EYECAREPROFESSIONAL ... - EyeCare Professional Magazine

MERCHANDISE YOUR SUCCESS / PAGE 10 CONNECTING WITH FEMALE PATIENTS / PAGE 20 

January 2009 • Volume 3, Issue 13 • www.ECPmag.com 

EYECAREPROFESSIONAL 


Magazine

DON’T BE ‘SHORT-SIGHTED’ ... 

ARCH CROWN OP-TAGS & LABELS DO MAKE A DIFFERENCE! 

Non-Slip Plastic Op-Tags designed to fit 

‘wide-to-narrow’ style frames. 

NEW! 

Our latest style, 

the 835 NON-SLIP OP-TAG 

features a tapered design with 

a snug fit that follows the contour 

of ‘wide-to-narrow’ style frames. 

No messy glue residue, durable, 

easy-to-use, neat and safe. 

Custom printing available. 

A personal touch that’s sure to get noticed... 

‘If Found, Please Return To’ Labels! 

Create goodwill by adding ‘IF FOUND, PLEASE RETURN TO’ 

labels on every eyeglass case that leaves your practice. 

Your patients and customers will thank you 

with our ‘IF FOUND, PLEASE RETURN TO’ 

custom printed labels. Create goodwill by 

adding professional identification pressure 

sensitive labels to every eyeglass case that 

leaves your practice. 

Affordable custom printed labels will pay 

for themselves with repeat sales. 

Call our sales department for a price quote 

and ask about our special offer on custom 

printed combination sets. 

TM 

INC. 

Building Positive Images for Business 

SO835 $97.50 per 1000 

Shown Actual Size 

Available in 14 colors: Silver, Green, Light Green, Black, Tan, Light Blue, Blue, Yellow, Red, Pink, Lavender, White and Gold, Frosted Matte Clear, available but not shown. 

460 Hillside Avenue, Hillside, NJ 07205 l Tel: 973-731-6300 l Fax: 973-731-2228 l Op-Tag is a registered trademark of Arch Crown, Inc. 

orders@ArchCrown.com l ArchCrown.com l FREE SAMPLES l NEW CATALOG l 800-526-8353

JANUARY 

2009 

Vol. 3 

Issue 13 

Contents 

On The Cover: 

LUXOTTICA GROUP 

www.vogue-eyewear.com 

6 

10 

12 

16 

20 

32 


Magazine 

AFFORDABLE EYEWEAR 

Beat the recession by offering your patients affordable, quality 

eyewear as first or second pair options. 

by Amy Endo, ABOM, CPOT 

MERCHANDISING MATERIALS 

Effective visual merchandising offers unlimited marketing 

potential for your practice. 

by Harriett Ruderman 

HIGH INDEX LENS BENEFITS 

Less weight, better aesthetics and UV protection are just some 

of the advantages high index lenses have to offer. 

by Carrie Wilson, BS, LDO, ABOAC, NCLEC 

DISPENSARY LAYOUT 

Good office design is critical to maintaining satisfied patients 

and a successful practice. 

by Judy Canty, ABO/NCLE 

CONNECTING WITH FEMALE PATIENTS 

Tailor your marketing plans to the decision making processes of 

your largest potential market – women. 

by Samantha Toth, Inneractive Media 

COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE IN ACTION 

Profile of successful Independent Optician – Roger Bullock, 

Owner of Professional Opticians. 

by Warren G. McDonald, PhD 

Departments 

Features 

EDITOR/VIEW .....................................................................................................4 

MOVERS AND SHAKERS.................................................................................24 

DISPENSING OPTICIAN .................................................................................28 

PRACTICE MANAGEMENT.............................................................................34 

SECOND GLANCE ............................................................................................38 

PATIENT PERSPECTIVE ..................................................................................40 

ADVERTISER INDEX .......................................................................................46 

INDUSTRY QUICK ACCESS ............................................................................47 

LAST LOOK .......................................................................................................50 

20 

10 

42 

JANUARY 2009 | EYECAREPROFESSIONAL | 3



Publisher/Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jeff Smith 

Production/Graphics Manager. . . . . . . . . . . Bruce S. Drob 

Director, Advertising Sales . . . . . . . . . . . . Lynnette Grande 

Contributing Writers . . . . . . . . Thomas Breen, Judy Canty, 

Dee Carew, Alvaro Cordova, Harry Chilinguerian, 

Amy Endo, Bob Fesmire, Elmer Friedman, Paul King, 

Jim Magay, Warren McDonald, Mark Morris, Anthony 

Record, Samantha Toth, Ted Weinrich, Carrie Wilson 

Internet Coordinator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Terry Adler 

Opinions expressed in editorial submissions contributed to EyeCare 

Professional Magazine, ECP are those of the individual writers exclusively 

and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of EyeCare Professional Magazine, 

ECP its staff, its advertisers, or its readership. EyeCare Professional 

Magazine, ECP assume no responsibility toward independently contributed 

editorial submissions or any typographical errors, mistakes, misprints, or 

missing information within advertising copy. 

ADVERTISING & SALES 

(215) 355-6444 • (800) 914-4322 

lgrande@ECPmag.com 

EDITORIAL OFFICES 

111 E. Pennsylvania Blvd. 

Feasterville, PA 19053 

(215) 355-6444 • Fax (215) 355-7618 

www.ECPmag.com 

editor@ECPmag.com 

EyeCare Professional Magazine, ECP is published monthly by 

OptiCourier, Ltd. 

Delivered by Third Class Mail 

Volume 3 Number 13 

TrademarkSM 1994 by OptiCourier, Ltd. 

All Rights Reserved. 

No part of this magazine may be used or reproduced in any 

form or by any means without prior written permission of the 

publisher. 

OptiCourier, Ltd. makes no warranty of any kind, either 

expressed, 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 errors 

does exist with respect to anything printed herein. 

It shall not be construed that OptiCourier, Ltd. endorses, promotes, 

subsidizes, advocates or is an agent or representative for 

any of the products, services or individuals in this publication. 

Purpose: EyeCare Professional Magazine, ECP is a publication 

dedicated to providing information and resources affecting the 

financial well-being of the Optical Professional both professionally 

and personally. It is committed to introducing a wide array of 

product and service vendors, national and regional, and the 

myriad cost savings and benefits they offer. 

For Back Issues and Reprints contact Jeff Smith, Publisher at 

800-914-4322 or by Email: jeff@ECPmag.com 

Copyright © 2009 by OptiCourier Ltd. 

All Rights Reserved 

4 | EYECAREPROFESSIONAL | JANUARY 2009 

Editor / view 

First Impressions = Lasting Patients 

by Jeff Smith 

Whether you first meet your patient as they are walking in the door 

– or as they are finishing their exam - first impressions count. If 

they are new to the office, it is important to make them feel at 

ease. Introduce yourself, and what your function or title is. Always 

greet them by name, but be careful of good etiquette. As a general rule, if the patient 

is younger or around the same age, it is ok to call them by their first name; if they 

are older it might be best to refer to them by title and last name, at least until you 

have established their preference. 

When discussing frames, lenses, and other purchases, it is crucial to establish a 

dialogue with the patient. Before making any suggestions, understand the optical 

needs of the patient, how they will be using the glasses, and what style they prefer. 

After completing their purchases, it is very important to go over the selections again, 

explaining the benefits of each. Often, in the process of selections, the patient may 

become confused as to exactly what they are getting, and now is the time to 

reinforce the value of each. 

Only after being sure of the order should you go over the pricing in detail. It is a 

good practice to list the price of each item without insurance first, then in a column 

right next to that show the adjusted pricing when insurance is taken into account. 

After finalizing the details, get the glasses into the patient’s hands as soon as possible, 

allowing them to put them on for the first time. This re-enforces the transfer of 

ownership. After adjusting and cleaning, congratulate them on the new glasses and 

invite them to come in anytime for cleaning or adjustments. Avoid negative 

statements like, “If you have any problems come in and see us,” or “If the frame 

should break, or you get any scratches, we’ll take care of it right away.” At most you 

might mention your warranty, but the best approach would be to hand them a 

warranty card and give a brief description of the details. 

The object of repeating the benefits is to make sure everything was provided as 

ordered and as the patient anticipated, and to show your pride and confidence in 

your products and service. Keep up the good work!

New DEFINITY ® 

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When you combine the DUAL ADD ® Technology of DEFINITY progressive lenses in TRIVEX material 

with the comfort of Transitions VI technology, everyday activities such as using a computer, 

driving and playing golf become much easier. DEFINITY lenses in TRIVEX material with 

Transitions VI technology is the ideal package for an active lifestyle. 

DEFINITY lenses are also available in a wide range of material options. 

1.5 standard plastic 

©2008 Essilor of America, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Essilor, DEFINITY, Airwear and DUAL ADD are registered 

trademarks and DEFINITY SHORT and Crizal Avancé are trademarks of Essilor International. Thin&Lite is registered 

trademark of Essilor of America, Inc. Scotchgard is a trademark of 3M. Used under license. Transitions and the 

swirl are registered trademarks of Transitions Optical, Inc. Trivex is a registered is a trademark of PPG Industries. 

VCPN 8/08 

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$10 Coupon 

Please photocopy as needed. 

Unlimited uses until January 31, 2009. 

Submit coupon at time or order, or turn in 

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now available in 

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good through January 31, 2009 

OFF purchase of 

DEFINITY ® 

from Luzerne Optical 

Available from Luzerne Optical 800-233-9637

Affordable Eyewear 

In the current economic climate, 

affordable eyewear is an extremely 

popular option for many consumers. 

There are several frame manufacturers 

that offer reasonably priced, durable, 

and quality eyewear in an assortment 

of colors and styles. This is also a 

great time to offer recommendations 

for multiple pair sales. 

Silver Dollar 

Café Lunettes has been created for the woman who is both 

young at heart and has a taste for fashion. Designed with 

progressive lenses in mind, women from their early thirties 

through their forties will agree that at the Café, fashion underscores 

the passage of time. The Café 358 comes in size 

52/17-135 in colors: Mocha, Purple & Onyx. www.sdoc.com 

Safilo’s Chesterfield models CH03XL (top) and CH04XL (bottom). 

