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Thread: former Warby Parker optician- ask me anything

  1. #51
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    Quote Originally Posted by Chris Ryser View Post

    wrong..............optical24/7
    They are selling exclusively to 2 million older people that would have been spread over an conventional, existing and established market under the existing way of doing business for the last 100 years.


    I wasn't aware that the 2 million members were allowed only to purchase from WP. Where does this exclusivity come from?



    Quote Originally Posted by Chris Ryser View Post

    I can only answer your friendly post with, a piece of history from Winston Churchill in 1938:

    Churchill's warnings about the danger of the new Nazi regime in Germany initially fell on deaf ears. In 1938 Britain and Germany almost went to war over Hitler's desire to annex part of Czechoslovakia. Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain flew to Munich to secure a guarantee that there would be no further German aggression. Churchill was critical of the policy of appeasement and broadcast directly to the United States, appealing for greater American involvement in Europe. When Hitler occupied Prague and the Czech provinces of Bohemia and Moravia, Churchill's predictions were seen to be coming true.


    source:
    https://www.loc.gov/exhibits/churchill/wc-hour.html
    aaand we've gone full on to pants on head crazy town folks. Trying to make comparisions between online eyeglasses and Nazis, wow.

  2. #52
    Master Jedi King of the Lab's Avatar
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    Erik Zuniga, ABOC.

  3. #53
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    Quote Originally Posted by Kwill212 View Post

    I wasn't aware that the 2 million members were allowed only to purchase from WP. Where does this exclusivity come from?
    if you would have checked the post you would have seen it, including the link

    Retirees can buy Warby Parker designer glasses for under $50 with UnitedHealth's Medicare plan


    • UnitedHealth says it will offer about 2 million of its Medicare Advantage beneficiaries access to Warby Parker's prescription eyewear.
    • A $95 pair of designer prescription sunglasses from Warby Parker could cost less than $50 under a Medicare Advantage plan, according to UnitedHealth.


    Berkeley Lovelace Jr. | @BerkeleyJr
    Published 2:58 PM ET Mon, 19 Nov 2018 Updated 9:18 PM ET Wed, 21 Nov 2018




    Quote Originally Posted by Kwill

    aaand we've gone full on to pants on head crazy town folks. Trying to make comparisions between online eyeglasses and Nazis, wow.

    no comments to be made ..........................

  4. #54
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    ......................thanks you for your compliments, however they get boring.

    Quote Originally Posted by Quig View Post
    \

    Nothing but a bunch of cutting and pasting. Nothing to see here, as usual...

    ......................thanks you for your compliments, however they get boring. Out of a total of 34 of your posts on optiBoard look and say the same thing.
    Last edited by Chris Ryser; 02-15-2019 at 05:21 AM.

  5. #55
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    Quote Originally Posted by Chris Ryser View Post
    if you would have checked the post you would have seen it, including the link

    Retirees can buy Warby Parker designer glasses for under $50 with UnitedHealth's Medicare plan

    Yes Chris, I don't think anyone could miss the 6 posts and your dozens of comments about that link if we tried. No where in there does it suggest any kind of exclusivity. To think that all two Million of those people on UHC medicare plan are going to start using WP is ridiculous. As if to say they can not buy glasses where ever they chose. I don't have any concrete evidence for this but I would venture to guess a large number of those people are pseudophakic and their OMD told them "just get some readers from the drug store, you don't need glasses anymore". I also think that another significant portion wear flat-top bifocals, and another significant portion can't log onto their computer without calling their grandchild, let alone want to order glasses online. This leaves a small % of the 2 million who now have acces to a 50% off coupon to WP. Whoopdie-doo.

    The older people get, the more they want service from professionals. As people age, their disposable income goes up, they can afford, and they want products that work better, that work right the first time, that last longer, they want expert advice and service for those products, and they are willing to pay for it. This is not new and is not about to change. Obviously there is a large section of society that this doesn't apply to. The ones that shop as Sams or Costco for everything they ever buy. That's fine. But, there will always be plenty enough of the other type of consumers to keep the good professionals and experts employed, no matter what the field. Until Skynet™ takes over, I think those of us providing top quality and service will be just fine.

  6. #56
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    Blue Jumper Thank you Kwill for the first time answering my post with a real opinion,............

