EyeCare Professional Magazine April 2012 Issue

MAXIMUM TITANIUM FLEXIBILITY.

Clariti Eyewear Collection

MAXIMUM FLEXIBILITY,

COMFORT, STYLE,

AND AFFORDABILITY.

LIGHTWEIGHT EYEWEAR / PAGE 6 ADVANCE YOUR OPTICAL CAREER / PAGE 18

April 2012 • Volume 6, Issue 52 • www.ECPmag.com

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INCREASE DISPENSARY CAPTURE RATE & REVENUE

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LIGHTWEIGHT EYEWEAR & SUNWEARKeep your patient’s cool and comfortable with the latest in lightweight eyewear and sunwear.by ECP Staff

SUNWEAR TRENDSIncrease your sunglass sales by staying on top off all the trends in shapes and styles.by Laura Miller

TIME TO GET COMPETITIVE!Independents can succeed through a better understanding ofthe competitive forces they face.by Warren G. McDonald, PhD, & Michael Wayland

JOB IMPROVEMENTWith all the education options available today, it’s never too late for professional advancement.by Judy Canty, LDO

CHOOSING THE RIGHT OPTICAL WORDSThe impact of terminology used around patients should always be considered.by Anthony Record, RDO

STRABISMUS AND AMBLYOPIA DETECTIONMandatory vision screenings could help improve the lives ofmany unfortunate children.by Jason Smith, OD, MS

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EEYECAREPROFESSIONALMagazine

Features

Departments

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EDITOR/VIEW .....................................................................................................4MARKETING OPTICIAN.................................................................................20MOBILE OPTICIAN .........................................................................................24MOVERS AND SHAKERS.................................................................................28ONLINE DISPENSING .....................................................................................34SECOND GLANCE ............................................................................................40ADVERTISER INDEX .......................................................................................42INDUSTRY QUICK ACCESS ............................................................................43LAST LOOK .......................................................................................................46

APRIL2012

Vol. 6Issue 52

On The Cover:CLARITI EYEWEAR1-800-FRAMES-2 www.claritieyewear.com

FIND THE CLARITI EYEWEAR LOGO CONTEST—See page 26

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Publisher/Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jeff SmithProduction/Graphics Manager. . . . . . . . . . . Bruce S. DrobDirector, Advertising Sales . . . . . . . . . . . . Lynnette GrandeContributing Writers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Judy Canty, Dee Carew, Paul DiGiovanni, Gary Fore, Elmer Friedman, Lindsey Getz, Ginny Johnson, Jim Magay, Warren McDonald, Laura Miller, Anthony Record, Jason SmithTechnical Editor . . . . . . . . Brian A. Thomas, P.h.D, ABOMInternet Coordinator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Terry Adler

Opinions expressed in editorial submissions contributed to EyeCareProfessional Magazine, ECP™ are those of the individual writers exclusively and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of EyeCareProfessional Magazine, ECP™ its staff, its advertisers, or its reader-ship. EyeCare Professional Magazine, ECP™ assume no responsibilitytoward independently contributed editorial submissions or any typographical errors, mistakes, misprints, or missing informationwithin advertising copy.

ADVERTISING & SALES(215) 355-6444 • (800) [email protected]

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EyeCare Professional Magazine, ECP™ is published monthly by OptiCourier, Ltd.Delivered by Third Class Mail Volume 6 Number 52TrademarkSM 1994 by OptiCourier, Ltd.All Rights Reserved.

No part of this magazine may be used or reproduced in anyform or by any means without prior written permission of thepublisher.

OptiCourier, Ltd. makes no warranty of any kind, eitherexpressed, or implied, with regard to the material contained herein.

OptiCourier, Ltd. is not responsible for any errors and omissions,typographical, clerical and otherwise. The possibility of errorsdoes exist with respect to anything printed herein.

It shall not be construed that OptiCourier, Ltd. endorses, pro-motes, subsidizes, advocates or is an agent or representative forany of the products, services or individuals in this publication.

For Back Issues and Reprints contact Jeff Smith, Publisher at800-914-4322 or by Email: [email protected]

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Magazine

A NUMBER OF YEARS AGO, McDonald’s tried an experiment. Whenevera customer came in and ordered a hamburger, the clerk was instructed toask if they wanted fries with that. Nothing complicated, just, “would you

like fries with that?” Guess what happened, sales of fries went through the roof. Sowhat has that to do with optical sales?

What about second pairs? Sunglasses? Accessories? The key to second pair sales islistening. Ask the patient about their lifestyle, and what kind of work they do.Spend a little time before starting to select frames to get to know what’s importantto them. Selecting the right ophthalmic frame to match their needs is obviouslyimportant, but it will also give you a clue as to what to suggest for additional pairs.

One of the most neglected areas of additional sales is in home safety eyewear. Mostpeople don’t think of the home as a place for safety glasses, yet there are now moreaccidents in the home than at work, largely due to the impact of OSHA regulationsand efforts by the insurance industry. If your patient enjoys hobbies that use powerequipment - safety glasses or shields are a must. This is also an important consid-eration for contact lens wearers, who may need extra protection to keep airbornedebris from getting in their eyes. With the new safety frame styles now available,safety eyewear doesn’t have to be bulky or ugly.

Sunwear has been the staple of multiple pairs since their invention, but how manytimes have you had to tell your patient that the sun frame they just fell in love withwon’t accept their prescription? Now, what happens when that same patient is fit-ted with contacts? Every contact wearer should be shown sunglasses, but especiallythe first time wearer. They may not be thinking about sunwear at that particularmoment, but you can bet they will the first time they see a sunglass display at thelocal grocery store.

Introduce them to your sun selection and watch their eyes light up. Most dispen-saries have a separate section devoted to sunglasses, but all too often it’s tuckedaway in some corner. Ask anyone who has been an optician for any length of time,and they will tell you the surprising number of people who don’t even realize theycan have prescription sunglasses made. And with all the new lenses coming on themarket, relatively high minuses can be accommodated in fashionable sunwear.

Finally, don’t forget accessories. A screw kit, extra lens cleaner, or a deluxe case areall convenient to help your patient enjoy their new eyewear. Remember, the key tosecond pair sales is to offer them to every patient, every time. After all, they’re theFrench fries of the optical world.

EEYECAREPROFESSIONAL

4 | EEYECAREPROFESSIONAL | APRIL 2012

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3. Pro DesignThe Axiom collection is all about simplifiedfunctionality and this new addition to thesuccessful fifth branch under the ProDesignname is no exception. The striped acetate ofthe end tip is a classic ProDesign acetate, andboth the colors of the fronts and the templesare repeated in the end tip pattern.www.prodesigndenmark.com

1. MYKITAThe new Decades sunglass line is characterised by a renderingof large panto forms to MYKITA’s ultralight flat-metal concept. The 0.5 mm stainless steel frames appear as a silhouette of their historic predecessor and, in combinationwith the frame colors, create their own unique look.www.mykita.com

2. EvatikThe Evatik 9053 is a full rim titaniummen’s model. The combination of flatsheet titanium coupled with a thinner profile on the bottom of the eyerim provides asleek, modern look to this model. Thin titanium stripsare cut out of the endpiece and incorporated into the temple pattern adding texture to the design. www.evatik.com

LightweightEyewear &Sunwear

EYESTYLES

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5. SilhouetteTitan Minimal Art is one of the most success-ful rimless eyewear collections in the world.Free from rimmed frames, hinges, andscrews, it started a revolution in the world ofeyewear. Its light weight of only 1.8 gramsoffers wearers carefree, limitless vision for thefirst time ever. www.silhouette.com

6. Studio OptyxMonoqool’s patented Helix temple designequips a lightweight stainless steel frame tocreate a screw-less frame. The frame weighsonly 4 grams. www.monoqool.com,www.studiooptyx.com

4. Viva International GroupThe new styles from Harley-Davidson Eyewearare solidly constructed and designed with cleanlines and subtle logo treatments. Key materials

include stainless steel, as seen in model HD 422,from the men’s ophthalmic collection. This light-

weight material delivers a slim profile, whileshowcasing the Harley-Davidson Bar & Shield

logo laser-etched on both of the temples.www.vivagroup.com

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Combining the best in design, ground-breaking techniques, and high-tech

materials, LIGHTWEIGHTEYEWEAR have super

strength and flexibility. There are so many possibilities inselecting these frames for

your patients.

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Lafont

The new collection, Lafont Paris Pour L’Homme, features aninnovative carbon fiber temple design. This extremely durableand lightweight material is blended perfectly with titanium creat-ing a sleek, technically advanced frame. Each temple is cushionedwith a soft rubber in-lay making each piece extremely comfort-able to wear. For the optician, Lafont reinforced the temple with astainless steel core for an easy adjustment. www.lafontusa.com

Kaenon

With subtle curves and a hint of subdued, cat eye flair, the 401Crystal Tortoise’s thin frame structure perfectly embodies ourCalifornia lifestyle and unique fashion sense. Consistent com-fort, fit and lightweight functionality make this prescriptionframe ideal for all-day, go-anywhere optical use.www.kaenon.com

Rudy ProjectLight, practical, high-performance, and madefor prescription, Spyllo suf is a sport utilityframe for all occasions. Unlike traditional sightmodels, Spyllo suf has a wraparound front inextremely light Kynetium material. But the realinnovation of Spyllo suf is the energized temple technology, a flexible temple systemthat ensures that the temples, if extended, tendto go back immediately to their initial position,thereby ensuring a firm and comfy fit at thesame time. www.rudyprojectusa.com

Trevi Coliseum EyewearCotton Club 280 is constructedfrom the highest quality light-weight materials and defines theconcept of style and luxury.Made of carbon fiber with rubberized temples for comfortand adjustability, it’s available in3 colors combinations withstriking contrast. Made in Italyand backed by a two year warranty. Sold exclusively inNorth America by NationalLens. www.national-lens.com

Eyes of Faith

Our most popular style, Eyes of Faith 1005, is a lightweight,rimless work of art with stunning stained glass temples. Due toits popularity, we recently expanded the style’s wide color palleteto five options that reflect “the light within you.”www.eofoptical.com

Clariti Eyewear

The KS1280 from Clariti’s Konishi Lite collection is a nearlyweightless compression mount frame made with stainless steeland TR90 temples for ultimate comfort. The frame comes inthree colors: dark grey with grey, matte black with dark purple,and matte mocha with bronze (shown). www.claritieyewear.com.

