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Thread: New VSP lab?

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    Bad address email on file kelanor's Avatar
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    New VSP lab?

    So,

    we are looking to change our VSP lab due to some problems with our current lab. I'd love to hear some outside opinions or recommendations if anyone has some.

    My requirements for any lab are common sense mostly. One week turnaround on most jobs, a minimum of quality and cosmetic issues, and reliable communication if there are questions or problems. I would also like a lab that has it's own rep, rather than someone from a major lens company.

    Thank you.

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    Can you use Milroy? Thier reps name is Mark Hagin. He is pretty good. They are out of Fla.

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    Underemployed Genius Jacqui's Avatar
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    Luzerne, US Optical, Rochester Optical ??

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    Master OptiBoarder LENNY's Avatar
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    Split the work, only use VSP lab for VSP work

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    Master OptiBoarder OptiBoard Gold Supporter Judy Canty's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by LENNY View Post
    Split the work, only use VSP lab for VSP work
    Why?

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    vsp columbus does very good work, great customer service and very good turnaround time.

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    Master OptiBoarder LENNY's Avatar
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    The VSP labs are not necessary the best and the most economical!

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    Anyone here remember "back in the day" when the VSP lab was run out of the California Prison system?

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    yeah and what a fantastic marketing ploy they did ... now you guys are the prisoners !!! LOL !!

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    Bad address email on file kelanor's Avatar
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    Thank you for the recommendations. We have a wonderful lab that we use for most of our work, but they do not deal with VSP. I'll look into some of the suggestions you gave me.

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    Master OptiBoarder TLG's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by MikeAurelius View Post
    Anyone here remember "back in the day" when the VSP lab was run out of the California Prison system?
    They're busy making our MediCal glasses now; my experience with the VSP lab in Sacramento suggests they should have stayed with the prison system .

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    Master OptiBoarder TLG's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by CuriousCat View Post
    Why?
    I'm more than a little surprised by this reply. There are several plans we take, "Choice" for instance, that require you to use a VSP owned lab. Choosing your lab is one of the most important decisions we make; having someone tell me who I will use rubs me the wrong way. Couple that with some really bad experiences in the labs I've had shoved down my throat and I totally get what LENNY says. Keep in mind there is a big difference between a "VSP Contract Lab" and a "VSP Owned Lab". And they are buying more and more labs all the time so it's obvious we are going to see more "Choice" type plans that use their own labs. The eventual losers will be all you "Contract Labs" who will be left in the dust as a thank you for bending over for them all these years.

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    Master OptiBoarder OptiBoard Gold Supporter Judy Canty's Avatar
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    You know, Tony, it's like carrying certain lens vendors. Y'all sell it, so to stay in business, labs have to provide it.

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    Quote Originally Posted by TLG View Post
    I'm more than a little surprised by this reply. There are several plans we take, "Choice" for instance, that require you to use a VSP owned lab. Choosing your lab is one of the most important decisions we make; having someone tell me who I will use rubs me the wrong way.
    They aren't "telling" you anything. Accepting Choice is an option that your practice opted into willingly, knowing they would be sending those jobs to the VSP Corporate lab. Sure, I get that you don't like sending choice jobs to their lab, but then there are reasons the plan is set up that way. One of which is to control costs.

    Couple that with some really bad experiences in the labs I've had shoved down my throat and I totally get what LENNY says. Keep in mind there is a big difference between a "VSP Contract Lab" and a "VSP Owned Lab". And they are buying more and more labs all the time so it's obvious we are going to see more "Choice" type plans that use their own labs.
    VSP Owned labs don't = more choice. The Market determines the plans purchased. Yes, currently the market is swaying to choice vs Signature. No surprise given the impact EyeMed and their plans have had. Combined with the economy, it's natural. Also, currently, only OH and CA are directing work to their labs. Thus unless they open more in those two areas, you will still have your options open.


    The eventual losers will be all you "Contract Labs" who will be left in the dust as a thank you for bending over for them all these years.
    Bending over? Really? How so? Last I checked, they too have a choice to participate as a contract lab. In many cases without VSP, they wouldn't be the lab you know today. VSP Pays very timely, very well and funnels those contract labs a huge amount of business through VSP Providers. The contracts won't be left in the dark because of VSP. It will be because they aren't innovating on their own.

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    Master OptiBoarder TLG's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by CuriousCat View Post
    You know, Tony, it's like carrying certain lens vendors. Y'all sell it, so to stay in business, labs have to provide it.
    Yeah, I get that. I guess I never gave much thought to the labs position with VSP until recently. One of our largest groups locally, Motion Pictures, changed to a Choice Plan as of the first of the year. Since they are HUGE around here it made me realize that my lab just lost a ton of business that is now going directly to a vsp lab. I do about 50% vsp in my office; I started trying to imagine what would happen to the lab I use if they eventually lost 50% of THEIR business. Wholesale is a tough nut to crack anyway, this amount of lost business could be devastating.

