No optician wants to hear the dreaded words, “I want a copy of my prescription so I can buy my glasses elsewhere.” With the competition of cut-rate opticals and online sales, every doctors office should be cognizant of what keeps your patients loyal and what sends them packing.

Some doctors try discouraging walkaways by charging to provide PD measurements and/or fit glasses purchased elsewhere. Others try to discover their reasons for leaving and try to satisfy those needs.

Knowing a little about your competition is like the old saying “forewarned is forearmed.” An AOA study published in 2011 with the Optical Laboratories Association and The Vision Council reinforces the drawbacks of online orders. The study concluded:
    •    Of 200 glasses ordered online, only 154 pairs were received;
    •    44.8 percent had incorrect prescriptions or safety issues;
    •    29 percent had at least one lens fail to meet required prescription;
    •    19 percent of adult lenses failed impact resistance testing; and,
    •    25 percent of children's lenses failed impact resistance testing.

Purchasing eyeglasses from a local optometrist is the AOA's first and foremost recommendation, but if patients are still interested in making a purchase online, the AOA warns consumers to do their homework before making a final decision. "If a consumer believes that ordering a pair of glasses online is in their best interest, it is important for the consumer to be fully informed regarding the potential pitfalls in doing so," Dr. Pierce said. "The peer-reviewed study revealed that nearly half of all glasses ordered online had either prescription errors or failed to meet minimum safety standards.”

If this information can be explained in a friendly, non-combative way it may open their eyes to why your products aren’t in the same price range as online or cut-rate opticals. Asking why they want their RX is the first step in opening a dialogue to discover what their concerns are.

What can an optician do? The best way to keep patients loyal and returning to purchase their eye-ware is still done the old fashioned way. Give cheerful, superior service with a wide price range of frames and lenses to suit every need.

Superior service includes listening to your patients and finding solutions to their wants and needs. Guiding their purchase with your knowledge of their wants, finding the right fit and the ability to comfortably adjust their glasses will set you apart from your competition.

At my former office we had a large selection of budget frames for those who needed an inexpensive pair of glasses. (Today’s office may want to use other descriptive words, like value line, or low-cost line.) These lenses were paired with single vision, bifocal or trifocal lenses for a package price. These frames could also be considered for a back up pair of glasses or even sunglasses for the frugal-minded customer. It’s still a win-win if you make a less than normal profit on a glasses sale that would otherwise walk out the door.

If price isn’t the reason, try to discover what they are unhappy about and to the best of your ability, address their issue. This could include correcting a previous sale they were dissatisfied with.

Your goal should be to have happy and loyal patients who continually return for services.