Spyllo suf from Rudy Project

EYESTYLES

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Trevi Coliseum is distributed exclusively in North America by National Lens. Tel: 866.923.5600

national-lens.com

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ic! berlin

“Auf dem flusse” is a new prescription frame from our current collection ‘winterreise,’ which is inspired by Schubert’s famoussong cycle. The screw-less, sheet metal glasses combine ideas andperfectionism. These off the wall frames are suitable for everydayuse, precisely manufactured, nearly unbreakable as they are flexible, in addition to being light as a feather. www.ic-berlin.de

Sunairess Eyewear

Optiluxe model 2053 is simply perfect for those who are lookingfor lightweight yet fashionable eyewear. This rimless frame features lightweight zyl temples decorated with a unique decolaser design, spring hinge and adjustable nose pads for comfort.This frame is available in 5 gorgeous colors.www.sunairessinc.com

Global OptiqueKishimoto Signature Model 313 has a simple yet sophisticatedlook that is made with the highest grade and light stainless steelwith grilamid temples and spring hinges that gives the framesuper comfort. Available in Matte Wine, Matte Violet, MatteBrown, Matte Green. www.globaloptique.com

Marcolin

RC631 – This style draws inspiration from the world of jewelry.Thanks to the skillful expertise in jewelry techniques, a pearl isset within a rhinestone border creating a delicate outline at eachside of the front. Special openings along the arms offer lightnessto the frame while the animal print effect in several color varia-tions serves as an additional symbol of the brand.www.marcolinusa.com

Zero G Eyewear

The Zero G Kings Point is among the first frame with a plasticinsert to be constructed without screws or solder-points. Withthis combination of tailored plastic and titanium, Zero G has put a modern twist on a classic, retro style. Kings Point presents a bold, stylish look while offering the ultimate in lightweightcomfort. www.zerogeyewear.com

Kishimoto Signature Model 313

EYESTYLES

Retraction: In last month’s March Issue,the Clariti Frames are from the Konishi line, not the Giovanni line.

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alexander barckmusician - wearing ‘die nebensonnen’

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IT USUALLY BOTHERS ME when I see someone who can use a frame “makeover” and I wonder which optician let themout of the office looking like that. I also get intrigued when I see a frame that I have never seen before. I am sure you all can identify.

At my son’s lacrosse game, I ran into an old friend wearing themost beautiful Bulgari, blue-gradient sunglasses. Of course, Ihad to make a big deal about them. After my inquiries, I learnedthat my friend bought them from her optometrist in Floridaand is embarrassed that she spent so much money on a pair ofprescription shades. I also learned that she gets compliments onher glasses everywhere she goes and was surprised by her doctor’s selection and style and will likely fork out this kind ofmoney next year. This is the type story I love hearing about.Wouldn’t it be nice if all your patients were this satisfied withtheir glasses?

As a good ECP, you always warn your patients about the importance of sun protection. Your optical shop always has avariety of sunglasses in case your patients listen to you. Youstress the importance of sunwear throughout the year. Youexplain sun damage all winter long and attempt to sell suns forwinter protection, but now the designers have launched theirsummer lines and your patients will finally start buying. Withwarmer weather and outdoor events, your patients are going to

want the latest in sun trends that will shift their reasons for buying suns. Yes, coverage is important, but now they want tolook good. Will your patients think of your optical when shopping for sunglasses? Will they praise you every time theyget a compliment on their frame?

Of course they will! You have done your job and establishedyour office as a place for all their eyewear needs. Let’s boostspring sales and your stylish reputation by stocking up on someof the latest trends. The designers are out with all their springand summer designs and your optical boutique needs to movewith the trends. If you are looking for some of the greatest suntrends for 2012, look no further.

Contrasting Colors – We all remember the biggest trend lastseason…the wayfarer type frame with bright colored temples.This style progresses and expands into 2012 but the frame is notlimited to a wayfarer look. This style now transcends to anyshape of frame to better fit more types of faces. Try neutral orblack colored frames with bright and wild temples. This rulecan also be applied to lens colors. Don’t be afraid to suggest agrey lens with a tortoise frame. Impress your patients with yourfashion know-all.

Cat Eyes – A personal favorite of mine, cats can create aninstant facelift. Bringing back the glamour of the 60’s, big and

THE FASHIONABLE ECP

Laura Miller


Are Your Patients Bragging about You?

As an ECP, I can’t help but judge other people’s glasses. My son always gets embarrassed as I constantly compliment strangers in the supermarket on their eyewear.

Marchon’s D & G in cat-eye shape Horn-rimmed Boomslang by Reptile Sun

APR2012_laura.qxd 3/28/12 2:24 PM Page 2

small cats are a favorite with summer sun designers. To get theeffect, your patients can pick frames with a small uplift in thecorner to give a simple cat-eye shape or go for a dramaticallyinspired cat. If they mention that the frames look like theirgrandmother’s old glasses, show them a picture of Jessica Albaor Diane Kruger sporting their favorite cats.

Round – Round frames are big this year with ophthalmicframes so it is only natural that the style will transcend into sun-glasses. When choosing round, bigger in not always better. Theround shapes are staying away from the oversized trends wehave been accustomed to and they are tending to be on thesmaller side. These round frames are a fantastic unisex style. Forsome of the best styles, look at Marc Jacobs from Safilo. Theyhave a huge selection of retro, round frames to fit all faces.

Sports – Sports frames are usually known for function, butdesigners are adding many sports elements to their summerline. Frames with small base curves are very popular. Aviator,goggle looks, and shield are coming off the runway. Remember,these fashion frames might not have the quality for sports per-formance and be sure to convey that to your patient. Ray-Banwill always be hot for sport and sport-inspired frames. Theseare so popular; you might also want to carry some Ray-Banlookalikes for a less expensive alternative or for your suggestionof a second pair.

Gradient – Gradient lenses are just fun. Gradient was original-ly used to provide different degrees of sun protection, but thedark to light colors can also add some mystery to plain frames.For further effect, try adding some funky colors such as blueand maroon to the lenses. Give your patients an original frame.This is a great upsell when selling prescription lenses.

Horn-rimmed sunglasses – When will Mad Men stop influenc-ing style? The show has reintroduced the horn rim glasses andnow horn rim suns are buzzing. Made of imitation horn or tortoise, these frames can be any shape to flatter your patient’sface. They usually do not have any nose pads, so be sure to warnyour patients of slipping during the hot summer months.Though these frames are super-stylish, I would not advise them

to be worn for long periods in the hot sun. They area great second pair for the patients who want to getattention with the “Johnny Depp” look.

By keeping a variety of frames in stock and on display, your office will get the reputation of beingthe “it” place for summer sunglass looks. Be sure tohave a delicate combination of high-end designerframes and low-cost fashionable looks to targetevery patient and every budget that walks in youroffice. Offer a deal by bundling two pairs of framesor by offering free polarization. Be honest with yourpatients and style them like celebrities so you can bethe one being bragged about on the lacrosse field. ■

Marc Jacobs from Safilo

Ray-Ban from Luxottica

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TO GAIN A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE, any organizationmust understand the forces they are up against. The Five Forcesanalysis was developed by Dr. Michael Porter and made popular in his 1980 book Competitive Strategy: Techniques forAnalyzing Industries and Competitors. The Five Forces shape,constrain, and provide opportunities for competitive advantagefor your business. They are:

1. Threat of Entry

The threat of new competitors entering a given market is anindustry force that impacts strategy. If a company invests billions of dollars to create a new product that can be easily imitated, where is the competitive advantage? There may be anadvantage such as profit made while the potential new entrantis developing its product, goodwill established, and creating atop of mind brand name, etc., but as we will see, there is notalways a sustainable “First Mover Advantage.” On the otherhand, if the competitors are hard pressed to enter the marketthere may be a significant competitive advantage for your company to move into a market first. If your business is in anexisting market, analysis of the threat of entry can be importantto ascertaining your ability to maintain your market share and to prepare defensive strategies to prevent a potential newcompetitor from arising.

Threat of entry can be considered as twofold: (1) barriers toentry and (2) response of existing competitors. If there is onesupplier of a critical component and your business has a contractually exclusive arrangement with them, if a resource isscarce and you have it controlled, or if the dollar investment is prohibitively high for a competitor to justify entering themarket, one would say the barrier to entry for a new entrant is high. Conversely, if you are dealing with broadly and inexpensively available commodities, easy technology,consumer indifference to brand, etc., the barrier to entry for anew competitor is low.

Competitor responsiveness also impacts the threat of entry.If the existing competitors are well funded, have the ability toleverage a well entrenched brand name, can aggressively cutprice and maintain a low profit margin that would put yourcompany out of business, or have a willingness to “defend theirturf,” the probability of a new entrant coming into that marketis low.