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    Master OptiBoarder AngeHamm's Avatar
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    We also use our VSP lab (Precision in Minnesota) only for VSP orders. They do excellent work, but for our everyday jobs our VisionSource discount at our primary lab (WOS in Green Bay) is cheaper.
    I'm Andrew Hamm and I approve this message.

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    Quote Originally Posted by kelanor View Post
    So,

    we are looking to change our VSP lab due to some problems with our current lab. I'd love to hear some outside opinions or recommendations if anyone has some.

    My requirements for any lab are common sense mostly. One week turnaround on most jobs, a minimum of quality and cosmetic issues, and reliable communication if there are questions or problems. I would also like a lab that has it's own rep, rather than someone from a major lens company.

    Thank you.

    What about Precision? I don't know if that's VSP-y enough. We have used them for normal vsp and choice when we used to take it. We've had no major problems with them, except for the annual 'Breaking of every job' that seems to happen with all labs. I think it's really more about the way the planets align then anything else. BTW, Dana is the bomb, if you do decide to call them.

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    Bad address email on file kelanor's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by optilady1 View Post
    What about Precision? I don't know if that's VSP-y enough. We have used them for normal vsp and choice when we used to take it. We've had no major problems with them, except for the annual 'Breaking of every job' that seems to happen with all labs. I think it's really more about the way the planets align then anything else. BTW, Dana is the bomb, if you do decide to call them.
    They were actually recommended by my regular lab rep today. So I'll definitely be looking into it.

    I've worked in a lab before so I know all about the cursed jobs. I just feel like its the labs responisbility to notify me about problems, instead of right now I'm doing all the calling.

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    Quote Originally Posted by kelanor View Post
    I just feel like its the labs responisbility to notify me about problems, instead of right now I'm doing all the calling.
    I understand your point and feel that way at times too. However, depending on your lab, it may not even be cost effective for them to make that many calls thus the reason many fax over your work in progress reports. Keep in mind a decent size lab doing 1k jobs inbound per day may have a work in process of 3k-5k in jobs at any given time.

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    OptiWizard
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    Back to original request....

    Perforex in west mass has a good reputation.

    Mcleod in rhode island was slipping, then got bought by essilor and VSP, and I hear is now much better.

    VSP lab in Ohio runs hot and cold.

    Harry

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    OptiWizard
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    Tony,

    I think you can still use your regular private VSP lab for CHOICE. The first year CHOICE was out, it was VSPs own labs only, but it changed later. Anyway, I have been sending all the Choice jobs to a private lab in Ohio, not the VSP owned lab.

    Harry



    Quote Originally Posted by TLG View Post
    One of our largest groups locally, Motion Pictures, changed to a Choice Plan as of the first of the year. Since they are HUGE around here it made me realize that my lab just lost a ton of business that is now going directly to a vsp lab..

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    Rooney Optical in Cleveland, OH...top notch service and work.

  23. #23
    Master OptiBoarder TLG's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by harry888 View Post
    Tony,

    I think you can still use your regular private VSP lab for CHOICE. The first year CHOICE was out, it was VSPs own labs only, but it changed later. Anyway, I have been sending all the Choice jobs to a private lab in Ohio, not the VSP owned lab.

    Harry
    I just got off the phone with vsp to verify (musta been a tough question, took nearly 5 minutes to get an answer) and was told that we must order thru a vsp owned lab on Choice Plans. Interesting plan name...

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    Quote Originally Posted by TLG View Post
    I just got off the phone with vsp to verify (musta been a tough question, took nearly 5 minutes to get an answer) and was told that we must order thru a vsp owned lab on Choice Plans. Interesting plan name...
    Why would you call VSP and not just check with your lab? They should absolutely know the plan as good as anyone, contract lab or not. VSP Customer Support has a lot to be aware of and likely just wanted to verify as and be sure as they too were likely wondering inside why your current lab wasn't able to provide you an answer. Only Ohio and California have to send jobs to the corporate labs. All other states are open to using any VSP Lab.

  25. #25
    Master OptiBoarder TLG's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by racethe1320 View Post
    Why would you call VSP and not just check with your lab?
    Well, first of all "my lab" is not a VSP owned lab (but maybe you really meant "their lab"); why would I call them to ask about other labs? Whenever I have a VSP question I call VSP. Not sure how I came up with that absurd rationale, but maybe that's just me.

    Sorry to disappoint you, I know you love all things VSP, but the experience I've had with the 2 labs I've had to choose from has been negative. Neither of them has given me any reason to believe that THEY are who I should call when I have a question about VSP.

    I'm happy for you that your experience has been different.

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