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Thread: Focal points on eyeglasses bought online

  1. #1
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    Focal points on eyeglasses bought online

    I have a lot of younger customers and naturally see a lot of glasses bought online.
    I like to check for the power and focal points on those glasses before I go through with my sales as part of my routine,
    and more than half of the times, the focal points are on the weirdest places.
    These are all just simple single vision lenses.
    I understand that customer's comfort in vision would be the last thing in mind when they make these glasses but...
    The PD is always at least 68 or wider (this I would understand to make the lens look thin and even as possible)
    and the focal points sit very low on the glasses (this part is the one that I don't understand no matter what perspective I look at it).
    If they were going to "average" the focal points, I would assume to put them about 2/3 up on the frames.
    Especially because the modern trending eyeglass frames are so oversized, I see no reason why they would sit about 3/4 down on the frames.
    I don't think I would make the focal points sit that low even if I was to make reading glasses.
    Yet, when I ask the customer if this was ok and if they have any trouble with the glasses, majority of them said it was ok.
    They don't realize until wearing a new set of eyeglasses that were actually measured and fitted for their face, they see clear and are surprised.
    And some of these glasses had high prescription so I couldn't imagine what effect these customers were experiencing wearing online glasses.


    Have you ever checked the online glasses with your lensmeter and found funky details?
    Some of them really puts so many question marks in my head.

  2. #2
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    Quote Originally Posted by saeromida View Post

    Have you ever checked the online glasses with your lensmeter and found funky details?
    Some of them really puts so many question marks in my head.
    Yes. Yes. Yes. I've seen some crazy stuff. I saw a -11.00 in a reader frame that fit really low and the PDs were so bad she had to push them way off to the side to see.

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    Quote Originally Posted by mervinek View Post
    Yes. Yes. Yes. I've seen some crazy stuff. I saw a -11.00 in a reader frame that fit really low and the PDs were so bad she had to push them way off to the side to see.
    I know!!!!!
    I sometimes doubt my machine.
    I turn it on and off because maybe my machine is reading it wrong.

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    First time I had one that was that far off, I thought I was going crazy! Now I know... it's not me!

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    OptiWizard KrystleClear's Avatar
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    They seem to just guess for the segs. I never even thought about optical centers... Part of it could be patient's coming up with their own PDs but still, if nothing else you'd think they'd just default to a geometric center for the OC height.
    Krystle

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    What's up? drk's Avatar
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    They use the C.R.A.P. boxing method.

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    Compulsive Truthteller OptiBoard Gold Supporter Uncle Fester's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by KrystleClear View Post
    They seem to just guess for the segs. I never even thought about optical centers... Part of it could be patient's coming up with their own PDs but still, if nothing else you'd think they'd just default to a geometric center for the OC height.
    This is probably the logical conclusion of any trained optician.
    But if I had no clue about anything in the optical field and putting together lenses and frames like I would in a toy factory......

    I've also thought....
    Sometimes I think customers make up their own seg heights and PDs...
    and the technicians look at it and goes "Ha, f*!@ you liars" and do exactly what it says on the screen. Hah.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Uncle Fester View Post

    I don't know how to look at stocks or financials....
    but I could see that their net income is always a minus.
    Meaning they are losing money and not making any profit?
    But they are growing and growing every year?
    How do they operate? Just keep putting in more investments?

    (Confused and on my way to search the heck out of google::)

  10. #10
    Compulsive Truthteller OptiBoard Gold Supporter Uncle Fester's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by saeromida View Post
    I don't know how to look at stocks or financials....
    but I could see that their net income is always a minus.
    Meaning they are losing money and not making any profit?
    But they are growing and growing every year?
    How do they operate? Just keep putting in more investments?

    (Confused and on my way to search the heck out of google::)
    They make money because most on line consumers consider their eye wear a commodity and not a medical device.

    And we feed the beast by helping them on the (fat!) chance they'll come back to us or we accept peanuts for our professional skills.

  11. #11
    Master OptiBoarder OptiBoard Silver Supporter Barry Santini's Avatar
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    We’d all have a better business if we stopped thinking medical device and started thinking fashion device

  12. #12
    What's up? drk's Avatar
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    Then sell frames without lenses and get out of opticianry. Maybe you could start Parby Warker and never turn a profit, too!

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    Quote Originally Posted by drk View Post
    Then sell frames without lenses and get out of opticianry. Maybe you could start Parby Warker and never turn a profit, too!
    Parby Warker specializes in the highest of fashion... BLUE ROLL!

    Click image for larger version. 

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  14. #14
    What's up? drk's Avatar
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    They would have that going for them. It's going to catch on, big-time. Dammit, Barry's right!

  15. #15
    Master OptiBoarder OptiBoard Silver Supporter
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    Quote Originally Posted by drk View Post
    Then sell frames without lenses and get out of opticianry. Maybe you could start Parby Warker and never turn a profit, too!
    I thought of doing that and calling it BFD.



    Big frame deals.