2. Intensity of Rivalry

It has been said that there is no such thing as a sustainable competitive advantage. The thought behind that truism is thatyour competitors will find a way to mimic or copy anything thatsucceeds for you. If you buy more productive manufacturingequipment, the supplier, or their competitor, will be toutingtheir equipment to your competitors, citing your purchase.If you invent a new product, your competitors will find a wayaround your patents. The Intensity of Rivalry among existingindustry competitors will drive this imitation strategy. It issomething that can easily be seen in many markets, particular-ly consumer goods.

While a company cannot directly control the intensity ofrivalry in an industry, it can take certain strategic actions. Somecompanies will develop a strategy of intertwining themselvesinto their customers business so as to make the customerdependant on them (i.e. Dell computers), increase product differentiation to separate themselves from the crowd, raise thecustomer’s switching cost by customizing applications or products for them so that they are dependent on your business,provide service and repair to the product, or focus the company’s sales and marketing efforts on areas that have someform of advantage, such as high growth or low fixed costs.

Let’s GetCompetitive!

21ST CENTURY OPTICIAN

Warren G. McDonald, PhDProfessor of Health Administration

Reeves School of Business / Methodist University

14 | EEYECAREPROFESSIONAL | APRIL 2012 Continued on page 16

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Consider the highly competitive world of lens manufacturing.In today’s market, the technology exists for free form lenses tobe manufactured at many locations, but marketing efforts ofthe “big” manufacturers really make such an effort difficult.Each time one manufacturer comes out with a particular lensdesign, others will soon follow with an updated version. Rivalryis fierce. It is just as fierce at the local level between retail competitors. Each competitor attempts to one-up the guydown the street so they can maintain their competitive advantage. As stated above, this advantage is difficult to main-tain, so a constant awareness of the marketplace is required.

3. Threat of Substitute Products

The availability of substitute products limits the amount ofmoney a company can charge for its product or service. Allthings being equal, if a company raises its price, the customerwill switch to a competitor to substitute an equivalent product.The reality is that all things are rarely equivalent. When theyare, the product is referred to as a “commodity” product – thatis, it does not matter at all from whom you purchase it, it is perceived as all the same (i.e. crude oil). When all things are notthe same, there may be a degree of difference. For example, aconsumer may have a preference for a particular brand ofgasoline, but if the price for that brand increases more than afew cents per gallon over the competitors, the consumer willforgo the preferred brand and substitute the lower pricedbrand. On the other hand, strong brand loyalty, strong productdifferentiation and other strategies that create distinctionreduce the threat of substitute products.

In the small independent optical office, do we have brand loyalty? Some have seen some slippage in loyalty. With theadvent of online retailers breaking into the market we may seemore pressure against loyalty.

4. Bargaining Power of Suppliers

The power held by raw material, component, subassembly,assembly, transportation, disposal, and the whole host ofsuppliers to companies in an industry directly impacts thecompetitive nature of an industry. If there are very few suppli-ers of a necessary component, the theory of supply anddemand suggests that prices will rise. Suppliers can hold thecorporate buyer “over a barrel.”

As an example, in the computer industry micro processors wereat risk of becoming a commodity item. Retail consumers didnot see them or understand them. The strategy Intel employedwas to change the micro processor from a commodity item intoa branded item. Through a combination of outstanding product development and intense marketing, retail consumerswere convinced that having “Intel Inside” meant a better computer. Retail customers began to demand Intel processorsin the computers they purchased which in turn put pressure on

the Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) to incorporateIntel processors into their computers.

Intel gained significant bargaining power as a supplier to theOEM’s. If the OEM wanted to produce a product with an Intelmicroprocessor, they had to buy from Intel. This gave Intel significant bargaining power when negotiating price and termswith the OEM’s. As a result, Intel processors cost significantlymore than competitive processors.

In the optical industry, we are now faced with significant consolidation, with organizations like Essilor and Luxotticawielding significant power in the marketplace. Should we findalternative suppliers? If we want new suppliers, where do wefind them? Just a question to ponder...

5. Bargaining Power of Buyers

The bargaining power of buyers is the opposite of the power ofsuppliers. If the large corporate buyer can shop around for itsraw material, components, subassemblies or other inputs, andfind lower prices, then the corporate buyers in the industryhave significant power over their suppliers. Some ways industry buyers can gain bargaining power are:

a. If they buy in sufficiently large amounts to be able todemand lower prices

b. If they buy in sufficiently large amounts to make thesupplier dependent upon them

c. If it is easy for the buyer to switch to a different supplier

d. If the corporate buyer could drop the supplier and thecorporation could fulfill its own need

e. If the business could buy a supplier and cut the currentsupplier out

Consider an organization like WalMart. Is their buying powersignificantly greater than that of the local independent opticianor optometrist? Of course it is, and so the independent will have difficulty competing on the basis of price alone tomaintain competitive advantage.

Conclusion

In any business, and in particular the optical industry, we mustremain vigilant in our efforts to remain competitive. By betterunderstanding the competitive forces we face, we can developstrategies to combat them effectively. We hope you have foundthis summary of the five forces a practical lesson and we hopeit allows you to more effectively compete in the contemporarymarketplace.

Also with contributions from Professor Michael Wayland, Instructorof Management, Reeves School of Business, Methodist University. ■

APR2012.qxd 3/28/12 3:06 PM

International Vision Expo East, co-owned by ReedExhibitions and The Vision Council, drew a recordcrowd last month at the Javits Center in New YorkCity, organizers reported. Preliminary unaudited attendance figures indicate that 16,317 eyecare professionals attended the show, a 10 percent jumpfrom 2011, and a new show record. A final third-partyaudit of International Vision Expo East, which willdetail audited attendance figures, will be available inearly May 2012.

“We are pleased to report that we broke atten-dance records dating back to the show’s inception in1986,” said Tom Loughran, vice president for ReedExhibitions. “Overall feedback indicates that visitorswere very satisfied with this year’s show. The newsplit level floor plan, featuring the French Loft on theLevel 4 Terrace and combined pavilions and educa-tion destination on Level 1, exceeded expectations.”

Held over four-days, the show featured a compre-hensive conference line-up, expanded student pro-gramming and exceptional show specials, includingthree luxury car lease giveaways. The show floorexpanded an additional 10 percent from 2011, withconference, meeting rooms and exhibits spanningfour levels for a combined total of 312,823 squarefeet. More than 575 exhibitors, including 132 brandnew companies, presented the latest trends in eye-wear and advances in eyecare technology to eyecareprofessionals and buyers from around the world.

Next year, International Vision Expo East will beheld March 14-17, in New York City. Show dates havebeen confirmed with the Javits Center through 2020.

Vision Expo East Reports Record-Breaking Attendance

APR2012.qxd 3/29/12 11:29 AM


What Do You WantTo Be When YouGrow Up?

No, it’s never too late to ask that question. Growing up,I wanted to be a high school band director just like myDad. So, I did what was necessary. Learned to play oboe,practiced a lot and got some scholarship offers. Went allthe way to Arizona and discovered that perhaps I didn’twant to be a high school band director after all...

Now what?

I was a newly divorced, single parent of a toddler, with a strongmusic performance background. I needed a JOB!

After days of pavement pounding in my hometown, nothinglooked promising. However, the branch manager of a localbank had a brother-in-law who managed an optical wholesalelab who needed some help.

The rest, as they say, is history.

Why am I telling you this? Because I absolutely love this indus-try and for the life of me I can’t understand why so many whoare in this industry appear to be so very unhappy.

With all due respect to my friends who have benefited from“legacy” practices, following in the footsteps of a parent, grand-parent or even an older sibling, I have never met anyone whowoke up one morning with a burning desire to be anOphthalmologist, Optometrist or Optician. It is a group of pro-fessions we are either born into or stumble upon.

Regardless of the sophistication of our chosen place in the hier-archy of the three O’s, it is a demanding and often stressful wayto spend our days. So, if you’re not happy with your currentposition, do something about it.

Ask yourself the same kinds of questions you ask a patient whenopening the conversation about new eyewear.

1. What do you like about your current position? Is it the creativity or the problem-solving? Is it the fashion or thefunction? Is it the challenge of managing a successfulbusiness? We’re all human. We enjoy doing things weactually LIKE to do. Find what it is that you like to doand try to incorporate it into your workday.

2. What do you dislike about your current position? Is itthe unpleasant patients or the uncooperative staff? Is itthe lack of respect or the unrealistic expectations? We’veall muttered this at one time or another, “this job wouldbe great if it weren’t for the (patients, staff, optician,practice manager, doctor).” How much control will youallow outside forces to have over your workday? Whatwould it take to change your dislikes into “sorta likes” or“dislikes less”?

3. What do you want from your job? Is it financial compensation or personal satisfaction? Is it increasedresponsibility or a lighter load? Find your mentor anddetermine what path to take.

4. What do you need from your job? Is it financial securityor professional stature? Is it a secure position or the nextstep in your career? Be honest with yourself, your giftsand your challenges.

DISPENSING OPTICIANJudy Canty, LDO

APR2012.qxd 3/28/12 3:06 PM

5. How can we merge these likes, dislikes, wants and needsinto a position that works for you? Without a clearunderstanding of who you are and who you want to be,every day will pretty much look like any other day.

6. Where do we start?

The simple answer is...with education. Yes, I know, you’ve heardthat so many times that you may just explode. But let’s look atthe realities. Regardless of where you fall in the office hierarchy,education is the foundation for upward and outward mobility.While I am a firm believer in the necessity for post-secondaryeducation for every eye care professional, education comes inmany forms other than in a campus classroom. Local, state andnational venues are available nearly 12 months of the year,offering a wide variety of educational opportunities, frombilling and coding to practice benchmarking. Trade shows arefun and exciting, but while you’re snapping up “freebies” in avendor’s booth, the serious business of education is also beingconducted by professional educators covering a mind-bogglingrange of topics.