McGee Group 

Live the spirit of the outdoors in the newest addition to the 

Ducks Unlimited optical collection, which has been translated 

into the Mallard Collection. DU-10 is a full rim handmade 

acetate frame with a rectangle eyeshape. This frame features 

integrated spring hinges and is available in two colors: Brown 

and Black. www.mcgeegroup.com

Eye Q Eyewear 

Georgetown is a collection with a youthful look. It includes 

styles for both males and females in materials and finishes 

that give more of a trend appearance. Most styles feature 

spring hinges and all are available in two colors and occasionally 

a third. The GTN 749 in Gunmetal is shown here. 

www.EyeQEyewear.com 

New York Eyewear 

Taka Eyewear features trendy frames with well crafted with 

exceptional attention to details. Taka T2620 comes in size 

51-18-140, in colors: Black and Brown. 

www.newyorkeye.net 

ClearVision Optical 

Both the Tony for men and the Maya for women share sleek, 

semi-rimless designs, cool eye-catching end pieces and bold 

acetate temples, infused with interesting textures and color 

details. Eye sizes range from 50 to 53. Colors choices 

include: Wine, Black, Brown and Raspberry. 

www.cvoptical.com 

Zyloware 

The Stetson Off Road Collection appeals to young men looking 

for eyewear that is masculine and fashionable, yet not trendy. 

The Off Road 5002 is a sleek semi-rimless metal frame with a 

striped tonal temple. Available in size: 51-19-140, in Antique 

Bronze and Gunmetal. www.zyloware.com 

Tura 

Lulu Guinness L822 features a modified rectangle front shape 

with slight uplift that features polk-a-dots filled temples that 

are lasered out and then filled with color. This slow and 

difficult process is the only method in producing clean and 

fine dots. Available in colors: Red and Brown. www.tura.com

Tifosi Optics 

The Dea is causal enough to wear to the coffee shop, yet 

functional enough to wear on a ride, run or while playing golf. 

Three interchangeable lenses allow the wearer to have 

coverage in any light conditions. It fits small to large faces 

and features vented lenses and hydrophilic rubber ear and 

nose pieces. www.tifosioptics.com 

Signature Eyewear 

Shown is the newly launched Michael Stars sunglass model 

“Sun Goddess” in color Peachy Plum. It is a great square 

shape offered in a light-to-dark gradient design. Other colors 

include a brown gradient called Root and a clear-to-black 

gradient called Clearly Black. www.sigeye.com 

Global Optique 

The TF32 features fine feminine design, uplifting eye shape, 

high grade metal front with ultra modern designed hand crafted 

plastic temples. Available in Size 48/17 in colors: Brown, 

Purple, Black, and Wine. www.globaloptique.com 

Julbo Eyewear 

Each of Julbo’s glasses feature polarized lenses made from 

polycarbonate, which is lightweight, durable and offers 

extraordinary optical quality and transparency for any activity. 

The Cruz is a square lens style for men and is available in 

colors: Black and Titanium. www.julbousa.com 

Marco Eyewear 

MARCO polarized introduces twelve exciting new Rx-ready 

frames for men and women. Trendy and cool with an Italian 

design influence, these Rx–ready frames feature style points 

that include subtle temple details and beautiful hand-finished 

acetate combinations. Shown is MARCO polarized MOD 54 

Black & Red. www.marcoeyewear.com 

Offering affordable eyewear will give your patients a fantastic 

choice. Always strive to continue to provide superior product 

quality, office promotions, and supreme and friendly customer 

service. ■

Luxottica Group Unveils New 

Charitable Foundation, OneSight 

Luxottica Group has combined its charitable programs 

into a single, new global charitable foundation, called 

OneSight, described by the company as, “A family of 

charitable vision care programs dedicated to improving vision 

through outreach, research and education.” 

With Luxottica Group as its main sponsor, OneSight 

(www.onesight.org) combines three former Luxottica 

charitable programs – Give the Gift of Sight and the Pearle 

Vision Foundation in North America as well as Community 

I-Care in Australia – into one new entity. Since 1988 these 

charitable efforts have provided free vision care and eyewear 

to more than six million people in need around the world and 

have granted millions towards research and education. 

Finalists Named for Transitions ® 

Lab of the Year Award 

Transitions Optical, Inc. has announced the three finalists 

for the 2008 Transitions Lab of the Year Award. Balester 

Optical, Optical Prescription Lab and Soderberg Ophthalmic 

Services have been recognized for their year-long dedication 

to growing their businesses with Transitions ® lenses. The 

winner will be announced on Jan. 27 during the 13th Annual 

Transitions Academy at Disney’s Yacht & Beach Club Resort 

in Orlando Fla. 

The Transitions Lab of the Year title has been awarded 

annually since 1991 and is presented to a Transitions Optical 

STAR Lab that has made a significant commitment to 

growing its business with Transitions. 

CL Maker Unilens Vision 

Acquires Aero Contact Lens 

Unilens Vision, which makes and distributes specialty 

contact lenses, has acquired Michigan-based specialty gas 

permeable CL manufacturer Aero Contact Lens. Terms of 

the deal were not disclosed. Under their agreement, Unilens 

acquired assets of Aero Contact Lens including regulatory 

approvals, customer lists, trade names and various other 

resources. The gas permeable Aero CL brands acquired 

include V/X Multifocal, Aspirations Multifocal and the R-2000 

Keratoconus Lens. Those CLs will now be manufactured and 

marketed by Unilens at its facility in Largo, Florida under 

their pre-existing product brand names. 

Fashion Optical Displays, the expert on 

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Dispensary Décor 

Vision Care professionals have a unique opportunity 

to work with leading eyewear and lens 

vendors, with professional optical marketing 

consultants, and with national vision care 

support organizations to develop powerful 

visual merchandising materials that deliver 

messages of quality, style and professional services to patients 

where it counts the most ... inside a practice. 

The Goals of Visual Merchandising 

Visual merchandising can metaphorically be considered your 

“silent salesperson,” achieving the following goals: 

• Improving service 

• Educating the customer 

• Increasing productivity levels 

• Reinforcing store image 

Harriett Ruderman 

Maximizing your Visual 

Merchandising Potential 

Studies confirm that visual merchandising materials such as professional displays, signage, fixturing 

and other point of purchase elements unquestionably increase sales. 


Visibility, simplicity, originality, cleanliness, and timeliness 

are the “Golden Rules” of effective visual merchandising 

presentations. 

Proper Placement and Presentation 

Virtually every area of your practice holds the potential for 

effective merchandising. From windows and walls ... to ceilings 

and countertops ... opportunities abound for quick identification 

of frames and lenses, for focusing attention on a favorite 

brand, or for communicating a desired message. 

Window Presentations: Windows are a magnetic draw that can 

convert the potential passerby into real patient profitability. 

Focus attention on one or two important themes – be it an 

artful arrangement of the hottest designer frames ... or a well 

done vignette featuring your newest sunwear introductions. 

Too much unrelated material confuses rather than enhances 

your presentation.

Lease Line (entryway) Opportunities: Here’s the place to introduce 

a special promotion ... announce an event ... or elicit 

inquiries concerning a new product or service. Floor standing 

sign holders with back-to-back signage that can be read from 

either direction ... overhead banners that deliver a stand-out 

message ... or a floor-standing fixture enhanced with promotional 

graphics ... all offer the potential to pique patient curiosity 

as they enter your practice. 

Waiting Room Materials: What a perfect opportunity to present 

patients with a quick read or a take-home pamphlet on the 

vital importance of vision care for the whole family ... or the 

quality differences among different brands of sunwear or eyewear... 

or the hottest new lens options and frame materials. 

Displaying and disseminating these materials emphasize your 

commitment toward the delivery of quality care and materials. 

Wall-mounted Displays: Use your wall space to create attractive 

and functional visual merchandising systems tailored to 

your dispensing area. From convenient slat wall displays to 

high-impact light boxes featuring beautiful back lit graphics 

(duratrans), high visibility walls offer maximum impact in 

merchandising and marketing your best selling brands. Be sure 

to intersperse your frame offerings with logos, lifestyle graphics, 

and brief “sound bites” of product information. 

Countertop Merchandising: While countertop space is often 

limited, you can optimize your counter space with small, spacesaving 

frame or lens displays positioned adjacent to appropriate 

lifestyle and promotional countercards. Wherever space 

permits, you might consider featuring “Informational 

Countercards” addressing such topics as the importance of 

maximum sun protection, the concept of prescription sunwear, 

or an eyewear or lens offering’s unique points of difference. 

In Case Presentations: Tent logos, couvettes, and in-case 

signage are but a few of the wide variety of merchandising 

opportunities designed to enhance your under-glass presentations. 

Eyewear presented under glass often conveys an upscale 

image – the feeling of a treasured collectable or an important 

piece of jewelry. 

Targeting Your Patient Population 

Who are your patients and what do they want most? From kids 

to tweens and teens ... from baby boomers to matures ... each 

group forms a unique marketing niche of similar opinions, 

common needs, similar buying instincts and motives. Tracking 

and knowing your demographics and their lifestyles gives you 

the power to communicate to your target customers in so 

many ways: 

In Communicating to Children ... Here is your chance to design 

and create a fantasy presentation that brings fun and 

excitement to children and communicates factual information 

and a sense of quality to the adult. 

When Talking To Tweens and Teens ... If you talk in a language 

that’s purely visual and give them the attitudes and values that 

mean the most, like truth, fun and independence, they’ll listen. 

Say it all in graphics and quick sound bites. 

Though Boomers are, perhaps, your Busiest Demographic ... 

they want all the facts. Put them in control by giving them 

what’s real and true ... all the information they need to judge a 

product and to make an educated buying decision. 

Because Matures are Loyal ... brand names and logos are an 

extremely powerful merchandising force. Speak to them clearly 

about quality and value – these are essential elements to 

matures – vital to making a purchasing decision. 