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    Master OptiBoarder optical24/7's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Barry Santini View Post
    We’d all have a better business if we stopped thinking medical device and started thinking fashion device
    Yep…

    Quote Originally Posted by drk View Post
    Then sell frames without lenses and get out of opticianry. Maybe you could start Parby Warker and never turn a profit, too!
    People spend more of their discretionary money on “wants” not “needs”.

  17. #17
    What's up? drk's Avatar
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    No, I absolutely agree that: "The only things that people buy are 1. good feelings, and 2. solutions to problems" (removal of bad feelings).

    For example, nothing is funner than selling Rx sun, because they're fun!

    But we don't have the luxury of going all in on "fashion" or "wants". We are a hybrid, at best. These are medical devices.

    Maybe we can think of cars as an analogy...you need basic, reliable transportation but you'd rather have it make you feel sexually attractive or powerful or rich.

    ...You need to see, but you'd rather have your glasses make your feel sexually attractive, or powerful, or rich.

    But that car has to start every morning and have good windshield wipers.

    ...Those glasses better enable you to see your computer "in the real world".

    They have to be both: art plus science. Not just one. You can't just "stop thinking medical devices" or they're pointless pieces of plastic and metal adorning your face, like a lip stud or a tattoo that says "no ragrets".


    An awesome Ferrarri stuck in the driveway is not that awesome.
    Last edited by drk; 10-12-2021 at 09:26 AM.

  18. #18
    Master OptiBoarder optical24/7's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by drk View Post
    No, I absolutely agree that: "The only things that people buy are 1. good feelings, and 2. solutions to problems" (removal of bad feelings)……..

    For example, nothing is funner than selling Rx sun, because they're fun!….

    But we don't have the luxury of going all in on "fashion" or "wants". We are a hybrid, at best. These are medical devices.
    …..

    …….They have to be both: art plus science. Not just one. You can't just "stop thinking medical devices" or they're pointless pieces of plastic and metal adorning your face, like a lip stud or a tattoo that says .
    Yes! Be both! They aren’t mutually exclusive. But what you can change is the “experience “ of buying eye wear, it’s how you market it. Make it fun! More so than sunglasses, (fun, right?) The key is having personal that market it effectively. Think cosmetic consultant, ( yea, I said that). That shouldn’t be interpreted as all you need is a “frame stylist “ , it’s just part or what today’s opticians need to add to their repertoire..

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    Quote Originally Posted by Barry Santini View Post
    We’d all have a better business if we stopped thinking medical device and started thinking fashion device
    For well over half a century eyeglasses have been fashion devices, and fitting flattering frames to patients has been a required skill set for opticians. To say we would be better off if we stopped thinking of them as medical devices is akin to saying we would be better off just opening a Sunglasses Hut. Give me a break.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Uncle Fester View Post
    They make money because most on line consumers consider their eye wear a commodity and not a medical device.

    And we feed the beast by helping them on the (fat!) chance they'll come back to us or we accept peanuts for our professional skills.
    Except they don't make money from eyewear sales. They are not an eyewear company. They are not any different than any other "disruptor"(I hate that word) company. Gain market share by giving away products. They are valued in the billions because of the potential for sales they have, not actual sales. Their money comes from outside investors. They could be selling any product and the business model is the same. Fancy marketing, label the "traditional model" greedy middlemen, sell product for no profit, gain market share, try to bleed the traditional market competition out of business, then either raise prices to make a profit or sell the company for profit(stock in this case) to investors that want access to the information you have on all of your customer base.

  21. #21
    Master OptiBoarder OptiBoard Silver Supporter Barry Santini's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Kwill212 View Post
    For well over half a century eyeglasses have been fashion devices, and fitting flattering frames to patients has been a required skill set for opticians. To say we would be better off if we stopped thinking of them as medical devices is akin to saying we would be better off just opening a Sunglasses Hut. Give me a break.
    I respectfully submit most certified optician's idea of fashion and/or style training is not a skill set at all.

    B
    Last edited by Barry Santini; 10-15-2021 at 04:19 AM.

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    Compulsive Truthteller OptiBoard Gold Supporter Uncle Fester's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Kwill212 View Post
    Except they don't make money from eyewear sales. They are not an eyewear company. They are not any different than any other "disruptor"(I hate that word) company. Gain market share by giving away products. They are valued in the billions because of the potential for sales they have, not actual sales. Their money comes from outside investors. They could be selling any product and the business model is the same. Fancy marketing, label the "traditional model" greedy middlemen, sell product for no profit, gain market share, try to bleed the traditional market competition out of business, then either raise prices to make a profit or sell the company for profit(stock in this case) to investors that want access to the information you have on all of your customer base.

    This was my second thought that I should have posted and why I shun social media platforms and consider my cell phone a spy device.

  23. #23
    Eyes eastward... Uilleann's Avatar
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    PDs will often be off by varying degrees.
    OCs will be off 100% of the time - usually egregiously so.

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