The necessity for education only ends when technology stopsadvancing.

Only then, can we sit back and confidently say that we knoweverything we need to know to properly help our patients.

Education is more than a collection of multi-colored certifi-cates attesting to your presence in a room, on time and for thefull 50 minutes. Education is work. It doesn’t have to beunpleasant work, but it does require a desire to learn and toadvance professionally.

Nobody wants to take that English class or that Algebra class,but try to get out of high school or college without them.

The best thing about education now, is that it is so available.The internet has opened more educational opportunities thancould have been imagined even less than a generation ago.Online education is available for MDs, ODs, Opticans andTechnicians. The excuse that “there’s nothing in my area”simply doesn’t hold water anymore. A simple Google search

provides an enormous amount of information on availableclasses and programs.

The National Federation of Opticianry Schools (www.nfos.org)has directed students and potential students to both on-campus programs as well as distance learning programs foryears with great success.

Charter Oak State University (www.charteroak.edu) offers anonline undergraduate degree in Optical Business Management.

The great advantage of online or distance education is its flexibility; the freedom to pursue education outside of regularworking hours. The great disadvantage is its isolation; great ifyou’re a self-starter, not so much if you need the interaction ofa “live” classroom.

Educational opportunities are all around you. It may be a single pearl of wisdom hidden in a vendor presentation, in ablog, or it may present itself as part of a casual conversation ata convention. Just remember that the true test, the great equalizer is formal education. Like it or not, that nicely framedpiece of paper hanging on the wall is your professional identity.

No responsible eye care professional can survive using themantra of “it was good enough for (grandparent, parent or sibling), and it’s good enough for me.” That log has anchoredOpticianry to the bottom of the ECP pool for an eternity.Optometry, on the other hand, has expanded its scope of prac-tice over the past 100 years from providing simple refractionsto incorporating therapeutic medications and procedures, evenlimited surgical privileges in a few states.

The bottom line is if you are unhappy with what you’re doingor where you are or your ability to advance professionally, stopcomplaining and do something about it.

It’s NEVER too late. It’s time to grow...UP. ■

Progressivelenses.com

APRIL 2012 | EEYECAREPROFESSIONAL | 19

APR2012.qxd 3/29/12 1:51 PM


Consider these tips to boost your sports eyewear sales

Now full-swing into the warmer months, sports eyewear salesare poised to take off. Clients are bound to be spending moretime outdoors playing their favorite sports and participating inother outdoor recreation. When clients come in for a regularexam or ophthalmic fitting, make sure you’re also pitchingsports eyewear as a second sale. There are several approaches totake in selling sports eyewear. Consider one or more of thesetactics.

Target the Sport

Anyone who participates in a sport is well aware of the sport-specific gear they need to perform at their best (and safest)—ahelmet, the proper footwear, knee pads, shin guards, golf clubs,etc. Your job as an optical retailer is to convince the patient thatthe right sports eyewear should also be part of their necessarysports gear. Educate the client on the fact that the proper

eyewear can actually enhance their game. For instance, sunweardesigned for golfers can help them to better distinguish fairwaysand greens, keep track of the ball, and of course protect the eyesfrom the sun. Golfers should look for a lens that will absorbblue light in order to help enhance the greens of the course.Explaining how it can make them more competitive is a greatapproach to the sale.

While this is a popular time of year for golf, there are literallysports eyewear styles for every activity. Target your patient’sspecific sport and explain what eyewear might suit them best.For instance, for cyclists, who are traveling at higher speeds, it’simportant to seek out a wrap frame that will help shield someof the wind that can dry out the eyes. For those participating inwater sports or activities, a polarized lens would be ideal to helpcut the glare off the water surface. Rudy Project is one companythat has eyewear for every type of sporting activity.

Don’t Forget about the Non-Traditional Sports

While focusing on specific sports and educating your clientsabout the frames that would benefit them most is important,don’t overlook non-traditional sports. Golfers or baseball orbasketball players certainly have specific eyewear needs but sodo waterskiers, frisbee golfers, and bocce ball players. When youstart including some of these non-traditional sports and activi-ties, you encompass a much larger portion of your patient base.Be careful not to always refer to athletes as your traditionalsports stars. Those that participate in less traditional recreationtake their sports quite seriously and if you do too, they’ll reallyappreciate the interest. Find out what it is that your clientenjoys in their free time and come up with the eyewear that willsuit them best. You can do this by asking lifestyle questions dur-ing the exam or even having patients fill out that informationon your typical office forms. Once you know the sports theylike, you can really target your pitch. That customized attentionmakes a sales pitch much more attractive.

Don’t Typecast an Athlete

Just like you shouldn’t only consider the traditional sports, youshouldn’t assume that an athlete will be a certain age or build.

MARKETING OPTICIANLindsey Getz

Selling SportsEyewear

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Continued on page 22

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Baby boomers are more likely than ever before to participate insports activities as they’ve embraced the importance of stayingactive into their later years. And even if a patient doesn’t “lookthe part” they may very well be a “weekend warrior” and onlyparticipating in sports from time-to-time. Still, these clientsmay be just as likely as the regular athlete to buy sports eyewear.Perhaps even more so if they’re looking to build their abilitiesand skills.

Focus on Safety

The importance of UV protection is a message that helps sellany sunwear. But for clients who are spending a large amountof time outdoors to participate in sports and recreation, itshould be a particularly easy sell. By now, the average person iswell aware of the detrimental effects of the sun on both the skinand the eyes.

But it’s not just sun protection that sports participants need tofocus on. According to Prevent Blindness America (PBA), morethan 100,000 eye injuries in the United States each year are estimated to be sports-related. Ninety percent of these injuriescould have been avoided with protective sports eyewear. Manyof these patients are children. In fact, PBA estimates that every13 minutes a child heads to the emergency room with a sports-related injury. Statistics show that 72 percent of sports-relatedeye injuries happen to those ages 25 and younger, yet only 15 percent of children wear protective eyewear. This is anopportunity to educate clients on the importance of getting theright gear and protecting their eyes.

Become the Expert

If you want to sell a lot of sports eyewear, you really have toposition yourself as the expert. The knowledge of what frameswill work for which sports is obviously critical, but if your dispensary is all focused on fashion or ophthalmic styles, thenclients aren’t really going to see you as a “go-to” for sports. Theopportunities to discuss sports eyewear may be dismissedbefore you even make your pitch. You want patients thinkingabout a sports eyewear purchase from the moment they stepfoot in your dispensary. Make sure at least an area of your dispensary is dedicated to displaying sports eyewear and marketing materials. Use décor to your advantage. Besidessports posters showing famous athletes wearing frames, bringin some balls or other sports equipment to create a display thatwill generate attention. Make it easy for patients to wander overto that area while they’re waiting to be seen by the doctor.

Get Hands-On

Your active clients are going to want to try on the sports eye-wear to get a sense of the look and the fit. But just looking atthem in a dispensary mirror might not be enough for the sell.After all, these patients are not looking for sunwear to wearindoors. Have them physically step outside in the sun so theycan see the difference the sunwear offers. They’ll see how thelenses cut the glare or make the grass seem greener. Maybe getcreative and create testing areas where patients can actually tryout the eyewear in a sports setting. If you think you’d sell a lotmore golf-related eyewear by setting up a little putting zone, itmight be worth the investment. ■

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MAR2012_FEA.qxd 2/24/12 9:45 AM Page 1


THE FOLLOWING ECPreading material may containsome disturbing thoughts andreverse psychology. Names havebeen withheld since they don’treally matter.

Just when you thought it wassafe to say you were having a spectacular ECP day atwork...here comes...Trouble.

That’s great! We can’t wait to welcome Trouble’s behaviorwith open minds and our undivided attention. What a memorable ECP learning experi-ence it is whenever Trouble shows up. Hey Trouble, pick me,pick me.

Trouble has no specific age, race, gender or job description.Don’t expect Trouble to give you any forewarning. The largerthe audience the more Trouble likes to be the center ofattention. That’s why it makes sense for every practice to have achain of command with specific guidelines to follow whenfaced with Trouble.

How do you handle Trouble with refund mentality?

“These glasses aren’t doing what they’re supposed to do. I can’tsee and everything’s blurry. You said they would be good and I hate them. I want a refund so I can take my prescription somewhere else!”

Answer: L.O.V.E.ListenOwn upVerifyEmpathize

Listen to Trouble’s version of the story. Own up to your ECProle in the situation. Verify that you understand what Trouble istelling you and repeat it back. Empathize with Trouble and havea positive end result in sight.

Refund policies vary. Thereare decision makers that arequick to grab their check-book to write Trouble arefund, those that refuse toever give refunds and case bycase refund decision makers.

Recently I listened to a discussion between severalECP practices on the topic ofrefunds and I ended up leaving the room thinkingabout how far off coursesome of their reasoning

seemed to me. One ECP was so angry as he tried to prove hispoint about never giving anyone their money back. No refunds.No matter what. Too bad so sad. Let them go somewhere else.Tell them to get out and never come back. I actually felt sorryfor this guy who continued to interrupt others as they tried toget a word in on how they handle Trouble. I contained myselffrom standing up and shouting L.O.V.E. during the middle ofthe discussion. Instead I decided it would be safer for me toshout it out in print.

When you are faced with Trouble’s refund request thenacknowledging that refund request is going to be necessary.However, listening to Trouble and immediately throwing up intheir face or vomiting the fact that there are “NO refunds”should be avoided at all costs.