Establishing Your Identity In Fashion Eyewear 

Combining your professional recommendations with the 

power of popular designer and brand name frames can translate 

to big business for your practice. Creating high visibility 

vignettes of your most prestigious and popular collections can 

quickly identify you as a Fashion Eyewear Professional: 

• In creating a designer vignette, it is vital that you be consistent 

with a designer’s image and philosophy. Your 

vignette should always reflect the unique and personal 

approach to style established by the designer. If possible, 

visit a designer’s own boutique to see, first hand, how fashions 

and accessories are presented. 

• Always use professional, vendor supplied materials in a 

vignette. These have been created in conjunction with the 

designer and his team to ensure consistency of design 

philosophy and image. 

• Update promotional materials and frames regularly to 

enforce your fashion savvy, showing patients you are right 

on top of the latest and greatest in designer frames. 

• Cross-promote your key brands throughout your practice 

via logos, graphics and signage in the window ... in the 

waiting room ... and in your dispensing area ... clearly 

identifying and communicating their availability in your 

practice. 

Powerful visual merchandising offers you unlimited marketing 

potential. It is an ideal way to strengthen your practice’s unique 

identity at every turn. From dazzling your patients with designer 

logos ... to intriguing them with posters, and patient-focused 

signage that speaks to their special lifestyle ... effective product 

presentation and appropriate, well placed merchandising 

materials delivers the marketing magic that can increase sales – 

and your bottom line. ■ 

JANUARY 2009 | EYECAREPROFESSIONAL | 11

Throught the Lens 

Aim High: 

Fitting the Newest Lens Materials 

WHEN A CUSTOMER enters an electronics store, they are not 

offered an analog, black and white television and a VCR. 

Instead, they are offered the latest in technology. The same 

should happen when a patient enters an optical dispensary. He 

or she should not be offered uncoated, CR-39 lenses. Instead, 

the patient should be offered the latest in the technology that 

meets his or her needs. In many instances, this would mean 

offering the patient high index lenses. 

What is a high index lens? 

Although the technical definition for high-index lenses is any 

lens with a refractive index higher than 1.52, the high index 

lenses that will be discussed in this article are those with an 

index of 1.64 or higher. 

First things first, what is an index? In simple terms, index is a 

measurement of how much light is bent by the lens material. 

The higher the number, the more the light is bent by the lens. 

What this means to the eye care professional and the patient, 


Carrie Wilson, BS, LDO, ABOAC, NCLEC 

the higher the index, the less material that is needed 

to bend the light to fill the doctor’s prescription. For 

example, a -7.00D lens ground on a 1.70 index 

material will be approximately 50 percent thinner than a 

-7.00D lens ground on a 1.50 index material if all parameters 

are equal. 

High index lens designs 

As technology has improved, so has the availability of high 

index lens designs. High index is most commonly available 

in multiple progressive and single vision designs. 

However, lined multifocals can sometimes be found in the 

material. Aspheric and atoric designs are also becoming 

more readily available to the eye care provider in high 

index materials. In aspheric and atoric designs, the lenses 

are gradually steepened along the periphery in minus 

designs and the periphery is gradually flattened in plus 

designs. The benefit is greater peripheral vision as well as less 

magnification or minification of the eye. High index is also 

available with polarization or photochromic options. Glass is 

another high index lens option; however, it is not usually the 

best option due to weight and safety considerations. 

When to recommend a high index lens 

A high index lens is thinner and lighter (except in the case of 

glass lenses) than other conventional materials. Therefore, it is 

an ideal lens material for individuals with a higher prescription. 

A general guideline is to recommend high index materials for 

any patient with a prescription of +/–3.00 D or more. Anything 

less than this prescription and the weight and thinness benefits 

are usually minimal. 

High index, especially the index of 1.67 and 1.70, is also an 

excellent choice for individuals who want the minimalist look of 

drilled rimless eyeglasses. Due to the thinness of the material’s

-Your Independent Lab- 

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edge, the lens does not look out of place or heavy when placed 

in a drilled rimless. In addition, high index materials do not 

crack as easily when drilled and the hole maintains its size and 

shape more readily than lower index materials such as CR-39. 

High index is also essential for the newer, larger frame designs. 

With the increasing popularity of larger frames, edge thickness 

problems due to decentration are going to become more prevalent. 

High index can eliminate some of this but remember that 

it is very important to consider the lens prescription when 

fitting a larger frame. 

Lifestyle can also be an important factor when recommending 

high index lenses. Certain professions such as politicians, 

lawyers, and those who engage in public speaking prefer the 

cosmetic benefits of high index lenses. Individuals who are 

fashion conscious are also good candidates for the thinner 

profiles that are provided by high index. 

There are some exceptions to fitting a high index lens, however. 

One instance is children or individuals who have severely 

decreased vision in one eye. In these cases, the safety and 

impact resistance of polycarbonate or Trivex ® is necessary to 

protect the patient’s vision. Also, the flatter base curves of high 

index lenses prevent the lenses from fitting into the wrap 

designs that are popular in some frame designs and are therefore 

not recommended. 

The Importance of Anti-Reflective Coating 

Do not sell a high index lens without anti-reflective (AR) 

coating. This may seem extreme, but an uncoated CR-39 lens 

reflects 8% of light, whereas an uncoated high index lens will 

reflect up to 50% more than CR-39. A rule of thumb is the 

higher the index, the greater the amount of light reflected. This 

can lead to increased difficulty with night driving as well as eye 

fatigue due to decreased light transmittance. With an AR coated 

lens however, the light transmittance can increase to 99.5%. 

As a result, reflections and chromatic aberrations are reduced, 

the patient has a clearer view of his or her surroundings, and 

the glasses have a better cosmetic appearance. By applying AR, 

the rate of non-adapt to the visual differences in high index 

material over lower index materials will decrease. Fortunately, 

AR coatings have really improved over the last few years and are 

an essential enhancement to high index with the new scratch, 

dirt, and oil resistant formulas available. 

How to fit High Index Lenses 

Although there are several factors that help to ensure patient 

satisfaction when fitting a high index lens, the main factor is 

taking accurate measurements. It is important that the eye care 

professional take monocular PDs and determine the optical 

centers. When taking measurements it is essential that the 

frame fits well, there is minimal decentration, and that the 

pantoscopic tilt is between 10 and 15 degrees. Once these 

measurements are taken, it is best to determine the lens thickness 

to ascertain if it meets the needs of the patient. This can be 

done by utilizing the sag approximation formula and adding 

the result to the predetermined center thickness or by applying 

optical calculators such as those found on OptiCampus.com. 

For reference, the sag approximation formula is: 

Sag = ((d/2)2 X D) / 2000(n–1) 

where d is diameter in mm 

D is power 

n is index 

Everybody wants the look and feel that high index lenses can 

provide. Low index lenses are thicker, thinner lenses look 

better. Lower index lenses are heavier, lighter lenses are more 

comfortable. Therefore, it is no surprise that high index lenses 

are the wave of the future in the optical industry. High index 

lenses provide the best solution for most patients with higher 

prescriptions. With the proper understanding of the different 

designs of high index materials and fitting techniques, an eye 

care provider can give the best possible vision solution to their 

patients. ■

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Office Layout 

A Dispensary Design Primer 

Why do we linger in one store 

moving from area to area and then 

feel propelled out of another? It’s 

by design. The next time you’re 

shopping, take a few minutes to 

look at the layout of the store 

fixtures and signage. You’ll notice 

that there are specific floor plans 

for specific store types. 

The most economical store design is often described as a 

“Straight” floor plan. It makes the most efficient use of floor 

and wall space, creating small shopping areas within the store. 

Grocery store designers know that most shoppers enter and 

turn to the right. That’s where you’ll usually find the fresh produce. 

They also know that the prime display space is at eye level. 

So that’s where you’ll find the name brand products. Most 

shoppers enter with at least a mental list of must-have purchases, 

so the stores are designed to draw shoppers to those areas, 

like dairy and meat, interspersing them with impulse products. 


Judy Canty, ABO/NCLE 

Photo: Courtesy of Fashion Optical Displays 

Most large chains have very similar layouts. When you enter 

your local Costco, you know where the books and music section 

is. It’s in the middle of the store, where you can be tempted to 

stop and browse (rest!) before the shear volume of merchandise 

on display becomes overwhelming. 

The “Diagonal” floor plan is best suited to self-service and convenience 

stores. By design, shoppers are propelled quickly 

through the store and back out again past the cashier. Products 

are easy to see and customers are easily seen by store personnel. 

“Angular” and “Geometric” floor plans are well suited to specialty 

and apparel shops. The fixtures are often more expensive 

and designed to create an interesting and out-of-the-ordinary 

shopping experience. Shoppers are moved from one area of the 

store to another, because every area provides a glimpse of 

another, tempting them to move towards the back. 

The “Mixed” floor plan may be the one best suited to the optical 

dispensary. It uses a combination of straight, angular and 

diagonal layouts to move patients through the office from the 

reception area to the dispensary. Most frame display areas are 

wall mounted, so the design must move patients to specific 

areas with a minimum of obstacles. 

Continued on page 18

“WHERE ARE THE MEN’S FRAMES?” Most optical 

dispensaries are actually stores within stores. There are easily 

identifiable areas for men’s, women’s and children’s eyewear. 

The popularity of unisex eyewear often blurs the lines between 

men’s and women’s eyewear and is the ideal “bridge” between 

the two areas. 

Children’s frames are often corralled in a separate area designed 

with smaller sized frame bars and furniture. Children can be 

rambunctious and create havoc in an otherwise calm environment. 

They deserve a space where they can be comfortable. 

Other “stores” to consider would be sunwear, safety and 

sport-specific eyewear. How elaborate to make these stores 

within stores will depend on the patient needs and wants. 

Contact lenses should have a more private area, so that lens 

insertion and removal and contact lens care instructions can be 

given without interruption. Since patient compliance is critical 

to patient success, this area should be away from the daily 

traffic in the dispensary. 

Dispensing tables are obstacles; absolutely necessary, but 

obstacles none the less. Locating them in a central area, slightly 

away from the frame displays will allow both patients and 

Opticians the privacy needed to discuss lenses, treatments and 

frame choices. It also allows the privacy needed to discuss 

prices, insurance coverage and discounts. If possible, have an 

area set aside where there is complete privacy to work with 

those more challenging patients. 

How high is high? When choosing fixtures, there are some 

considerations to be made. 