    Quote Originally Posted by Kwill212 View Post

    To think that all two Million of those people on UHC medicare plan are going to start using WP is ridiculous. As if to say they can not buy glasses where ever they chose. I don't have any concrete evidence for this but I would venture to guess a large number of those people are pseudophakic and their OMD told them "just get some readers from the drug store, you don't need glasses anymore". I also think that another significant portion wear flat-top bifocals, and another significant portion can't log onto their computer without calling their grandchild, let alone want to order glasses online. This leaves a small % of the 2 million who now have acces to a 50% off coupon to WP. Whoopdie-doo.

    The older people get, the more they want service from professionals. As people age, their disposable income goes up, they can afford, and they want products that work better, that work right the first time, that last longer, they want expert advice and service for those products, and they are willing to pay for it. This is not new and is not about to change. Obviously there is a large section of society that this doesn't apply to. The ones that shop as Sams or Costco for everything they ever buy. That's fine.
    But, there will always be plenty enough of the other type of consumers to keep the good professionals and experts employed, no matter what the field. Until Skynet™ takes over, I think those of us providing top quality and service will be just fine.

    Thank you Kwill for the first time answering my post with a real opinion, ...................and without any side comments.

    1) The generation you describe is listed in every daily newspaper in larger numbers all over the continent as departed forever.

    ...........and yes many or most of them can not log on to a computer, because they did not believe into the change of technology would make on our lives forever.

    However they most probably will be notified, in other ways, by their health insurance on important facts, because large insurances companies have not become rich and successful, because the are stupid and payout more than they make.

    The olergeneration is now progressively replaced by the next generation, who has experience buying online, and which is growing year after year.


    2) Older people most of the time live from their life savings and or, with a pension from a lifelong job. They are much more careful in spending their money at that stage of their life.

    You do not have to worry about the old generations, you have to worry about what if following next, and the most forward planning optical corporation I have learned, is the Essilux that soon will be the biggest influence on the optical world retail market, trying to dominate it.

  7. #57
    Master OptiBoarder optical24/7's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Chris Ryser View Post









    • wrong..............optical24/7
      They are selling exclusively to 2 million older people that would have been spread over an conventional, existing and established market under the existing way of doing business for the last 100 years.








    Chris, I respectfully disagree. I'm not wrong because there is no way on God's green Earth ALL 2 million subscribers are going to buy their glasses at WP! Heck, not even VSP, which arguable has the best vision plan for out of pocket costs to the patient retain ALL of their members. I know this because we don't take VSP yet sell to VSP patients all day, every day.

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    Blue Jumper of course you are right......................................

    Quote Originally Posted by optical24/7 View Post

    Chris, I respectfully disagree. I'm not wrong because there is no way on God's green Earth ALL 2 million subscribers are going to buy their glasses at WP! Heck, not even VSP, which arguable has the best vision plan for out of pocket costs to the patient retain ALL of their members. I know this because we don't take VSP yet sell to VSP patients all day, every day.


    optical24..............................of course you are right. I posted what they said. That is never the end result, but it could be if all of them would go the recommended way.

    We are right now at the start of the biggest change of the commercial world, with the just starting G5 technology were computers will also do their own thinking and acting.

    All we have to do is watching out and keep our eyes open and go along with fast coming changes, to adapt in order to stay commercially alive.
    Last edited by Chris Ryser; 02-17-2019 at 12:36 AM.

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    Redhot Jumper It all boils down to get some more inside information ...........................

    It all boils down to get some more inside information from a recent former member of the WP organization, that has mushroomed successfully into the optical retail world in North America.

    Any such information should, or could help the still independent professional optical retailer to take some counter action, and to slow the flow of patients to such discount retailers.

    With the latest news of, and in the general economy that has slowed down progressively, the commercial sales of discounted goods would tend to increase in general.

    WP is only the latest success story in the optical retail discount market. The much bigger threat for domination comes from the
    biggest world wide monopoly ever, that caters to the retailers and also absorbs them into their system at any time there's a chance to do so.

  10. #60
    Master OptiBoarder OptiBoard Silver Supporter Barry Santini's Avatar
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    Might be a good time to read this again:

    http://www.dailyoptician.com/barry-s...-welcome-warby

    B

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    ...............................interesting

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    Blue Jumper Compare our industry's reaction to Warby Parker with the 5 Stages of Grief: .........

