxmoon]

Make sure you tell them about the $10 processing fee upfront. We have a similar program at my office. However, I had a "Mrs. Grouchy" flip out on me yesterday, so we waived the fee, and she was still upset at us!!

This is unfair to the nice people of the world. Why should the sour puss get the fee waived when the nice people have to pay??

[chip anderson]

Actually, I have been known to charge impatient or beligerant people more or charge for a service I would have done for free if they had been nice an patient.
One of the good sides of having whatever expense you think warranties would have cost you in the origional price is: You don't have to state anythng about about warranties at the time of sale if it doesn't come up. Then when needed you can warranty it and the customer sees you as being nice. If the patient is obnoxnous you can charge a way.

Chip

[eyechick1969]

Wow! You got a ton of responses! Well, if you are a high end store, I'd tend to NOT charge. That's like nickeling & diming. You'll never get rich that way & you'll never go broke not charging. I wouldn't start that policy. In any type of store, high end or not, most of the time a person will confess they got ran over them, sat on them, stepped on them,they got knocked off face across pavement. In those situations, it's easy to say well being stepped on or whatever isn't actually considered a manufacturer's defect. I should be able to, (Or I will try to get in covered) under warranty, but because it's not an actual defect would you mind at least covering my out of pocket expenses in doing so? This makes you sound like you are doing them a favor (since it was their fault), they are even more grateful & are glad to pay a few bucks to have something they knowing stepped on covered period. Also, badly bent frames... Are you really sending those back on exchange?!? Gosh, I have straightened glasses that were ran over by a car & didn't have to get them a new one to make them happy. Good luck!

[grif892]

I purchase a brand of expensive purses and jewelry which are warrantied for life. That said, anytime I need warranty work, I pay the shipping to send the product in, and I pay about $7 to $10 to have the item repaired and returned to me. I have been SUPREMELY happy with how well I have been treated by this company and I purchase from the over and over again!

I have been in the industry for over 20 years and I have never had a patient balk over a couple of bucks to repair or replace their eyewear.

[eyechick1969]

Actually you can handle this two ways: 1) Charge enough money up front to cover this. Advantage, when you do have to cover a warranty the customer will really feel they are being treated well. 2) Don't charge enough to cover this and possibly pass some of the savings on to the customer. He may think he's getting a bargain. He won't feel he's being patted on the po-po when he has to pay for service.
Kind of like eating the cost of nose pads and temple tips and building a lot of good will vs. charging about eight bucks. Which is worth more to you or your customers?



Chip

I'm pretty much right there with Chip. It really doesn't help your bottom line to nickel & dime, not that it was your intention to nickel & dime.

When someone comes in & says I stepped on them, sat on them, ran over them, I am happy to say, cool, I can get a new one under warranty, do you mind helping to cover my out-a-pocket & they knowing they goofed & caused this tend to be so happy that they're getting a new one that a few bucks S & H sounds perfect to them. But still, those nickels & dimes will never help your bottom line. Just my thoughts tho.

[NCspecs]

Actually you can handle this two ways: 1) Charge enough money up front to cover this. Advantage, when you do have to cover a warranty the customer will really feel they are being treated well. 2) Don't charge enough to cover this and possibly pass some of the savings on to the customer. He may think he's getting a bargain. He won't feel he's being patted on the po-po when he has to pay for service.
Kind of like eating the cost of nose pads and temple tips and building a lot of good will vs. charging about eight bucks. Which is worth more to you or your customers?

Chip

I'm with Chip on this one. Be a hero if you can.

We buy quality, current frames for our Optical so we don't have to deal with continuous breakages. We will disco a frame in our office if it seems like it has multiple breakages. I also tell people straight up that manufacturer warranty does not cover misuse or pets chewing on eyewear. I feel the cost of shipping is built into the product we carry. I like being able to smile at a patient and say, "Don't worry, it's taken care of. I'll call you when it's ready."

[chip anderson]

You could say that you owe the customer a fee for having to take the time to bring the product back, the inconvienence of doing without the product etc. So don't get too pushy about your time the patient's time
is valuable too.
Does the dealer charge you for paperwork when he has to do a service call on your new car while it's under warranty?
Best solution: Sell product that holds up.

Chip

[MikeAurelius]

I warranty all the eyewear I sell for 5 years. What I exclude is normal wear-and-tear, eyewire/hinge screw loss, and abuse.

The main sticking point is that you have to absolutely enforce it with no exceptions. People do talk, and if you start making exceptions, your warranty is worthless.

I just got a pair back the other day asking for a lens replacement because the glasses hit the floor. Well, we don't cover that at all, but the kicker was that the customer had removed the silicone inserts in the temple (it was an older Liberty Biker). He claimed that they aren't tight on his head any longer, and somehow that's the eyewear's fault. (I've also gotten warranty requests for sitting on them, when the dog eats them, when they get kicked/thrown across the room.)

[eyechick1969]

I warranty all the eyewear I sell for 5 years. What I exclude is normal wear-and-tear, eyewire/hinge screw loss, and abuse.

The main sticking point is that you have to absolutely enforce it with no exceptions. People do talk, and if you start making exceptions, your warranty is worthless.

I just got a pair back the other day asking for a lens replacement because the glasses hit the floor. Well, we don't cover that at all, but the kicker was that the customer had removed the silicone inserts in the temple (it was an older Liberty Biker). He claimed that they aren't tight on his head any longer, and somehow that's the eyewear's fault. (I've also gotten warranty requests for sitting on them, when the dog eats them, when they get kicked/thrown across the room.)

I am blown away at your warranty! Gosh, even if I did feel the need to warrant something that long, I'd surely never advertise it! I'm sure your clients are happy so if you are as well then keep on.

[MikeAurelius]

Well, keep in mind that we sell a *very* specialized product (and mostly planos)...

It used to be lifetime (with the same exclusions), but it turned out that 5 years was plenty, most of my customers don't blow glass that long, and those that do keep several spare pairs laying around.

And it is an advertising point for us, our only competitor doesn't have a warranty at all.