• Any free-standing display that blocks the staff’s line of 

sight is too high and an invitation to shoplifters. 

• Dispensing tables are too wide if it prevents the staff from 

taking accurate measurements or making proper adjustments. 

• Dispensing tables are too low if a wheelchair-bound 

patient cannot be attended to comfortably. 

• Frame bars are too high if the average patient cannot 

reach the top level and too low if the same patient must 

bend down to see the lowest frame. 

Good dispensary design is critical to the success of the 

dispensary. The best design allows both staff and patients to 

work together in designing the best eyewear solutions. Patients 

should feel that their privacy is protected and that the time and 

money they have invested in their choices is well-spent. 

At the end of the day, staff members should feel that they have 

met the goal of providing excellent service and products in a 

comfortable work environment. ■

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Dispensary Marketing 

When selecting your practice’s target market, 

it’s important to consider the community 

demographics surrounding your office. 

This may include their demographics, 

psychographics, location, lifestyle needs, 

buying motivation and sense of entitlement. Of these important 

considerations, the most often overlooked is the gender 

of the target market for the optical industry. 

Women currently offer the largest opportunity in the marketplace. 

Responsible for over 80% of all healthcare spending, 

women are earning more now than ever before. In addition, 

women are accepting higher paying occupations and bring in 

half or more of the combined household income in the majority 

of U.S. households. Choosing to modify your practice’s 

marketing to appeal more to women can lead to a significant 

increase in your response rate. 

Mice and human beings share 95% of the same DNA. It’s 

amazing what a big difference that five percent makes! 

Thinking from the same perspective, how different are men 


Samantha Toth 

President, Innereactive Media 

Connecting with your Largest Market – 

Female Patients 

In a society where economics continue to 

slope downward, there is an opportunity to 

stay ahead of the curve. In the past, budgets 

may have allowed for trial and error marketing 

efforts. Today, it’s more important than ever to 

focus on proven growth strategies. This includes defining your practice’s target 

demographic. Marketing to the masses is no longer enough. Selecting your 

practice’s most profitable target is the first step to your marketing success. 

and women really? How different do the marketing materials 

really need to be? Women come equipped with their own 

perceptions, preferences, aptitudes, behaviors and communication 

patterns. All of these affect their purchasing process. 

When women enter the market for eye care, they start with an 

idea of the practices, or “brands,” they plan to check out during 

their search. They are fine without knowing everything 

when they start their search by investigating practices by scanning 

ads, reading articles, visiting websites, going to the store 

and handling merchandise. While men are more interested in 

facts and features, and often prefer impersonal sources and 

research before leaving the house, women prefer to talk to the 

staff of a practice and ask friends for their opinions. In many 

cases, this involves what can be called a spiral decision-making 

process. Men look to eliminate options, not add them. Women 

seek more information and investigate more options. This can 

sometimes move them back to a previous stage in the purchasing 

process. To arrive at a decision, women have to be sure they 

have gathered enough information and have considered all of 

their options. 


As an eye care professional it’s important to align your practice’s 

internal marketing to create an atmosphere conducive to 

this target market. Be sure to provide your patients with plenty 

of information about your services, as well as the products 

you offer. This may include printed information, a practice 

website, demonstration tools and a highly trained, friendly 

staff that understands and respects that women are information 

gatherers and the decision making process may take a little 

longer. While it’s important not to rush your patients, it is 

beneficial to teach your staff tactics to overcome decision 

reluctance if a patient seems to be struggling with finding the 

“perfect answer.” Once you fully understand the patient’s 

needs, it may be helpful to provide a couple comparison shopping 

examples that outline the pros and cons of each. 

Emphasize the benefits of making a decision now. 

Once a decision is made, women’s influence on your practice’s 

success doesn’t end with their purchase. Because women spend 

more time upfront, before the sale, they more often have a 

greater sense of loyalty and are a great referral source. In addition 

to returning to your office for subsequent purchases, a 

happy female patient will also recommend you to everyone she 

knows. For this reason, it’s also important to leverage word-ofmouth 

marketing techniques. 

To successfully market to women, it’s essential to utilize a marketing 

strategy plan. A marketing strategy plan uses diversified 

mediums to help eye care professionals create and maintain 

connections with consumers in the market for eye care. In 

addition to making marketing cost-effective, strategy plans 

also ensure your practice’s brand is on the short list of purchase 

candidates which helps you generate a higher return 

from every patient. 

To effectively connect with women in your marketing strategy 

plan, your practice must develop a unique selling position, or 

USP, that appeals to women and helps them view your practice 

relative to your competition. This includes making your practice 

relevant to them by speaking to their wants and needs. 

More importantly, you need to appeal to a woman’s emotions 

and make her care about your practice’s brand. Your marketing 

materials should not be expected to sell your products and 

services, but instead create curiosity, generate a conversation, 

or prompt a question. 


If your marketing communications can’t sell, how do you 

know they’re working? Generating a response to your materials 

in the form of phone calls, foot traffic, requests for information, 

website visits and more, requires more than simply 

reaching your target audience. Before you can convince someone 

your practice is the right choice, you have to connect to 

something they care about. An easy to follow, three-step 

process will help your practice to do this. 

1. Begin by brainstorming to determine what about your 

products and services are truly important to women. 

2. Narrow down what the “attraction factors” people will 

like about your products and services. 

3. Define the benefits, not features, of those attraction 

factors. 

“Choosing to modify your practice’s marketing to 

appeal more to women can lead to a significant 

increase in your response rate.” 

It’s tempting to focus your marketing on the benefits of your 

products and services and call it customer focused and targeted 

to women. However, that’s not enough. You have to take the 

final step in the process and ask yourself, “Why that benefit is 

important, or meaningful to a woman?” 

A firm understanding of a woman’s decision making process, 

and the willingness to target your marketing at this untapped 

opportunity, is sure to bring success to your practice. To begin 

refining your target market, by more than women, start from 

within. A practice commonly wants to reach prospects with 

the same profile and demographics as their existing patient 

base. Resist the temptation to be all things to all people. It’s 

expensive enough to advertise in one market, let alone two or 

three. Find your niche and build on it...and make sure it 

includes women! ■ 

Samantha Toth is a marketing consultant and President of 

Innereactive Media, located in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She 

has 12 years of experience in the optical industry, including 

eight years of dispensing experience as an ABO certified optician 

and BA degree from Michigan State University. For more 

information, please email Samantha at stoth@innereactive.com

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Movers AND Shakers 

OptumHealth Vision Care 

Don Yee – former chief executive officer of the 

VSP family of companies and founding 

president of VSP’s Eyefinity Internet portal – 

has been named president of OptumHealth’s 

vision business, which provides vision benefits 

Don Yee 

to over 18 million individuals. 

In his new role, Yee will be responsible for the overall growth, 

leadership and direction of the vision business, including its 

optical lab and retail businesses, key market initiatives, new 

solution launches and industry leading delivery of services. 

American Academy of Ophthalmology 

David W. Parke II, MD, will take over next 

April as the Academy’s executive vice president 

and chief executive officer. Parke will succeed 

H. Dunbar Hoskins Jr., MD, who has led the 

Academy since 1993 and is retiring. Parke, who 

David Parke II 

has served on the Academy’s board of trustees 

since 2000 and is the 2008 Academy president, is president 

and CEO of the Dean McGee Eye Institute in Oklahoma City. 

He is also professor and chair of the department of ophthalmology 

at the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine. 

Bausch & Lomb 

Bausch & Lomb has elected Susan A. Roberts 

as a corporate vice president. She is the company’s 

chief compliance officer, having been 

named to this post in 2006, and heads the 

global pharmacovigilance and safety surveil- 

Susan A. Roberts 

lance groups. Ms. Roberts joined Bausch & 

Lomb in 1995 after several years in private practice as a trial 

lawyer at Harter, Secrest & Emery. She then held positions of 

increasing responsibility in the Bausch & Lomb Law department, 

including serving as vice president and assistant general 

counsel. 

Briot 

Briot USA has appointed Tom Pfleging as 

President and Wanda Crawford as Vice 

President of Finance for the company. Both 

Pfleging and Crawford bring extensive experi- 

Tom Pfleging 

ence from within the optical equipment industry. 

In addition, John Hemphill has been promoted to Vice 

President of Sales, and Andrew Bumerts has been named 

National Sales Trainer.

Optometry Giving Sight 

Optometry Giving Sight has named Vic 

Connors, O.D. as CEO of the global fundraising 

organization in the United States. Dr. 

Connors will remain as Chair of the National 

Committee in the United States and as a 

Vic Connors 

member of Optometry Giving Sight’s Global 

Board. He is the Immediate Past President of the World 

Council of Optometry; and is a Past President of the AOA and 

the Wisconsin Optometric Association. 

LCA-Vision 

LCA-Vision has announced the appointment 

of Michael Celebrezze as chief financial 

officer on a permanent basis. Celebrezze, 

LCA-Vision’s interim CFO since June, was 

appointed to the company’s executive man- 

Michael Celebrezze 

agement team as senior vice president of 

finance and treasurer in July 2007; he joined the company a 

year earlier. 

Davis Vision 

Davis Vision has named Terence Ward its 

divisional vice president of sales, south 

division. In this new position, based in 

Atlanta, Ward is responsible for new-business 

development in the southern U.S. 

Terence Ward 

Tom Iachetta 

Tom Iachetta has also been named to the new 

position of vice president of administration at 

Davis Vision’s Latham, N.Y., customer relationship 

and information technology center. 

Iachetta has been with Davis Vision since 

2003, most recently as VP of customer service. 

Live Eyewear 

Live Eyewear, Inc. has announced the purchase 

of the privately held corporation by the 

company’s President, Kieran Hardy. The 

transaction was completed in early December; 

terms of the sale were not disclosed. 

Kieran Hardy 

The California based eyewear manufacturer has been under 

the direction of Kieran Hardy since the company’s inception 

in late 2001. Live Eyewear’s executive team and the company’s 

core focus will remain unchanged under the new ownership. 