Think about a time when (in your mind) you had legitimatecomplaints about a product, requested a refund and withouthesitation the person that served you when you made the purchase replied “NO refunds”. Leading with those non-nego-tiable words of closure can create Trouble on steroids. Troublewill climb the chain of command in a heartbeat. If you are thechain of command then Trouble may take their complaints in adifferent direction to outside sources.

Don’t put off or avoid Trouble once you are aware of their complaints. Trouble will usually tell 10-12 people about a business that provided poor service. You don’t want or need

THE MOBILE OPTICIANGinny Johnson, LDO, ABOC

Trouble, trouble, trouble, troubleTrouble been doggin’ our specs

Since the day they went blur

APR2012.qxd 3/28/12 3:09 PM

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APR2012_SEIKO.qxd 3/30/12 9:47 AM Page 1


that to happen. Trouble may even kick it up a notch and scrolldown social media avenue telling millions. The internet is likea gigantic business card for your practice that the entire uni-verse has access to. Trouble may very well decide to post somefree dumb of speech stuff about your practice since you did notshow them L.O.V.E. Bad social media interaction can be spreadvirally in seconds. It is smart to stay up-to-date with socialmedia patient engagement. If you have social media network-ing brainiacs on staff then divvy up the internet responsibilitiesand set aside ample time for them to tweet, post, blog andvideo. Online questions, comments or complaints should beaddressed daily. Any damaging reviews should be resolved andremoved yesterday.

Trouble may have legitimate complaints that are just channeledimproperly. In the above refund mentality example, Troublehad been unhappy for several months so someone was going toget an earful. Trouble’s frustration ended up having nothing todo with the eyewear. It took ECP ears, empathy and five minutes with the O.D. to turn Trouble’s frown upside down.Never mind that it took so long for Trouble to decide to comeback to us. Whether it’s been a week, a month or a year, time isirrelevant at the moment. Not being satisfied carries no graceperiod in Trouble’s mind. If you zero in on time before dissatisfaction then you lack empathy in the eyes of Trouble.

If Trouble threatens unlawful behavior then cover your ears andrun. Sorry, I just had a flashback from a practice I was workingin a few years ago. One of the policies was not to try and reasonwith an angry patient without the doctor. So our front deskstaff member jumped up from her seat and covered her earsand ran when Trouble threatened to stay there forever until wefixed his problem. Your practice really should have a panic but-ton, code word or sign that staff uses when law enforcementhelp is needed. If Trouble threatens to get Sue involved thenyour legal adviser for the practice should step in and advise youon how to further communicate with Trouble and Sue.

I saved the most challenging type of Trouble for last. That’s theShh...Trouble that doesn’t speak up before they decide to taketheir business elsewhere. The ECP wasn’t even aware that something went wrong and Trouble wasn’t going to tell them.We’ve all inherited Shh...Trouble from other ECP practices andat times we are shocked to hear their reason for leaving. IfShh...Trouble felt ripped off, ignored or mistreated by that“other” practice then continue to shower them with L.O.V.E.seeking the best in sight.

You don’t ever have to dread seeing Trouble walk through thefront door if you don’t want to. Just put your L.O.V.E. to the testand show them that money can’t buy you L.O.V.E! ■

Find The Clariti Eyewear Logo ContestON THE FRONT COVER of this Issue of

EyeCare Professional Magazine we have hiddenthe Clariti Eyewear logo. It should be pretty easyto find so identify the location and submit yourentry to win a free Konishi FLEX Frame and$50.00 Macy’s Gift Card.

Each entry should include your guess on thelocation of the logo with your name, mailingaddress, phone number and e-mail address.

The entries should be submitted [email protected] for a drawing onJune 1st, 2012 to determine the winning entry.The winner will be announced in the AugustIssue of EyeCare Professional Magazine.

Find The Clariti Eyewear Logo Contest

APR2012.qxd 3/30/12 10:59 AM

Rudy Project North America, LP (RPNA) hasannounced that it is now doing business under thename, Running and Cycling Enterprises (RACE). Inaddition to Rudy Project branded products, RACE willalso distribute XX2i Optics (XX2i), an affordable eye-wear line. RPNA and XX2i will still conduct businessunder their respective names, operating under theRACE umbrella.

According to a statement from the company, theRACE name is more descriptive of RPNA’s plans toexpand its business beyond Rudy Project brandedeyewear, helmets, clothing and accessories and XX2ieyewear.

“In the near future, RPNA will be expanding itsofferings, and in order to not create confusion withRudy Project Italy, RPNA is changing its holding nameto RACE,” said Brad Shapiro, principal and co-founderof RPNA. “RACE will initially distribute Rudy Projectproducts and XX2i Optics.”

Added Paul Craig, president and co-founder ofRPNA, “Inspired by the desire to continuously createaward-winning, high quality products that meet ath-letes’ needs, we created RACE. It provides a lot offlexibility to expand our product line in the future.”

The RPNA business will not be affected by thename change, the company said. RPNA eyewear, helmets, clothing and accessories will still be brandedRudy Project and distributed by RACE. The case isthe same case for XX2i branded product.

Rudy Project North America Renames Company RACE

APR2012.qxd 3/29/12 2:25 PM


Davis VisionSteve Holden has stepped down as presidentof Davis Vision, a position he has held sinceAugust 2008, according to parent companyHVHC Inc. The company also announcedother staffing changes that will affect its threebusiness units. Bob Cox, formerly the vice

president of human resources with Visionworks of America,will assume new responsibilities as senior vice president forHVHC human resources shared services. Cheryl Grobelny, a14-year veteran with Viva International Group, will be thenew vice president of HVHC talent management, a newly-created position.

Transitions OpticalTransitions Optical has appointed Pat Huotdirector, managed vision care (MVC) andonline retail. In this position, Huot willexpand his current responsibilities—develop-ing partnerships and programs to influencethe managed vision care channel—to include

developing strategies that support the industry and creategrowth with Transitions lenses in emerging online retail distribution channels. Huot will also continue to serve aspart of the North American leadership team for TransitionsOptical.

Costa SunglassesCosta Sunglasses announced the addition ofRenato Cappuccitti as director of sales for itsRx sun lens division. He was previously thedirector of professional and business develop-ment for For Eyes Optical, one of the nation’slargest optical chains. He is a licensed optician

and has served as a board member of the NationalAssociation of Opticians for four years. Cappuccitti has alsoheld management positions within Hoya Vision Systems(now a Carl Zeiss laboratory), Rodenstock North Americaand Rodenstock Canada.

Marcolin USAMarcolin USA has announced the appoint-ment of Greg Pollock as the eastern vice president for the optical channel. Pollock willwork with Ben Wolf, western vice president ofthe optical channel in leading the growth forthat segment and report directly to Fabrizio

Gamberini, CEO and general manager for Marcolin USA.

EyeCareProEyeCarePro has announced the appointmentof Michael Porat to the new position of chiefoperating officer. He is a 20-year medicalindustry veteran who previously worked as ahospital administrator for HCA, and grew hiscareer by employing a business development

approach for rapidly developing a company. He was part ofthe team that took HealthStream from a small private company to a publicly traded entity and has helped to grownumerous medical companies since.

First InsightSoftware developer First Insight Corp. hasnamed Chad Steward vice president of sales.He will be responsible for building businessrelationships with eyecare professionals forFirst Insight, the developer of MaximEyespractice management and ONC-ATCB-certi-

fied EHR software. Prior to joining First Insight, Steward wasvice president of sales for Merge Healthcare (formerlyOphthalmic Imaging Systems), where he developed andmanaged marketing and sales tactics for specialty EMR/EHRsolutions.

QSpexKevin Bligh has joined the senior manage-ment team of QSpex Technologies, Inc. asvice president of sales and marketing. Blighbrings over 25 years of industry experience toQSpex, including senior management positions at Optical Connection, Inc. and

UltraVision Corp. He was also general manager for the optical channel of Revo, Inc. and national sales manager forEssilor’s Logo Paris, Inc. division.

Rudy ProjectKevin Young is the newest member to join theRudy Project sales team, and will be coveringFlorida’s central and west coast. In 2006,Young joined Luxottica Group, whichlaunched his career in the optical industry.After almost 2 years, he accepted a manage-

ment position with L’Oreal USA. In 2010 he got back in the optical industry.

Steve Holden

Pat Huot

Renato Cappuccitti

Greg Pollock

Michael Porat

Chad Steward

Kevin Bligh

Kevin Young

MOVERS AND SHAKERS

APR2012.qxd 3/28/12 1:37 PM

Eye Q EyewearSteve Gintis has joined Eye Q Eyewear in thenew role of senior vice president. He has long-term experience in the eyewear business insales, operations and licensing including executive roles with such companies as LBIEyewear, SFG Inc and Diplomat-Ambassador.

Alain Mikli InternationalAlain Mikli International Group hasannounced the hiring of a new sales directorfor the U.S., Donna Hoffman. She will overseethe U.S. sales for the company, focusing on themanagement of the sales team, training andincrease of sales in the country. Hoffman joins

the company with more than 20 years of sales experience inthe optical industry. She has previously worked for keyindustry companies such as Viva International, LantisEyewear and Marcolin.

Lafont USALafont USA has announced theaddition of two new executives totheir management team. MichelleDavidson has been hired as salesmanager and Kristin Calimlimhas been brought on as brandmanager. Both will join Raymond

Khalil, president of Lafont USA, in ushering in Lafont’snewest chapter of growth, according to a statement from the company.

Will be missed ...Irvin Borish, ODIrvin Max Borish, OD, who was widelyacknowledged as the father of modern optometry, passed away last month, in BocaRaton after a brief illness. He turned 99 years old in January. Dr. Borish madenumerous contributions to optometry,

including contact lens developments, leadership in the devel-opment of the profession, and authorship of the leadingoptometry book for decades,“Clinical Refraction,” accordingto the Indiana University School of Optometry.

