Why are glasses so expensive?

[Lelarep]

Fake news!

Love it!

Kwill, Chris is old school with a Google addiction. He is a retired doomsday prophet and isn’t grounded in independent philosophy.
However, his posts do make us think and react. Perhaps, that is not all bad?

Retired doomsday prophet? Since when is he retired from the doomsday business?

[smallworld]

So this thread got me thinking. How do your offices handle requests for repairs, adjustments, and or just "clean my glasses" when the request comes from someone who hasn't purchased eye wear from your business, OR isn't even a patient at your clinic at all. I constantly get walk in people off the street asking me to adjust, repair, or just clean their glasses.

[Alex Camblor]

Our office has a small sign stating that we do not provide free service for eyewear purchased elsewhere, including adjustments, repairs or RX Verification.

[rbaker]

So this thread got me thinking. How do your offices handle requests for repairs, adjustments, and or just "clean my glasses" when the request comes from someone who hasn't purchased eye wear from your business, OR isn't even a patient at your clinic at all. I constantly get walk in people off the street asking me to adjust, repair, or just clean their glasses.

Every time someone come in asking for a free minor service like an adjustment or cleaning it is a golden opportunity to impress them with your skill, personality and concern for their eye health. Similarly every time you get a pesky phone call it is your opportunity to make a dollar. If no one comes in or calls you are screwed.

It's tougher today since you are in competition with the Fat Tony and the eye care Mafia's vision plans. But for sure, you ain't gonna make no friends by giving them the bums rush.

[azzathejunglist]

So this thread got me thinking. How do your offices handle requests for repairs, adjustments, and or just "clean my glasses" when the request comes from someone who hasn't purchased eye wear from your business, OR isn't even a patient at your clinic at all. I constantly get walk in people off the street asking me to adjust, repair, or just clean their glasses.

In my practice we normally ask for a donation into the Donation tin. This is used for local charities in the area. Buying disadvantaged children school supplies etc etc.

Each month we try a different charity.

We don't force the customer, we just say "There is no charge for that service today but if you would like to put what you think that service was worth in the donation jar on the reception desk, all monies goes towards local charities"

Sometimes they put nothing in, sometimes 5 cents, sometimes $20. Varies person to person like everything in life.l

[Lelarep]

In my practice we normally ask for a donation into the Donation tin. This is used for local charities in the area. Buying disadvantaged children school supplies etc etc.

Each month we try a different charity.

We don't force the customer, we just say "There is no charge for that service today but if you would like to put what you think that service was worth in the donation jar on the reception desk, all monies goes towards local charities"

Sometimes they put nothing in, sometimes 5 cents, sometimes $20. Varies person to person like everything in life.l

I really like this idea. I am going to suggest this to my boss.

[drk]

We post a teeny menu of teeny fees for a la carte optical services. Here's why:

1. Person comes in and wants, say, adjustment.
2. We, of course, happily do it, and schmooze them.
3. Then we say "the first one is on us".
4. And they love it.

Now, in a (rarely ever encountered) abuse scenario, we just charge them each time, which will:
1. Make it remotely fair
2. Screen out the abusive freeloaders

The only problem with this would be someone who walks in with an obvious pair of online glasses (again, rare around here) that have never been adjusted. Then you're in a pickle.

[Jubilee]

I think it is important to note that value isn't just low price. Value doesn't not need to equal cheap.

I love selling packages. It allows me to discount my materials/services to an affordable cash pay rate, w/o leaving any money on the table for the 3rd party payers.

I have two packages for progressives. A value package that is an entry level digital PAL and one of our overstock frames. Cost is $299 and includes only a warranty for defects in workmanship or materials. The second is our signature package that has a midtier Digital PAL in Trivex (think Intouch) with Ultra AR, and Designer frame valued up to $375. 2 year Warranty, with up to 2 remakes for any reason. Starts at $575, and upgrades to frame/top tier PAL/etc can be added in.

Guess which one I sell more of?


If you guessed the one that is almost twice as much, you are correct. Once we educate patients on why we promote these options, and our willingness to support it with a strong warranty, most patients will open up their pocketbook.

The patient pays close to an "insurance" price, we make more than we do with 3rd party because we control our costs, and its a win-win for all.

I prefer to make it easy to do business with us. I appreciate the same from my vendors. Many of our patients feel the same way too. Most of us are willing to pay a bit more if it means less hassle in the end.

[Lelarep]

...Most of us are willing to pay a bit more if it means less hassle in the end.

I think this is a universal truth, for anyone but those that live paycheck to paycheck.

[lensmanmd]

I think this is a universal truth, for anyone but those that live paycheck to paycheck.

What I find is that those with disposable incomes are cheap. Those that are on the verge of paycheck to paycheck tend to pay for quality and service.

[kittyeyes]

Check out David Lazarus' LA Times article on vision plans rigging the system 3/19/19-I give this article to patients who ask what I think of VSP and Eyemed

[Uncle Fester]

First order Optidirt:

“It’s an unethical way to do business,” Butler said of the vision plans. “It should not be legal for an insurer to be involved in selling goods. Insurers should be independent of manufacturers.”

https://www.latimes.com/business/lazarus/la-fi-lazarus-eyewear-vision-plans-20190319-story.html

[Barry Santini]

The only problem with this would be someone who walks in with an obvious pair of online glasses (again, rare around here) that have never been adjusted. Then you're in a pickle.

No problem. We’re opticians, so we adjust them. Yes, first one might be free—depends on what’s involved.

You wouldn’t turn away an eye emergency that walked in off the street—even if they told you they Couldn't afford to pay—would you?

Q: Why do we all constantly profile online eyewear buyers as bad?

B

[drk]

Yes, I would happily turn away an emergency that walked in off the street if they told me they couldn't afford to pay!

You see, the Federal Government has made that the law for hospital emergency departments (sometime in the late '80's IIRC). That's why the ER is such a cluster. And expensive beyond ken. Private clinics that do that are S-U-C-K-E-R-S.


The pickle I see, is if we give a "first-time freebie" and someone has unadjusted glasses from online purchase, well...they've gamed the system and I've played along.

Online buyers aren't necessarily "bad", but "undereducated". They probably don't know that they're stealing services when they pop in for the "free adjustment". (Or when they are living in their parents' basement.)

I know LC and the Wally and other big boxes give away free stuff. You get what you pay for.

But my optician is well-trained, astute, friendly, busy serving paying patients, and she's a little expensive.

[drk]

Dean Butler is the devil. He can go to where he belongs.