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JANUARY 2009 | EYECAREPROFESSIONAL| 25

TRADITION OF 

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BEST IN LENS DESIGN, Image Wrap Decentered Design 

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Dispensing Optician 


Ted Weinreich, MBA 

Regional Sales Manager, Optogenics Lab 

2nd Pair Sales– Silence is Golden 

HAPPY NEW YEAR! So there is the 

traditional greeting – now let’s get down 

to the business of assuring ourselves that 

in December 2009 we can smile at our 

success in making the following 350 days 

of 2009 the best that they can be. 

Positive attitude will lead you and your customers where you 

want to go. Remember to keep a smile on your face, and to enjoy 

educating your patients when you are in the dispensary. When 

you are with your patients, you are on stage. Your job is to help 

them enjoy the process of keeping their eyes healthy. Think 

second pair of eyeglasses for each patient, and it just may happen. 

Suggest the second pair first. Your patient will not let you forget 

to recommend the first pair of eyeglasses they need, and they 

have no idea about the second pair that will promote their 

continued eye health. Suggest it. 

For instance, you might help your patient avoid eye strain if they 

spend hours working on a computer by advising them to use a 

plastic or poly lens with AR coating. If the person is using a linefree 

multifocal for appearance, visual acuity, and eye health, s/he 

should be using a visually appealing and effective prescription 

when s/he is at work in front of the public s/he wants to impress. 

If you wear a line-free multifocal sometimes (progressive is a 

negative word for many people – avoid using it in the dispensary), 

you also should wear a comparable in-office multifocal that 

you believe in when you face your patients. Practice what you 

preach and your patients may imitate your practice. 

Positive education will get you and your patients where you want 

to go. Your patients are in the dispensary to pick your brain. You 

have the knowledge and the expertise to help your patients maintain 

their eye health and see their world more clearly. Your 

patients have the power of the purse. Do not confuse your role 

and your power. 

You present and educate, they choose: therefore, allow the person 

sitting in front of you the uninterrupted time to exercise that 

power to choose. Silence is golden, especially after you have presented 

an eye health choice that is new to your patient. Let your 

patient be the first to speak about that choice presentation. You 

may surprise yourself at how often when you expose the patient 


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to an eye health need that s/he chooses to make that need into 

a new pair of eyeglasses. 

You are in charge of you. If you have parts of your life you do 

not approve of, look in a mirror, because that is the person who 

has the power of persuasion to effectuate change. 

If you want the Doctor who practices in your office to be more 

involved in educating your patients about what lenses and lens 

technologies are recommended for their eye health, you are in 

charge of making it happen. 

First, set the tone. Thank the Optometrist or Ophthalmologist 

for bringing the patient to you and ask her/him if there are any 

recommendations they have for you to consider when helping 

this patient choose the best eyeglasses to enhance his/her visual 

needs. If there are recommendations, write them down while 

the patient watches, or underline them on the prescription for 

the patient to see. Whether or not your Optical Doctor has 

considered doing this in the past, your asking the question 

enhances the Doctor’s stature and may draw the Doctor into 

the eyeglass dispensing process now and in the future. Is this 

something you, as the dispenser, want to see happen? As an 

aside, if it is the patient who brings you the prescription from 

an outside Doctor, thank her/him for choosing to entrust their 

visual needs to you. Thankfulness sets a tone. 

Secondly, show you care about your patients by asking them 

about their life. If you don’t know the patient, ask, “Tell me 

something about the things you enjoy doing.” If you know 

them, you might ask, “How is your golf game going?” 

Knowledge about what is frustrating them about their game 

might open an opportunity to educate them about how wearing 

Drivewear lenses might improve their score, or make it easier 

to follow the hit ball through the air in the dimmer light of 

morning or evening. If the patient describes his/her outdoor 

activities, you can dispense the knowledge of the value of prescription 

polarized lenses for visual acuity, improved eye 

health, and personal safety. 

Keep the way you phrase your knowledge simple and easy for a 

lay person to understand, and make only one point at a time, or 

at most two points. Always end your knowledge statement with 

an “open ended” question for the patient: a question that can 

not be answered with a simple “yes” or “no.” For instance, 

“When has glare bothered you, even when you are wearing 

those beautiful sunglasses you have there?” 

Thirdly comes that most dreaded moment when you must 

mention the price of these lenses that your patient has not even 

asked you for. How do you successfully overcome this hurdle 

that many of you place in your own path? After your educational 

explanation, and since your patient has mentioned 


reasons that the current glasses s/he owns might not serve 

her/his needs, suggest the appropriate lenses with AR, the total 

cost for lenses and additional eye health technologies (not coatings, 

since a mere coating may unintentionally come off), and 

then you might ask, “What type of frame do you feel would be 

most appropriate for your polarized sunglasses?” 

Do you feel you are putting pressure on your patient by presuming 

to ask this question? Why is this presumption not pressure? 

Because your patient has just described dissatisfaction 

with using her/his current glasses, you have presented a solution 

with a lens cost, and you have asked an open ended question. 

Now comes the hardest part for you to master. Remain 

silent. 

Yes, this is the hardest part. To be an effective dispenser, you 

must allow your patient the uninterrupted time to consider the 

new information you have given. Now, before you say another 

word, give this patient the time to consider whether she/he 

wants to use this new knowledge to improve his/her visual 

experience with the eyeglasses you have recommended as best 

able to fulfill his/her visual needs. If the patient indicates what 

frame she/he wants, you know what to do. Even if the patient 

says, “No,” say to the patient as you do it, “I am writing your 

work visual needs on your chart, and your complaints about 

using your regular glasses in this environment, so the Doctor 

can evaluate these needs when you next see her/him.” No other 

comment from you is necessary. 

Especially do not try to sell him/her these glasses. Do not 

remind this patient of some of the cogent reasons for buying 

this pair of specialized eyeglasses. Respect this decision, and 

continue to dispense new knowledge. Ask your open ended 

questions. Then remain silent. Your patient will remember that 

you respected a “No” decision, and will respect that he/she is 

not being subjected to a sales pitch, but that you are sharing 

your knowledge so she/he can make an informed choice about 

his/her eye health and vision needs. 

By empowering the patient, you are building a trustful relationship. 

If your patient trusts that you care for him/her, and 

also about her/his visual needs, do you think that she/he might 

be more inclined to choose to buy glasses from your practice? 

You are in charge of you. If you think that any of the ideas you 

read in EyeCare Professional might lead to your achieving your 

goals for your practice or your life, try them on for size. If they 

fit, wear them proudly. If they need alteration to fit your style 

or to fit the way your clientele sees the world, make the necessary 

alterations. Act now, procrastinate later. And treat every 

“A-ha” moment as a “Just do it” moment. ■ 

Email any comments to: editor@ECPmag.com

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The 21st Century Optician 


Warren G. McDonald, PhD 

Professor of Health Administration 

Reeves School of Business / Methodist University 

The Competitive Advantage in Action 

Roger Bullock 

Professional Opticians 

Fayetteville, NC 

Provide the reader with a bit of your personal background, 

including your education, training and professional history. 

I began in the optical business 35 years ago as an apprentice 

optician. After finishing the apprenticeship training, I took the 

NC State Opticians exam, obtaining my NC license in 1978. In 

1979 I opened Professional Opticians, and my practice has 

grown significantly since that time. I am proud to have my 

daughter Crystal now with me in the practice. She gained her 

Optician’s License in 2007, and one day when I retire she will 

take over. 

Describe your practice, and the 

services provided. 

Our retail practice provides only 

the finest in frames and 

lenses. We carry most upscale frame 

lines such as Lindberg, Daniel 

Swarovski, Kazuo Kawasaki, Cazal 

and others. 

We also have magnifiers, readers, 

fit-overs, clip-ons and upscale cases. 

In the office we carry a selection 

that is larger than most in our area 

and we pride ourselves with names 

We continue this month with an outstanding example 

of someone who competes effectively in their market. 

Roger Bullock is our featured independent this month, and 

I must say, he is a great example. Hard work, dedication, 

and an outstanding staff surround this successful young 

man who happens to live and work in my hometown of 

Fayetteville, NC. He was asked the same set of questions 

as our feature last month, Curt Duff, and you will see 

some similarities and differences in the two. 

The following are Mr. Bullock’s responses: 

Roger fitting a patient 

like those above that are distinctive brands unique to our 

practice in this market. Along with designer names, we also 

have a frame selection that is designed to provide value to all 

our patients. 

We also have a large selection of lenses, including most major 

manufacturers, which allow us to provide just the right lens for 

each patient’s visual needs. Our staff seeks to meet the needs of 

each patient by selecting the appropriate lens and frame for 

each patient’s situation, and we 

pride ourselves by being able to 

meet the needs of anyone who 

comes through the door! 

Will you please describe your 

organizational philosophy, including 

any mission statement, 

vision, goals, etc.? 

The only way to grow in any 

market is to be the best you can be 

for your patient. 

Only providing the products is just 

a portion of the job. The needs, 

desires, fitting and measurements

of the patient must be addressed properly. We provide the very 

latest in technological advancements in frames and lenses, and 

our philosophy includes making sure we efficiently fill each Rx. 

In a nutshell, our philosophy centers on the patient. This 

patient-centered philosophy, with the best available products 

and services, continues to serve us well and I hope it will 

continue into the future. 

Do you have a Strategic Plan for your practice? 

Hiring the best people is the foundation for the organization. 

The people at Professional Opticians want to help each patient. 

To really be able to provide the best for each patient demands 

we have the best trained people available, so we emphasize education. 

Strategically, I feel that my staff is the best tool available 

to keep our organization sound well into the future. Of course, 

that includes keeping up with current trends in both fashion 

and technology, and making certain we provide what our target 

market wants and needs. We also seek to provide excellent 

value for our patients. 

What do you see as your biggest strengths and weaknesses? 

Our employees are our biggest strengths and weakness. They 

are our biggest strength in that they constantly strive to meet 

the needs and wants of each patient on a daily basis. 

Also, we see our employees as potentially our biggest weakness. 

To minimize this potential weakness, we attempt to keep them 

up-to-date on the latest developments in the field and allow 

them the latitude to meet each patient’s needs. We provide a 

structure for them, and evaluate their performance regularly, 

with weaker employees given opportunities to improve. 