Dr. Borish authored over 85 articles and nine textbooks during his career as an optometric educator. He lectured inover 45 countries and served as a visiting faculty member atalmost every U.S. and Canadian school of optometry. He wasalso an inventor, holding five patents in the contact lens field.

Steve Gintis

Donna Hoffman

Irvin Max Borish

(L)Kristin Calimlim,(R)Michelle Davidson

APR2012.qxd 3/29/12 1:52 PM


Sometimes we are our ownworst enemy. We are far tooeager to leap to conclusions as we are to take advantage of opportunity.

And believe it or not, when you have an irate customer, unhappy patient, or crazyclient (feel free to insert any description oreuphemism here), what you really have is anopportunity. Studies show that when a clientis upset with someone or something aboutyour practice, if you can resolve the conflict immediately – anddo so by meeting or exceeding the patient’s expectations – morethan ninety-five percent of them will do business with youagain. Anecdotally, I have observed over the years that thesevery patients often become your loudest and most enthusiasticword-of-mouth cheerleaders.

Now don’t get me wrong, there are a few (very few) clients we are glad to see go: those who are always rude, disruptive anddisrespectful to other clients or staff; those who are completelyunreasonable; and let’s just say it: the truly crazy. But never losesight of the fact that probably all but a very “elite” few upset customers are simply decent, reasonable people who due tosome event have experienced a temporary loss of reasonability.My goal is to retain these clients in my practice. If that’s your goal too, avoid the following words and phrases whenattempting to resolve the situation.

Unreasonable, freaking out...or any other synonym for “upset.”Assigning one of those terms to your client’s behavior will only exacerbate the behavior. If you must refer to it at all – and you should try to avoid it altogether – simply use the word “upset” – making sure your tone of voiceand body language is also appropriate.

Calm down. Asking or telling an upset customer to calm down is like trying to putout a fire by pouring gasoline onto it.The wise ECP allows the customer to vent,and when appropriate, in a calm voice,begins the resolution process with a sincere,soft-spoken apology: “I’m sorry Ms. Miller.Here’s what we can do...” By using that kindof language you have begun to form a teamwith the upset customer. It no longer feels toher that it’s her against you or your practice.It now feels more like it’s her and you againstthe problem. You are now a team.

I can’t, no, or any other words or phrases that convey a can’t-doattitude. You have to be creative here. Rather than saying no orI can’t, how about, “It’s usually our manager, John, who takescare of this, but let me see what I can do to help...” much better.

Unfortunately. This one almost has a Pavlovian effect on anupset patient. Replace it with a less troubling phrase like, “as itturns out.”

Correcting an insignificant error. One of the biggest errors anECP can make while calming an upset customer is to correctthe upset person when he or she makes an error. For example,imagine a client is ranting about a pair of glasses that is late.It was promised in a week, and it’s going on two. She says,“I ordered these things last Monday, and you promised they’dbe here by this Monday, and now it’s Friday!” The worstresponse to that would be, “First of all, they weren’t ordered lastMonday, it was Tuesday. And it wasn’t me that placed the order,it was Mike. Oh and by the way, today is Thursday,” Ouch!

While all three of those corrections may be accurate, you haveonce again doused the whole event with words that act like gason the fire. Do so at your own peril. Another example ofcorrecting an insignificant error is if the client mispronounces

Whatever You Say... Don’t Say That

MANAGING OPTICIANAnthony Record, ABO/NCLE, RDO


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your name. Who cares? Focus on the goal: retaining this otherwise reasonable person. The fact that you got her to callyou Deborah when she insisted on Debbie will not help at all.

She’s not available right now; I’ll give you her voicemail.Where to start? First, even if you were to go this route, orderingan upset client around is probably not a great idea. If you musthand off the client to your manager it would be much less problematic to ask. “She’s not available right now. May I giveyou her voicemail?” Better yet, try giving the upset clientoptions that give him some control. How about, “My manageris in a meeting until one o’clock. Would you like to call backthen or do you prefer to use her voicemail?”

You’re confusing me. You may be wondering what’s wrong with this one. After all, it sounds innocent enough. It only feelsinnocent to you because at this moment you’re not the upsetpatient! The problem with this phrase – and any other like it –is the word “you.” Any time you pepper the conversation(remember your goal) with too many “you”s, it has the effect ofseeming to shift the blame to the person to whom you are talking. A better choice would be, “I’m confused.”“I could helpbetter if the form was filled out this way,” is less offensive than“you should have filled it out this way.”

That’s our policy. I saved the best for last. This one is probablythe TOP phrase to avoid if you are dealing with an irate consumer. Get it? TOP – That’s Our Policy. “That’s our compa-ny policy” is just as annoying. All organizations have policies.Successful organizations know that policies are never as impor-tant as retaining a good customer. Wildly successful organiza-tions have enough confidence in their associates to empowerthem to do whatever they think is reasonable to achieve theretention goal. If you find yourself working in an environmentthat does have strict policies and you simply do not have theauthority to deviate from them, try communicating that to theclient without using the “p” word. Try something like,“Normally when something like this happens what we do is...”Same substance, but you successfully avoided the phrase thatcould be a catalyst to further upset. Rather than referencing“policy” or telling someone what you can’t do, tell them whatyou can do. Why not try an upbeat, “How would it be if I...” Apatient would be much more receptive to something like that.

It’s challenging enough when we encounter an upset customer.If we’re not careful, by our own choice of words we can make itworse. If it’s not illegal, and it’s not immoral, do whatever ittakes to retain your most valuable asset: your clients. Avoidsome of the words and phrases described here and you’re wellon the way to doing just that. ■

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JUN2009.qxd 2/20/08 4:21 PM Page 23

Wow, that sounds great but have you ever wondered how it is possible that the onlineretailer can sell so cheaply or did you justassume that you have been grossly overcharged

for all of these years? Let’s take a closer look and compare thepros and cons of trusting your vision to the internet.

You have just finished your eye exam and the doctor has takenthe time to write a prescription that is unique to you for the correction of your visual deficiencies. Instead of bringing thatprescription in to have it filled by a licensed optician, youchoose to visit an online retailer and get a deal on your new pairof glasses. The selections are great and you can even upload aphoto of yourself to ‘virtually’ try on hundreds of pairs of glass-es until you find that one pair that makes you look like a rockstar. You select a pair of frames and move on to the next stepwhich is entering yourprescription.

When you get the prescription enteredyou come to a requirednumber that you don’thave on the form andthat is one for yourpupillary distance orPD. Not to worrythough because the helpbox tells you to call yourdoctor or optician andthey will give you thatinformation. If your eye

care professional refuses to provide you with that informationthey will instruct you to have a friend measure you or have youattempt to measure your own PD with a ruler that you can easily print out. Problem solved, now on to the next step whichis choosing the proper lens design for your prescription and thetreatments or enhancements to make them work even better.

Your prescription is one for bifocals so you can choose to havea line or no line at all. You choose the ones without the lines orthe progressive lenses. Next you can choose from the thinner,lighter weight lenses or the thicker and heavier lenses. Youchoose the thinner option. Next you can get lenses with glareand reflections or without. You choose without and even popfor the better coating because you are saving so much money.Just one more option to go and you are all done. Do you wantthe lenses that adapt and automatically adjust to changing light

conditions or the onesthat stay clear? Youchoose the smart lensesthat change and checkout feeling greatbecause you are goingto get a pair of glassesthat are fashionable,lightweight, and do somany cool things andall for so much lessthan the opticianwould normally charge.Sounds great right?

Robert Flippin, LDO

ONLINE DISPENSING

BUYING GLASSES ONLINE:Is it Such a Good Idea?

I know that it is tempting and almost sounds too good to be true that youcan purchase a pair of prescription eyewear from the comfort of yourhome, have them mailed to you, fit well and all for about half the price

that you would normally pay your local optician or doctor.


APR2012.qxd 3/28/12 3:11 PM

When the glasses arrive you can hardly wait to try them on soyou run to the mirror, put them on and they are crooked. Youfiddle with them a bit and also notice that they slide down onyour nose so you get on the computer and ask for help.No problem they tell you, just have your local optician adjustthem for you.

When you visit your optician they inquire as to where youbought your glasses and then inform you that there will be atwenty five dollar fee to adjust any glasses not purchased thereand furthermore they would not be responsible if somethingwere to break because they did not sell them to you. You are mad because they have never charged you before to adjustglasses and you demand an explanation. The optician patientlyinforms you that unlike most other items you purchase, theprice you pay for glasses has a lifetime of service built into the cost.

Have you ever bought a set of tires for your car and been able toreturn to the dealer as often as you wish for free alignments?No, but if you could the tires would be more expensive becausethe dealer would have to factor the additional service costs overthe life of the tires, plus salaries, inventory and overhead for allof the ‘free work’ they provide.

The optician patiently adjusts your new glasses and they feelbetter, but you notice that the earpieces come way around yourear and almost look like earrings poking below your ear.The temples are too long for you but how were you supposed toknow they came in different lengths or for that matter what sizeyou needed? You also realize that now that they are adjustedproperly, your vision is not as good as you think it should beand you want to know why. The optician agrees to verify the prescription and the fabrication standards of the glasses for anadditional fee and provide it in writing for ten dollars. You areoutraged at the fee but agree, and the results of the analysis areas follows.

Your prescription lenses are slightly outside of power tolerances. The progressive lens that you chose is not fit at theproper height for you and that is making your reading more difficult because the internet providerguessed at a fitting height for your lensesbecause you were not there in person tobe measured properly. Your pupillarydistance is not correct because theequipment that the optician uses meas-ures the corneal reflection of your pupilsand not the distance between the twoblack spots.