    Quote Originally Posted by Barry Santini View Post

    Compare our industry's reaction to Warby Parker with the 5 Stages of Grief:


    Denial - "At that price, they can't be any good!"


    Anger - "They called us greedy middlemen."


    Bargaining - "Oh wait, Mr./Ms. Millennial!" ー as they walk with their Rx and PD ー "We too have some $99 complete packages!" "Now wait a minute, Mr. Eye Care Professional. You actually have a value, complete eyewear package for around $100? Why didn't you offer it to me before? Oh, I see...perhaps you are a greedy middleman after all."


    Depression - "With all those Rxs walking out, will I still be able to stay in business servicing only aging baby boomers?"


    Acceptance - I'm not sure there is any...yet. But here my suggestions on how to deal:


    continue:

    http://www.dailyoptician.com/barry-santini/2016/1/19/we-welcome-warby

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    Redhot Jumper I would never have imagined that a thread could attract that many views .............


    This thread shows now today .................................................. 61 Replies and 5254 Views, in over a 2 week period since its start two weeks ago.

    I would never have imagined that a thread could attract that many views in such a short time.

    The WP online optica, which seems to be the most aggressive of all of them, has for sure stirred some special interest among optiBoard members as well as the visitors.

    With Essilux getting organized for their next move in the optical world domination, and WP getting into optical Health Insurance supplies, there will be a continuous flow of interesting news in the near future.

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    verrrry interesting

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    Quote Originally Posted by Barry Santini View Post
    Might be a good time to read this again:

    http://www.dailyoptician.com/barry-s...-welcome-warby

    B
    So you are saying we should consider welcoming folks who buy (cheap) eyewear online, who want their frames adjusted (for free), smile, offer the (free) use of our facilities, maybe offer a coffee, and hope that every now and then one of them might one day purchase something from us.
    I am coming around to completely 100% agreeing with you.

  16. #66
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    One possible way to monetize folks who insist on cost being the driving force in their eye wear purchase but want our services would be a yearly contract of $45 to verify rx, professionally fit the glasses (sending them back when they don't as so often happens!) and offer simple repairs and adjustments.

    I know a few opticians around me have kicked this idea around for a few years so perhaps it's time to implement it.

  17. #67
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    Guys, it's painfully simple.

    Anyone can sell glasses out of their trunk. (There used to be laws against that kind of thing, but...)

    We're professionals. It's easy to get this point.
    1. We know what we're doing.
    2.
    We care about the people we serve.
    3.
    We have the profession's best interest in mind, as to preserving and promoting it.

    That's all there is. Focus on being a professional.

    Charge what you need to make a living and keep the optical open. Nobody's going to get rich, here, but the big entrepreneurs. We ain't them and they ain't us.

  18. #68
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    Quote Originally Posted by drk View Post
    Guys, it's painfully simple.

    Anyone can sell glasses out of their trunk. (There used to be laws against that kind of thing, but...)

    We're professionals. It's easy to get this point.
    1. We know what we're doing.
    2.
    We care about the people we serve.
    3.
    We have the profession's best interest in mind, as to preserving and promoting it.

    That's all there is. Focus on being a professional.

    Charge what you need to make a living and keep the optical open. Nobody's going to get rich, here, but the big entrepreneurs. We ain't them and they ain't us.
    Yup, that's really about all there is to it. But some people just like beating the dead horse.

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    Redhot Jumper But some people just like beating the dead horse..................................

    Quote Originally Posted by Kwill212 View Post

    Yup, that's really about all there is to it. But some people just like beating the dead horse.


    The only horse that will be beaten when it is dead, will be retail opticianry, as it thinks and functions today, without accepting
    a change in the optical retail profession that is rolling in a non stoppable way, for a total change.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Chris Ryser View Post
    The only horse that will be beaten when it is dead, will be retail opticianry, as it thinks and functions today, without accepting
    a change in the optical retail profession that is rolling in a non stoppable way, for a total change.
    Says the retiree who is now the official "Dr. Doom" of the industry!

    Keep up the good work Chris!

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    Redhot Jumper

    Quote Originally Posted by Quig View Post

    Says the retiree who is now the official "Dr. Doom" of the industry!