Are there specific opportunities and threats in your local 

marketplace? If so, how do you effectively deal with them? 

The challenge is to find a place in the market that does not 

depend on insurance plans. 

Insurance is the biggest threat today to our organization. 

Having to increase prices to be able to accept insurance that is 

going to pay you even less than you normally charge makes no 

sense. Unfortunately, third party payers are a part of the industry 

now, and we do participate in specific programs. We do not 

take all insurance, however, because there is simply no return. 

Where do you see your organization in the next 10 years? 

The optical industry? 

My crystal ball is a little cloudy here, but I will make a stab at 

answering this question. I think the optical business will be 

alive and well, with new products that will benefit patients and 

practices. The main problem is keeping up with the products 

and the value they will bring to patients. Core products will no 

longer bring the best vision to the patient or benefit the prac- 

tice. Our organization is positioned to continue growth and 

development well into the future. Thanks to loyal patients and 

an outstanding staff, we are blessed. 

Can you describe your competitive advantage? What do you 

think makes patients come to you, and remain in the practice? 

The products we carry and the service we provide. Earlier I 

addressed providing only the best products and services and an 

outstanding, well-trained staff to meet their needs. That is what 

we offer. We have the best-of-the-best and will continue that 

philosophy into the future. 

What, if anything, would you do differently in your career? 

I don’t know of anything. I am fortunate and made the right 

career decision when I entered Opticianry. I look forward to 

coming to the office each day. 

Are there tidbits of advice you might share with the readers 

that you feel may help them better compete? 

Listen to others in business, in all types of business. There is 

plenty we can learn from others. 

Mr. Bullock provides sound advice. He learned a great deal 

about serving the patients who came into his practice by listening 

and watching, as well as emulating the good things he saw 

in other businesses. That is something important to take away 

from this month’s article. 

He has a specific philosophy of using excellent products and 

services also described as important to Mr. Duff in last month’s 

article. This runs consistently throughout both of the examples 

we have seen so far, and so is certainly an example others may 

want to emulate. 

Differences in the particular organizations we have reviewed so 

far are found in contact lens fitting. Mr. Duff is a specialist in 

contact lenses, and receives referrals from ophthalmologists in 

the Lexington area. Mr. Bullock has an optometric practice 

located next door and they provide the contact lens fittings. 

Professional Opticians does dispense contact lenses if an Rx 

comes in, but fittings are done by the ODs. Mr. Duff sees that 

as his “niche” in the marketplace. Mr. Bullock depends on 

excellence in serving the patients as his advantage. 

Both of these fine men are examples of excellence we can all 

look to when seeking a benchmark for our own organizations. 

In the coming months we are going to look at a couple of 

others, and when we are finished, we will wrap up this series 

with a summary of things we have learned to help us all gain 

that Competitive Advantage. ■ 


Practice Management 

A RECENT GOOGLE SEARCH for “eye care” returned no less than 

34 million results... “eyeglasses” came back with a paltry 

7 million. Such easy access to the marketplace makes operating 

an optometric practice no less of a challenge, particularly in 

today’s economic environment. So let me ask you a couple of 

questions... 

Have you taken the time to ponder why your customer/patient 

base visits your practice? And if they do make an appointment 

to see you, was the experience good enough to get them back? 

Or was it merely adequate? 

In last month’s article we identified that the two objectives ECPs 

most want patients to do is come back and refer others. We also 

recognized the cycle of service or cycle of production and how 

it breaks down into various points of engagement with each 

patient encounter. It also establishes a plan for developing 

thoughts and ideas to improve the practice using internal team 

communication to discuss the progress of the business. As we 

continue with part 2 of our 3 part series, we will look at building 

and maintaining value by developing a teacher’s mentality 


Thomas Breen 

Principal, Breen & Associates 

Developing a Teacher’s Mentality – Patient Education 

to patient education. If we can get the patient educated, they 

will value our products and services more than other eye care 

providers. This means better productivity and more profitability 

for your practice – which sounds like a nice way to ring in 

the New Year. 

Patient Education is a process of maintaining in 

most, creating in others a perception of value. 

Patient/Relationship Management is a Process 

It goes without saying that one of the most valuable business 

assets is your relationship with your patients. But are you managing 

the patient relationship successfully? Have you and your 

team adopted a “teacher’s mentality” when engaged with 

patients and their care? Does your service strategy get patients 

to say, “Wow – that was a great experience?” 

If you can find the “wow factor” and make it happen more 

consistently, you will see your entire practice environment start 

to prosper. Having said all this, I’d like for you to consider 

the fact that the other MVP’s (most valuable people) of the 


usiness are your eye care team. In the process of patient care 

and relationship management, your team will determine how 

quickly you reach the next level of success. 

As I visit and work with ECPs across the country, I find that the 

most productive and profitable offices seem to use their professional 

team more effectively than others. They have worked to 

establish a system of training and education that goes beyond 

providing better care – it provides greater patient buy-in or 

what many now call patient management. Today more than 

ever, owners of optometric practices are taking the lead by 

ensuring their team understands not only their role as receptionists, 

opticians or technicians but also getting them to comprehend 

the concepts of business marketing and management. 

Earlier I mentioned that value is a perception. Creating this 

perception in the mind of patients can be accomplished by 

working on fundamentals. It’s about executing simple things 

like treating patients with respect, offering a warm welcome at 

the front office and genuinely letting them know you appreciate 

their patronage. We cannot take for granted a smile, nor can 

we underestimate the importance of actively listening to 

patient’s concerns. These little things make big impressions on 

people. Patient management is developing relationships and it 

involves everyone in the practice. It is a process that evolves 

over time and the rewards can be great . . . better patient retention, 

more new patients and improved revenues. Best of all 

training and educating your staff leads to more fun owning and 

operating your business. 

It is not enough to do your best; you must know 

what to do, and then do your best. 

W. Edwards Deming 

Executing a patient education plan is an internal and external 

(outside the four walls) endeavor for your business. I highly 

recommend charting a course of action by using an “eye health 

and vision” observance calendar*. Each month the calendar 

outlines an event that is germane to eyecare or eyewear. This 

event calendar serves two purposes: 

1. It gets the eye care team focused on a specific subject 

and provides an excellent platform for staff training. 

2. It guides your patient marketing and communication 

strategy on a monthly basis. 

*You can view an events calendar by visiting 

www.aoa.org/x5940.xml 

As we discussed in the December issue, it is important to set 

aside time each month for business care meetings. As part of 

the process of developing training or education topics, I have 

the doctor/owner establish a “position statement” that demon- 


strates how they envision the practice providing the best care or 

service for a particular subject. Next, I have them share it with 

the team. For example, January is Glaucoma Awareness Month. 

Without question this is an eye health issue, however, it features 

business care attributes that require management and marketing 

as well. Consider the following discussion points during a 

team meeting: 

• Does telephone technique need re-visiting? 

• How do medical patients affect the schedule and time 

allotments? 

• How will reception/front office greet & prepare patients? 

• What type of data or patient information needs to be 

collected? 

• Can the practice market to patients using recall or 

reactivation letters or postcards? 

• Will a medical patient need assistance with a third party 

provider? 

• Do I embrace a teacher’s mentality in the exam room 

with patients? 

• How will the optical handle the frame and lens 

dispensing? 

• Does the website need to be updated with fresh 

information regarding eye health? 

Are you busy being busy ... or busy being 

productive? 

The bullet points demonstrate a few of the important business 

and patient care components that can sometimes be overlooked. 

It is a matter of taking the time to evaluate your patient 

care process or production by understanding and seeing things 

through your patients’ eyes. I recommend to my clients to take 

a moment and sit in the reception area, and observe how your 

front office/reception team interacts with patients. On another 

occasion you might consider setting up role playing exercises 

for the dispensary team and evaluate how they are positioning 

frames and lenses to patients. 

As you become more involved with your staff, find out what 

their thoughts are and how they might improve a particular 

process or two. I’ve always been a strong believer that people 

help support what they help create. You will be surprised at 

how involved your team will be if you just ask them, “What do 

you recommend we do to improve our business practice?” 

I believe patient education is not just a doctor/owner issue; it’s 

a practice team issue. There is no question that when we educate 

or teach something, we create a perception and hopefully 

create more value along the way. ■

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Second Glance 

Crimes 

AGAINST ECPS 

The article in question reported that optometric practices in the 

Phoenix, AZ area were victimized by a series of sunglass burglaries. 

To this date, there are no leads on the perpetrators. A 

well known Arizona optometrist, who also had been burglarized 

twice in one week, offered some tips on security to interested 

readers. 

Natty writes, “In comparison with some of my experiences 

during the late ‘50s and early ‘60s, our Arizona complainer is 

a wimp and a sorry sounding sissy. They were the years that the 

youth of our country were dissatisfied and rebellious,” 

said Natty. “Drugs were becoming more commonplace, hand 

guns were easily available and gang wars made the headlines 

every day.” 

“One day I discovered a bullet hole near my front door. A short 

time later I was called at an ungodly late hour by the police to 

inform me that my office had been burglarized and I was asked 

to estimate what was damaged and what had been purloined. 

Some frame samples were missing, but I was shocked to discover 

that the culprit had rifled through my refrigerator and proceeded 

to drink the contents of a bottle of Osmoglyn, hoping 


Elmer Friedman, OD 

IT HAD BEEN A FEW MONTHS since I heard from my good 

friend, Natty Bumpo, OD, of Finster, NJ. A few days ago I received 

an extraordinary letter from him. It seems he had read a short 

article in one of our major optical publications and it stimulated 

his memories of when he practiced in a large city near Finster, 

which shall remain nameless to protect the innocent. 

for an exotic high. I kept it refrigerated to preserve its 

strength in cases requiring quick reduction of high intraocular 

pressures.” 

I could imagine Natty chuckling to himself knowing that the 

side effects of this drug are nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. 

Natty continued, “Drug users were asking about plano ‘dark’glasses, 

which I guessed they needed to hide pupillary changes 

and tearing particularly associated with marijuana users. 