Furthermore we would have fit you in aprogressive lens design that is more suited for how you use your eyes. They

didn’t tell you that there are more than three hundred differentlenses available and we are trained to match your needs with thelens design, did they?

Lastly, when you return to the doctor because you are not seeing well, the doctor will have a hard time sorting out whetheryou need a slight prescription change or if you would see as theyintended if the glasses were made properly to begin with.Remake and shipping nightmare!

The internet company will remake your glasses, but based onwhat? You are still not available for a personal visit and you aregoing to be out more time and money in shipping charges, timeand frustration. Is it still such a great deal?

Even in the best case scenario you may have been able to see justfine but probably not as well as if you had a personal fitting.You would still need to come to someone for adjustments andrepairs which will cost you money and if you need a slight prescription change it could become a nightmare scenario.Over the long term, my opinion is that you have saved little ifanything and most likely will spend more and never be quite assatisfied or well taken care of if you had only trusted your visionto a licensed optician.

I ensure that my patients are fit properly and in the best lensesfor their individual needs. I verify that the lenses are made tothe standard set forth by the laws that govern my license and Iwill personally stand behind the products and services I providemy patients because I am a licensed optician. I am here, in person, for you and your family to adjust, maintain and care foryour visual needs and to be that patient advocate between youand the doctor of your choice.

If, however, you would rather have an internet provider be youradvocate, possibly incur additional shipping charges, and neverbe quite sure of the accuracy of the product provided, pleasefeel free. And maybe, just maybe, if you push your face tightlyto the monitor they can bend the temples around your ears sothey don’t hurt quite as much! ■

APR2012.qxd 3/28/12 3:11 PM


Strabismus and Amblyopia

A mother and her son came in to see me to have their eyesexamined. The mother explained that her 19 year old son hadreduced vision in his left eye since he was a child.

There were attempts to patch the “bad” eye, but that did nothelp. Glasses were prescribed at an early age but were never usedby the patient. They had seen an eye doctor a year ago and werenow looking for another opinion.

She also inquired about Lasik surgery, wondering if this mayhelp improve her son’s vision. I checked the patient’s visual acu-ity: OD: 20/30 and OS: 20/200. A trial frame refraction wasdone with the following results: OD: -0.75, Va: 20/20 and OS:+0.50-0.75 X 160, Va:20/200.

There were no signs of strabismus and all visual health testswere normal. I proceeded to explain my findings to the motherand her son. I advised them both that Lasik surgery would notcorrect nor cure the condition called amblyopia. This patienthad a visual disability in his left eye which has been there for along time and will not improve with glasses or contact lenses.Because he noticed an improvement with the -0.75 prescription

placed in front of the right eye and his “perception” allowed himto be more comfortable with the prescription for his left eye, hedecided to order a pair of glasses. I mentioned to him that heshould always have polycarbonate or Trivex lenses as a safetyprecaution since he functionally only had one eye.

There is a slight hope that with the use of lens therapy his visionin the left eye may improve by a few letters or a line of vision.But I stressed the point that I did not want to provide falsehope. This is a case where something was not detected duringthis patient’s developmental years (birth through age seven)that has now resulted in a vision problem with most probablypermanency. Parents, teachers, school nurses, pediatricians, andpeople doing vision screenings missed a problem that couldhave been treated successfully early in this patient’s life. Now thepatient has best corrected visual acuity of 20/200. Schoolscreenings have a good intention but they are not always suc-cessful in finding problems that may exist. It is a reason whycertain states have passed legislation requiring children to havean eye exam before entering school each year. But this law doesnot exist nationwide as it probably should.

The National Commission on Vision and Health states,“Undetected and untreated eye disorders, such as amblyopiaand strabismus, can result in delayed reading and poorer outcomes in school. Studies indicate that visual factors are better predictors of academic success than race or socioeco-nomic status. However, one in four school-age children sufferfrom vision problems that could have been treated if the childhad been properly screened upon entering school. Studies showthat while prevalence rates vary between demographic groups,there is an increasing need for eye care among children: 25% ofchildren aged 5-17 have a vision problem. 79% have not visitedan eye care provider in the past year. 35% have never seen an eyecare professional. 40% who fail an initial vision screening donot receive the appropriate follow up care. Younger childrenentering school are even less likely than teenagers to receivevision services. Only one out of 13 children under six years ofage visited an eye care provider, compared with about one thirdof adolescents aged 12-17.”

Amblyopia is usually considered to be any nonspecific loss ofvisual acuity. It is a condition of decreased visual acuity oftentimes not correctable by refractive means and not attrib-utable to obvious structural or pathologic problems. Two types

Jason Smith, OD, MS

OD PERSPECTIVE


APR2012.qxd 3/28/12 3:12 PM

APR2012_OptiSource.qxd 3/27/12 4:27 PM Page 1


of amblyopia include organic and functional. Organic has beenreferred to as pathologic amblyopia because the amblyopia canbe caused by an inherited defect or the visual pathway has beencompromised by a toxic or metabolic disturbance. This type ofamblyopia is usually irreversible. Functional amblyopia canusually be treated or reversed to some degree if it is caught earlyenough in the child’s life. This type of amblyopia develops dueto an inadequate stimulation of the visual system or a lack ofinitial and continued use or visual depravation. Typical causesinclude uncorrected refractive errors, nerve damage or muscleimbalances (strabismus).

According to the late Dr. Irvin Borish, “strabismus is defined asan ocular condition which is characterized by the use of one eyefor fixation while the other eye is directed to some other pointin the field of vision.” Strabismic and anisometropic amblyopiaare two types of functional amblyopia. They are differentbecause one is related to an eye turn and the other is related tothe difference in refractive conditions between both eyes.Anisometropic amblyopia has also been referred to as refractiveamblyopia. And refractive/anisometropic and strabismicamblyopia can occur to the same eye simultaneously.

The word amblyopia comes from the Greek word “amblyos”meaning dull and “opia” meaning vision. Amblyopia usuallyaffects one eye. Visual acuity can range from mildly abnormal tofunctional blindness, but it usually is quite poor in the area of20/200. Treatment includes patching therapy, lens therapyincluding glasses or contact lenses, frosted lens therapy, prismtherapy, occlusion, vision training and vision exercises, surgery,and the use of eye drops. Vision therapy, vision training, or eyeexercises are designed to resolve problems associated with motorcontrol, spatial perception, accommodative deficiencies, andbinocular function. Atropine eye drops are used in the better-seeing eye to force the weaker eye to “work” more efficiently.

However, long-term usage can lead to systemic issues. If theamblyopia does not respond to non-surgical techniques such ascorrective lenses and patching, then surgical muscle surgerymay be necessary in order to align the images on the fovea andreduce the amblyopia. Medical and surgical intervention maybe necessary if the amblyopia is caused by cataracts, ptosis,opaque corneas, hyphema, or vitreous clouding. In otherwords, the underlying cause must be treated prior to addressingthe amblyopia itself.

Other causes of amblyopia include anisometropia (unequalrefractive conditions) which leads to aniseikonia (a difference inthe size of ocular images). There are three primary methods forvision assessment: school-based vision screening programs,community-based or office based screening programs, andcomprehensive eye exams conducted by an eye care profession-al. The research consistently suggests that children are beingexamined and/or screened at very low rates. Only 22 percent of

preschool-children received some vision screening, and only 15 percent received an eye exam. In addition, studies havefound that physicians do not consistently conduct visionscreenings on children.

Although eye problems can be detected early, vision exam andscreening requirements for school-aged children vary widely bystate. In fact, 16 states have no eye exam or vision screeningrequirements as children enter school or during the school year.As a result, children with reading difficulty fall into two cate-gories: those with undiagnosed eye problems and those withuntreated visual problems. Some states like Missouri, Illinois,and Kentucky require eye exams for children before enteringthe school year. Children who are successfully treated for theireye problems show increased performance in school.

One study found that the provision of eye glasses and visiontherapy to children is correlated positively with improvedgrades and higher scores on standardized tests. The prognosisfor improvement or recovery of visual acuity for amblyopiadepends upon several factors. These include the type offunctional amblyopia, the status of monocular fixation, the ageof the patient, the age when treatment begins, the type of treat-ment prescribed, and the cooperation level of the patient. Manychildren are resistant to patching therapy as well as havingdrops placed in their eyes.

Surgical intervention under anesthesia always has its risks andis often a multi-surgery option. Young children are attemptingto be accepted by their friends and classmates and to “fit in”.Wearing a frosted lens or a thickened prismatic lens can induceunnecessary ridicule and reduce the potential for success.Encouragement and a positive view of the treatment may helpa child deal with some unnecessary encounters with their peers.

It is hoped that eye care professionals, parents, pediatricians,and nurses doing school screenings will realize that not findinga vision problem early in a child’s life can have very serious con-sequences for the child’s lifetime. School screenings mustimprove their ability to detect visual disorders and refer the stu-dent to the appropriate eye care professional. All states shouldpass mandatory eye examination laws in order to protect ourchildren as well as to improve their level of academic success. Ifthe states do not pass these necessary laws, legislators on thefederal level should take up the cause of protecting those chil-dren who may need protection the most. It should be manda-tory that every pediatrician do a visual acuity test at distanceand near for each eye and that the pediatrician be properlytrained in the procedure.

A few simple changes can mean the difference between a childbeing left with a lifelong disability versus a healthy, productiveand visually sound future. ■

APR2012.qxd 3/28/12 3:13 PM

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The Many Sidesof Fine PrintI WAS GOING to purchase a certain appliance. Our local newspaper ran an ad that offered a deal I could not refuse. I visited the store and was ready to make my purchase when thesalesperson handed me a pamphlet that unfolded into six pagesof solid gray. Half of the information appeared in very smallprint. It was intimidating but I felt obligated to read through it.The larger print explained their claims and benefits.