    Keep up the good work Chris!







    who ever you are, as a novice to optiBoard with 28 post,s mostly criticising my posts, is getting boring.........................

    just ignore my post's , do not look at them and proceed to the next one

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    Quote Originally Posted by Chris Ryser View Post
    who ever you are, as a novice to optiBoard with 28 post,s mostly criticising my posts, is getting boring.........................

    just ignore my post's , do not look at them and proceed to the next one
    You want to know what's boring? Constant copying and pasting and alibaba'ing and posting about the demise of our industry while you're retired.

    And it's hilarious that you're so concerned with my post count.

    Annnnnnd, it's 38 posts. You reading this thread through glasses you bought online from Warby Parker!?

    Annnnnnnnd, believe me, I've tried to ignore you. You make it pretty tough, you pollute this board pretty much everywhere.

    So maybe it's obvious, but I'm not in the 'In defense of Chris Ryser' camp. I disagree with you and you'll know it. Get used to it.

  23. #73
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    I disagree.

    I agree with almost everything Chris says.

    I do wish the forum would revert back to ophthalmic optics and discussions regarding optical materials. Chris's position is documented well enough. Daily updates on the future of opticianry may be a bit excessive. Maybe quarterly updates along with the optical beast's earnings and slow creep of domination would suffice, no?

    There are a few responses becoming more frequent from patient:
    (start of exam) What brings you in today?
    ---"Well, I just got insurance and you are in my network."
    (so, the patient didn't answer my question in a meaningful way. Am I glad your insurance directed you my way? Sure. Is my service only worth to YOU what somebody else will pay me? Hmm.)
    (end of exam) Anything else I can do for you today?
    --- "When I get my prescription, will it have the PD numbers or whatever I need for my glasses?

    So yeah, Chris is spot on. But as a daily peruser of the optiboard forum looking for something different that the "our profession is going to hell" like every other board for probably every other profession, threads other than "essilux is eating your lunch, taking your spouse and leaving you the bill" are a relief read. I can get that other stuff some place else (places I don't visit... because I get it... robots and internet are taking over the world.)

    But to say Chris is wrong is delusional.

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    Quote Originally Posted by pknsbeans View Post
    I disagree.

    I agree with almost everything Chris says.

    I do wish the forum would revert back to ophthalmic optics and discussions regarding optical materials. Chris's position is documented well enough. Daily updates on the future of opticianry may be a bit excessive. Maybe quarterly updates along with the optical beast's earnings and slow creep of domination would suffice, no?

    There are a few responses becoming more frequent from patient:
    (start of exam) What brings you in today?
    ---"Well, I just got insurance and you are in my network."
    (so, the patient didn't answer my question in a meaningful way. Am I glad your insurance directed you my way? Sure. Is my service only worth to YOU what somebody else will pay me? Hmm.)
    (end of exam) Anything else I can do for you today?
    --- "When I get my prescription, will it have the PD numbers or whatever I need for my glasses?

    So yeah, Chris is spot on. But as a daily peruser of the optiboard forum looking for something different that the "our profession is going to hell" like every other board for probably every other profession, threads other than "essilux is eating your lunch, taking your spouse and leaving you the bill" are a relief read. I can get that other stuff some place else (places I don't visit... because I get it... robots and internet are taking over the world.)

    But to say Chris is wrong is delusional.
    Cue Ryser thanking you in 3... 2.... 1....

    Ok, that was a cheap shot. I apologize.

    Here's the thing, I don't disagree with much of what you said. And I appreciate it for being well written, and, seemingly a series of original thoughts of your own based on current experience rather than a bunch of cutting and pasting. That IS a HUGE difference and is imho, really, really important.

    I know I'm being a bit confrontational and I'd prefer to not have to be that way. But, there's a few of us who are tired of the doomsday scenario and those who are seemingly cheering it on so they can say "I told you so".


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    Redhot Jumper Ok, that was a cheap shot. I apologize. ..................................

    Quote Originally Posted by Quig View Post


    Ok, that was a cheap shot. I apologize.

    I know I'm being a bit confrontational and I'd prefer to not have to be that way. But, there's a few of us who are tired of the doomsday scenario and those who are seemingly cheering it on so they can say "I told you so".


    Ok, I accept your apology ....................................

    The doomsday scenario is a fact, and I have my own personal involvement as of day one, many years ago. So the development of it has always been a top interest to me.

    So if you do not like it, simply look the other way and ignore the posts on it.

    Chris R.

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