On one occasion I noticed two pictures missing from my reception 

area. It was mysterious until I walked into the area the 

following day and came upon a man calmly removing another 

picture from the wall and was in the act of secreting it under his 

jacket. I confronted him and suggested that perhaps he ought 

to replace the picture and never return to the office again. He 

quietly replaced the picture and, as if in a trance, walked 

unsteadily out of the office.” 

“Another time a rather expensive signature frame was stolen 

from my sample board. The very next day a neighborhood lady 

came to the office with that very frame and asked to have her

prescription lenses inserted in it. When I informed her that it 

was a stolen frame she replied that her husband purchased it for 

her as a present. I told her that it would be more appropriate for 

her husband to come to the office, identify the frame and produce 

the receipt. They did not return so I returned the frame to 

my stock.” 

“Teenagers from rival gangs,” Natty described, “would occasionally 

enter my office, stand nervously near the 

door and seek my protection from their 

rivals. I made it known in the neighborhood 

that my office was off limits to gang 

warfare. There were a spate of incidents 

wherein optometric offices were incorrectly 

considered as places where drugs 

were stored and used. As a result, known 

drug abusers murdered two neighborhood 

optometrists in their quest for drugs. 

Another optometrist was shot in the head and the 

bullet still remains lodged in his cranium, even at this 

moment of writing. He miraculously survived and is now 

retired.” 

Natty went on to explain how he had reported his suspicion of 

a caller who wanted to be his last appointment of the day; Natty 

called the police and requested surveillance. A plainclothes 

policeman arrived and hid in the lavatory in order to watch the 

office area at a suitable vantage point. The suspect turned out 

to be a no-show. However, the policeman mentioned that 

Natty’s idea of carrying a revolver may not be a good one. He 

felt that a bearer of a gun could be killed by an underworld person 

merely for the sake of acquiring the gun. He added that the 

best ploy is to keep a roll of bills handy to satisfy the robber’s 

motives. 

The writer of the initial eyecare article, to which we referred at 

the outset, mentioned two important bits of advice: make sure 

your motion detectors as well as other sensors cover the entire 

area of your office. Don’t install security glass window film 

before the glass break sensors. Natty informed me of his experience 

with alarm buttons connected directly to a security center. 

Hidden buttons were located in various parts of the office. 

One such alarm was placed on the floor under his desk so that 

he would be able to show his hands but allow his foot to trigger 

the alarm. 

At first, it created a lot of trouble, as Natty reveals. “On a few 

occasions I touched the button accidentally, and to my consternation, 

found the police at my doorstep with guns drawn. Even 

when I assured them that it was an error they moved me to one 

side and carefully searched every nook and cranny. You see, 

they felt that a victim will lie that everything is okay while a 

bandit is nearby pointing a gun at his head. My dear, innocent 

cleaning person had not been informed of the new addition to 

the office and accidentally touched a button. She called me later 

in the day, describing her terror when police arrived and questioned 

her diligently. She was too loyal to quit so I squeaked by 

that one with a sigh of relief.” 

“One day,” Natty recalled, “a patient’s actions caused a violent 

fluttering of a red flag to appear before my mind’s eye. He was 

nervous and especially agitated when I requested his current 

spectacles in order to neutralize them. He was a Minus 6.00 

diopter myope and erupted into an excited condition. I was 

able to calm him down and completed the exam. He commented 

that it was the best exam he had ever received. His visit 

ended abruptly as he attacked me with a large wrench and 

caused me to suffer a head wound. 

Fortunately, following a short chase, he was arrested not far 

from the office. A very high bail was set and the would be assassin 

was incarcerated. As far as I know he is still serving his sentence. 

My scalp wound was treated with seven stitches at a nearby 

hospital and I completely recovered, with no complications.” 

Natty’s adventures reminded me of an article I had prepared for 

the Pennsylvania Optometrist some time ago. Questionnaires 

were sent to optometric societies which housed large, inner city, 

urban practices and requested information about their experiences 

regarding crimes against ophthalmic practitioners. Their 

comments were an impressive reflection of Natty’s observations 

of the big city gone bad. 

My respondents, however, all agreed that those areas where 

crime was least recorded shared a similar condition. They 

reported that in those crime free communities there exists a 

close knit and friendly neighbor philosophy. Strangers were 

identified, greeted and asked if they needed help with directions. 

This profiling alerted would be perpetrators that they 

were being watched. The result was a significant reduction of 

criminal events in those communities. 

Natty was happy with the challenge of the inner city practice and 

rarely complained. Perhaps he feels stronger as a result of the 

experience. He now says, “I’m comfortably ensconced in Finster, 

NJ, where the deer and the antelope play, where seldom is heard 

a discouraging word and the sky is not cloudy all day.” ■ 

For more information on keeping your practice safe, refer 

to Bob Fesmire’s article in our March 2008 issue: 

www.ecpmag.com/1webmagazine/2008/03mar/content/officesecurity-tips.asp 


Patient Perspective 

Cataract Surgery 

from a High Myope’s Point Of View 

Yikes! This after many years of “remarkably clear” lenses. But 

alas, further examination revealed that both eyes were in fact 

developing cataracts at a rapid rate. However, instead of the 

usual wailing and gnashing of teeth that most people do when 

receiving this news; I began thinking, “Oh boy, now I can finally 

get rid of my thick lenses!” 

You see, I’ve been in Optical for over 36 years now, starting as a 

lab rat, learning Opticianry from people a lot smarter than me 

and paying attention when wiser heads than me spoke. This 

process still goes on today. Anyway, now I was finally going to 

get some action concerning my ever-dimming vision. 

My prescription was steadily getting worse over the last two 

years after being rather stable for the last ten years or so. I still 

smile when I get some young customer that complains that 

they’re “nearly blind as a bat” - and they’re only a -.50 sphere. 

40 | EYECAREPROFESSIONAL |JANUARY 2009 

Mark H. Morris 

Optician 

“You’re not going to like 

this,” said my OD after a 

scant five seconds of scoping 

my eyes. “You’re developing 

some pretty ripe cataracts.” 

They start to understand a bit more when I tell them that I’m 

thirty times more nearsighted than they are. 

I have seen some pretty good results from cataract surgery, so I 

was looking for some relief. We had a long-time customer who 

had always been +11.00 spheres OU so we always had to fit her 

in small frames. She brought in her new Rx after surgery that 

was +1.00 spheres OU. So I told her that she just lost 90% of her 

prescription and did she know what that means? I swept my 

arm at the frame boards and said, “Any frame you want is now 

open to you - anything you want, any size, any shape you want 

- you can now have.” She was just so happy. 

Now the roundabout started. I had selected my surgeon because 

of a personal friendship and my OD had also stated that he did 

excellent surgery. His incisions were always straight and precise, 

and he rarely had any problematic results. So I called his office 


to set up my appointment. Surprise! His office was not listed 

with our insurance. So they applied to be a vendor, a process 

that usually takes six months. Five months later, we changed 

our insurance company and guess what? His office was also 

not listed with the new company. So again they applied and 

I waited. 

Meanwhile my prescription 

was worsening by 

about -1.50 sphere every 

three months or so. When 

everything was all ready 

to go, my Rx had gone 

from -11.25 -2.25 X 14 

OD and -11.25 -2.00 

X 165 OS to -15.00 -2.25 

X 15 OD and -15.00 -2.00 

X 163 OS. I have been an 

advocate of 1.70 index 

Dr. Tully S. Roisman and Mark Morris 

lenses as a real alternative 

to the poor optical Abbe 

values of 1.67 and 1.74 since in my Rx, the Abbe was a very 

noticeable factor in visual clarity. While the 1.70 index did have 

better optical clarity and the 1.67 was virtually useless, neither 

one gave me crisp vision due to the cataracts. How much I was 

missing I didn’t realize until after my first surgery. 

My first surgery was on my left eye. I arrived at the surgical 

enter with a small amount of anxiety. I had looked at cataract 

surgery on the online video site, so I knew what to expect and 

my surgeon had reassured me that it would be quick and fine. 

So I lay on a gurney and got a regimen of drops and hooked up 

to an IV and pulse monitor. Another round of drops followed, 

then an injection and some calming agent, and I was finally 

whisked to the operating room. All I could see in the OR was a 

bright watery light from the surgical microscope. After a few 

minutes of covering my face with a blue cloth, the surgery started. 

Again, all I could see was a light with a shadow moving 

around in it. My surgeon had said he spends a little extra time 

polishing to remove all traces of the lens, and as I saw the shadow 

move about I asked him if he was polishing, to which he 

replied that he was. Then everything got much clearer as he 

positioned the intraocular lens. 

Next up was the collagen antibiotic-soaked contact lens, and my 

eyelids were taped shut and a patch was applied to my eye. I was 

helped to a sitting position where the surgeon had a Polaroid 

photo taken of us. After getting home, I took it easy and tried 

not to move my eye much, as it was pretty itchy. On my visit to 

the surgeon the next day he removed my patch and examined 

my eye. Everything turned out well and I was amazed at my new 

vision, although it was still a bit watery. I could actually watch 

TV from 5 feet away - without my glasses (one eye only though). 


However, there was still a very big problem. My right eye was 

still -15.00 -2.00 X 165 and my left eye was a -1.50 -1.50 X 165. 

No brain in the world could make those hugely divergent 

images converge into one useable image to see with due to the 

extreme Anisometropia. I could see about 20/70 through my 

right eye in the reality that I had grown used to, while I could 

see better with my left eye, but in a totally different reality, due 

to the image being about 20% larger than what I was used to. 

So the only thing I could do was patch one eye at a time. 

If I was watching TV, I would use my left eye, but it had optic 

neuritis years ago so there’s a bad spot just left of center in my 

left eye that made reading on the screen difficult. When I drove, 

I patched my left eye, as I was used to seeing with my right eye 

when driving and the sizes made it easier to judge distance, a 

difficult enough task with one eye. So here I was, switching a 

vinyl cling patch from eye to eye as the occasion demanded. If 

I tried to drive using my operated on left eye, while things were 

much clearer than before, the larger size made it very strange. 

Imagine riding in a car and looking out ahead of you while 

wearing 2X binoculars. Not to mention that it was just as 

difficult to use my non-dominant eye as my dominant eye. Boy, 

did I ever miss binocular vision. 