That was the easy part. Then Ihad to wade through a quagmireof fine print that included ambi-guities, disclaimers and legalesethat would cross a lawyer’s eyes.As I continued to read on, I soonfelt ocular fatigue, discomfort,strain and blur from my efforts tosustain a sense of normalcy.I seized a hand magnifier to assistthe plus add in my eyeglass prescription.

There are supposedly over 500different types of fonts.Considering the manipulation ofvarying space and ink intensity,the results are endless andunfathomable by the man on thestreet. However, another link inthe printing game has reared itsugly head. I refer to the very, veryfine print, sometimes calledmouseprint, that has entered our lives on many levels.Manufacturers use tiny printwhen disclaimers are printed in

connection with a commercial product or service. The manu-facturer or merchant deceives the consumer into believing thatthe offer is better than what truly exists.

Full disclosure is required by law but it does not specify the size,typeface, coloring, etc. The fine, fine print may say the oppositeof what the regular large print describes. If the regular print says“pre-approved” the fine print will say “subject to approval.”Who hasn’t been frustrated by pharmaceutical products with labels or warning messages that resist the highest plusmagnification in order to be comfortably read?

The use of very fine print has been widely utilized by advertisers, particularly with a higher priced product or serviceor a special item not found in the normal market place. Thisnefarious practice has been used to mislead the consumer in

reference to a product’s price,value or even the nutritionalcontent of a food product. Theunsuspecting customer mayeasily see all the attractiveaspects of the offer withoutbothering to learn the caveats.In some cases the fine print mayindicate that the seller has theright to modify the terms of acontract at any time with littleor no advance warning.

In some cases a seller mayengage in the notorious “baitand switch” scheme. The cus-tomer who did not see that fineprint will be told at the momentof purchase, that for one reasonor the other, they won’t be eligible for the advertised offer.The seller reveals the fine printand now uses the “hard sell” tosell them a higher priced deal.

Very frequently consumers,eager to obtain a product or

SECOND GLANCEElmer Friedman, OD


APR2012.qxd 3/29/12 1:53 PM


service they have a dire need or wish for (or they might havebeen coerced into buying) will sign their names to a bindingcontract. Get those bifocals on before it’s too late! You may beliable to the terms of the contract which will appear in the tiniest print imaginable. Extracting yourself from these termsmay be quite costly or impossible for the consumer. Forinstance, a credit card advertises a 0% interest rate in larger,easy to see print. It may be revealed in fine print that it is anintroductory offer and will increase to 19.95% or more. A cellphone contract may include, in the fine print, various feesunnoticed at first. A rather uncomfortable situation can resultif the consumer does not abide by the time limits and expiration date bound by the contract.

Even our ever popular TV ads are not immune from the temptation to irritate the consumer. There are cases where thefine print is displayed at the bottom of the screen in a mannerthat is not noticeable to most viewers or it may be shown insuch a short space of time that one must freeze or tape the message to realize the full information it provides. The viewer’sattention is distracted by more eye catching visuals (read sexy)or larger print. In addition, there are some TV and radio com-mercials that can be considered in the category of “fine print”except it is verbal fine print. Many TV and radio commercialsconclude with fast talking disclaimers. They are barely audibleor comprehensible to most people.

It has been found that only one or two out of every thousandretail shoppers choose to access the license, contract or agree-ment in question. Those few that do so spend too little time, asa rule, to have read more than a small portion of the text. Atlong last, Mutual Funds have taken pity on the presbyope clientand revealed fees charged to 401(k) account holders. Airlinesnow must include all hidden fees and surcharges in their advertising. All is not lost. Recent legislation has resulted inmore consumer friendly disclosures.

The user agreement that comes with the new iPhone is a 32page pamphlet that takes 30 minutes to read, says Brian Lawler.He is a professor of graphic communication at California StatePolytechnic University at San Luis Obisbo. Lawler claims thatmargins of only about 1/8 of an inch cause the page to look likea “big gray mass with hardly any white space.” He feels that theyjust don’t want us to read it. Apple has responded that the smalltext is now easier to read on the latest iPhone.

However, consumer advocates and corporate lawyers thinkthese new moves may backfire. More pages of fine print will begenerated instead of reducing them. Missy Sullivan writes forthe Wall Street Journal and she avers that since products andregulations become more complex, so must the fine print thatexplains it all. Software contracts have grown by 600 words and

bank disclosures for a checking account are now 111 pageslong. We’ll need magnification lenses for every room in thehouse before long.

With proper education and enough plus for near, consumerscan be warned to read the fine print and learn to see the redflags on an offer that is too good to be true. Many consumeradvocates are active in lobbying for laws to limit the rights of anadvertiser in usage of fine print to hide the truth and to expandthe rights for consumers who fall prey to the mouseprint ads.Due to our free speech amendment it has become very difficultto pass these laws. Many such laws that have been passed haveultimately been overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court.

We can assume that much of the Court’s decision was writtenin small print! I hope they were wearing their reading glassesduring the examination of the legalese. In many cases, infor-mation buried in these disclosures generate fees, exclusions,and waivers that has cost our households more than $2,000 peryear, or a total of about $250 billion annually, according toTransparency Labs , which administers a database of consumercontracts.

The Better Business Bureau says that complaints regardingprint or unclear documentation are now five times worse thanreported in 2005. Confusion and foggy information may disguise everything ranging from minor nuisances to expensivepenalties. Consider the high end sales, such as car purchases,which are most related to misleading language about trade-indeals and warranties.

Elsewhere, fine print agreements have become a matter of course. This was helped by a Supreme Court ruling designedto keep consumer cases out of the court. Missy Sullivan reportsthat many major businesses such as banks, credit card companies, computer manufacturers and brokerages utilizethis loophole and now notify the consumer of the fact, in fineprint. This loophole requires the consumer to seek mandatoryarbitration in cases of disputes hinging on the interpretation ofthe contract or lease.

Inevitably, companies are on the defensive. They say the smallprint enigma is not their fault. Businessmen say they must protect themselves from those paralyzing class action lawsuits.These types of lawsuits have cost the business community tensof billions of dollars. Also, they add that government regulations are making disclosures longer and more complicat-ed, resulting in a flood of extra pages of reading material. In themeantime, they all are reporting financial gains every year. Allmy money is saying is “goodbye,” and I don’t need magnifiers totell me about it. ■

APR2012.qxd 3/28/12 3:14 PM

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Unlocking the Treasure Chest!There are computer games – heck, there are zillions of computer games,that require you to solve riddles and perform feats of daring, puzzle solving,and agility to unlock a new world or treasure chest.

TECHNICOLOR EXPLOSIONS that would do Michael Bayproud usually accompany them. The real world seems a littleless colorful than the make believe, but can be rewarding forthose who put the effort in.

I was thinking about this the other day after I took care of aclient who seemed on the verge of catatonia as we discussed his“insurance” eyewear benefit. I think one quote from him was,“just gimme the freebies!”

This non-responsive gent became a challenge to me as Iattempted to engage him in an educational intervention abouthis eyewear needs.

Through our conversation I uncovered two interesting thingsabout this gentleman – he spends inordinate amounts of timeon his computer and he recently took up golf. As soon as I engaged him in conversation about his two favorite pastimeshis interest picked up, as I was a person who would listen to hisdescription of his new gaming computer and the fancy new golfclubs he was interested in. From a somnolent cipher of a personwilling to passively settle for “the freebies,” he became a participant in his own vision care.

He readily understood how much more comfortable he wouldbe with proper computer range glasses compared to his usualbifocals. He realized as I explained to him why his neck,shoulders, and eyes were so tired after 2 or 3 hours in front ofthe terminal. When he realized he could potentially play Call ofDuty without discomfort for a few more hours (save for his wife’s er, comments) he saw the value in a separate pair ofcomputer glasses (A/R coated Zeiss Business Lenses) for thatpart of his life.

He made me very aware that his new Callaway golf clubs cost more than my first new car (many years ago, granted!).

In addition his golf activities were going to increase dramatical-ly since he joined a league at a local club and would be playingseveral times a week.

This led to a couple of suggestions, Rudy Project, Kaenon,and a couple of other great brands came to mind. After carefulconsideration we settled on a Rudy with the Rx in a clip-in anda couple of sets of interchangeable outer lenses for changinglight conditions. It is very gratifying to have a successful conclusion to a situation like this. We now have a committedclient who is on board with us as a proactive participant in hisown eye care (and is a great source of referrals). His insurancecovered his basic eyewear and his extra purchases were like buying accessories for his avocations.

No technicolor explosions unfortunately but the insight gainedwas even better. Engagement rather than a passive taking of theorder, conversation about a person’s needs and wants, so thatthe person becomes an ally and a friend of your practice in amuch more real way then clicking “Like” on Facebook. Not thatthat is a bad thing – social media is necessary too, but whenpush comes to shove it is the person in the fitting seat that pays the bills. ■

LAST LOOKJim Magay, RDO

APR2012.qxd 3/28/12 3:15 PM

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you KNOW how tothrive amidst changeHealthcare is demanding that you change the way you practice. Sure, change, at some level, always involves adjustment, but it need not involve wholesale disruptions to your practice. The TRS-5100refractive system integrates smoothly into your daily routine and EMR program. You’ll only be challenged to figure out what to do

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APR2012_Marco.qxd 3/30/12 2:14 PM Page 2

EyeCare Professional Magazine April 2012 Issue

Documents

Transcript of EyeCare Professional Magazine April 2012 Issue