Finally the day came for the surgery on my right, dominant eye. 

The same routine, but this time there was a bit of pain the next 

day. And when they removed my patch, everything had a very 

orange look to it. My surgeon put a drop of atropine in and an 

hour later, everything returned to normal. 

Did I say normal? In fact, now that I finally had binocular 

vision again and both eyes were nearly the same power, a whole 

new vista opened up for me. The brightness and clarity was 

astounding. My cataracts had become so cloudy that they were 

preventing a very large amount of light from reaching my retinas, 

so everything had become very dim and very fuzzy. My 

visual acuity had been reduced to 20/70 with best glasses. Now 

everything was so much brighter and the blues stood out so 

much more. No more looking like everything was seen through 

a dirty yellowed window. I had prevented myself from doing 

any driving at night the last few years, now I can plainly tell taillights 

and streetlights far away, and can even read license plates. 

So, I ended up going from -15.00 -2.00 X 165 OD to -.50 -2.00 

X 18 OD and -15.00 -2.00 X 163 OS to -1.50 -1.75 X 158 OS. 

Not a bad change and my vision now is far better unaided than 

at any time in my life. I can even appreciate the difference 

between standard-def TV and Hi-Def TV now! ■ 

Email any comments to: editor@ECPmag.com

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UNCUT CR-39 TURNAROUND 

IN BY 12:00 – OUT BY 4:00! SAME DAY! 

SunSensors Navigator . . . . . . . $ 65 00 

Solamax CR-39 . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 51 00 

AO Easy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 65 00 

Sola One . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 70 00 

FACTORY WARRANTED HOUSE PROGRESSIVES 

CR-39 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 19 00 

Poly Shortstop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 36 00 

Transitions ® TRANSITIONS VI . . . . . . . . $ 75 00 

Now An Official Zeiss Lens Distributor 

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LENS TYPE PRICE PER PAIR 

CR-39, 70 MM – 1.49 Uncoated 

Polycarbonate, 65/70 MM – Tintable 

Polycarbonate, 65/70 MM – AR Coated 

Mid Index, 70/75 MM – 1.56 AR Coated 

High Index, 70/75 MM – 1.61 AR Coated 

Super Hi Index Aspheric, 70/75 MM – 1.67 AR Coated 

A case with a double lock & your name imprinted on it! 

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$ 1.20 

$ 3.20 

$ 7.00 

$ 4.40 

$ 7.00 

$ 18.00 

607-748-2166 Fax: 607-748-2273

National Lens 

America’s Leading Leading Discount Discount Lens Lens Distributor 

Phone 1.866.923.5600 • Fax 1.866.923.5601 • www.national-lens.com 

WINTER 09 LOW LOWER LOWEST 

Color 1 to 5 6 to 10 11 & Over 

IMPRESSIONS COLORS HOT NEW ITEM! 19.95 19.75 18.95 

Johnson & Johnson 1 to 5 6 to 10 11 & Over 

1 DAY ACUVUE 19.50 19.25 18.75 

ACUVUE OASYS 22.50 21.75 21.25 

ACUVUE 2 13.90 13.75 13.50 

ACUVUE ADVANCE 17.95 17.75 17.50 

ACUVUE 1 DAY MOIST 21.95 21.75 21.50 

Bausch & Lomb 1 to 5 6 to 10 11 & Over 

PureVision 26.00 25.25 24.50 

SOFLENS 38 11.95 11.75 11.25 

SOFLENS 66 TORIC 19.25 19.00 18.95 

SOFLENS MULTIFOCAL 28.95 28.75 27.95 

SOFLENS 59 9.25 8.95 8.75 

CooperVision 1 to 5 6 to 10 11 & Over 

Avaira HOT NEW ITEM! 

19.95 19.50 18.95 

Biofinity HOT NEW ITEM! 

26.00 25.75 24.75 

BIOMEDICS PREMIER, XC, 38% & 55% 15.95 13.95 12.25 

Edge 3 Proactive 3 PK 18.95 17.95 16.95 

Edge 3 Proactive XT 2 PK 12.50 10.75 8.75 

Expression Opaque-Plano 21.95 20.95 19.95 

FREQUENCY 55% 12.45 12.35 12.25 

FREQUENCY 55% ASPHERIC 12.45 12.35 12.25 

Proactive 55% 6 PK 

LIMITED 

AVAILABILITY! 16.50 15.50 15.00 

PROCLEAR 24.00 23.50 22.00 

Z4 & Z6 

CIBA VISION 

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6 to 10 

11.95 

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DAILIES Aqua Comfort Plus 90 Pack 43.75 42.75 41.50 

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25.75 24.95 23.75 

FOCUS 1-2 WEEK 13.95 12.00 10.95 

FOCUS 1-2 WEEK COLORS 

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AVAILABILITY! 24.50 22.50 20.50 

FOCUS DAILIES 30 PK 12.95 12.75 12.50 

FOCUS DAILIES 90 PK 33.95 32.95 31.95 

FOCUS MONTHLY 15.95 14.25 13.25 

FOCUS MONTHLY COLOR 

LIMITED 

AVAILABILITY! 29.95 28.95 27.95 

FOCUS NIGHT & DAY 41.75 40.75 38.95 

FRESHLOOK LITE TINT 14.45 14.25 12.95 

FRESHLOOK COLOR BLENDS 24.50 23.75 22.95 

FRESHLOOK COLOR OPAQUE 24.50 23.75 22.95 

O2 OPTIX 15.75 15.25 14.75 

PRECISION UV 15.25 14.95 14.50 

NOW AVAILABLE FINISHED SPECTACLE LENSES 

We Will Meet or Beat Any Competitors Price on Any in Stock Lens 

Business Hours 8:30 AM - 5:30 PM EST • Prices Subject to Change Without Notice 

Free 1st Class Delivery (when available) • Same Day Shipping • We Do Not Backorder Lenses

ADVERTISER PAGE # PHONE # WEB SITE 

21st Century Optics INSIDE BACK 800-221-4170 www.21stcenturyoptics.com 

Arch Crown INSIDE FRONT 800-526-8353 www.ArchCrown.com 

B&G Optics 43 800-360-5367 — 

Balester Optical 29 800-233-8373 www.balester.com 

CNS Frame Displays 14 877-274-9300 www.framesdisplays.com 

Drivewear 26, 27 800-366-5367 www.drivewearlens.com 

Enni Marco BACK COVER 866-648-2661 www.newlineoptics.us 

Fashion Optical Displays 9 530-877-8832 www.fashionoptical.com 

FEA Industries 17, 41 800-327-2002 www.feaind.com 

Grimes Optical 49 800-749-8427 www.grimesoptical.com 

ICare Labs 35 877-422-7352 www.icarelabs.com 

Index 53 13 800-328-7035 — 

Luzerne Optical 5, 37 800-233-9637 www.luzerneoptical.com 

MJ Optical Group 21 800-634-9461 www.mjoptical.com 


Unbeatable Unbeatable Prices Prices 

on High Quality Quality Lenses Lenses 

• Finished Single Vision Poly 1.3 … $ 3.75/pair 

• Finished Single Vision Poly 1.3 HMC… $ 7.50/pair 

• Finished Single Vision CR-39 HMC… $ 3.50/pair 

• Finished Single Vision CR-39… $ 1.35/pair 

• Finished Soft Progressive… $ 8.90/pair 

We carry a full line of finished 

and semi-finished lenses 

Rozin Optical International LLC 

sales@rozinoptical.com • www.rozinoptical.com 

Toll Free: 877-470-LENS • Phone: 305-715-7165 

Fax: 305-715-9917 

Advertiser Index 

REDUCED 

$ 1.25/pair 

ADVERTISER PAGE # PHONE # WEB SITE 

My Vision Express 47 877-882-7456 www.myvisionexpress.com 

National Lens 44, 45 866-923-5600 www.national-lens.com 

Nellerk Contact Lens Cases 44 607-748-2166 — 

Opticom 25 800-678-4266 www.opticom-inc.com 

Optogenics 24 800-678-4225 www.optogenics.com 

OptoWest 2009 18 800-877-5738 www.optowest.com 

Reliable Optics 31 866-772-5367 www.reliableoptics.com 

Rozin Optical International 46 877-470-LENS www.rozinoptical.com 

SEIKO Eyewear 19 800-235-LENS www.seikoeyewear.com 

Tech-Optics 47 800-678-4277 www.techopticsinternational.com 

Three Rivers Optical 15 800-756-2020 www.3riversoptical.com 

Vision Expo East 2009 23 800-811-7151 www.visionexpoeast.com 

Vision Systems Inc. 44 866-934-1030 www.Patternless.com 

Vogue Eyewear FRONT COVER 800-500-LENS www.vogue-eyewear.com

INDUSTRY QUICK ACCESS EYECAREPROFESSIONAL 

ACCESSORIES • CASES • CONTACT LENSES • DISPLAYS • DISTRIBUTORS • EDGING SERVICES • FRAMES / CLIP-ON SETS 

EQUIPMENT (NEW / USED) • HELP WANTED / BUSINESS SALES • INSTRUMENTS • PACKAGING • MANUFACTURERS 

Inside/Outside Sales Position 

Excellent opportunity for a qualified sales 

representative at our corporate office in 

St. Petersburg, FL 

Responsible for seeking new customers and 

expanding existing accounts utilizing inside 

sales skills via phone and face to face skills. 

Professional sales experience and proven 

closing abilities are a must. 

Resumes can be mailed or emailed to: 

IcareLabs, Human Resource Coordinator, 

kbrady@icare.com, 

4399 35th Street North, 

St. Petersburg, FL 33714 

WEBSITE 

www.feaind.com 

• Videos 

• Invoice Lookup 

• On-line Ordering 

• Real time job tracking 

• Account Statements and balances 

• Technical & Processing Information 

And more....... 

Print too small? We sell PALs. 

F E A Industries, Inc. 

FULL SERVICE LABORATORY 

A/R AND MIRROR COATINGS 

Tel: 800-327-2002 

Fax: 800-955-7770 

RECONDITIONED SPECIALS!! 

Edgers 

Briot Accura CX RC . . . . . . . $ 13,950 

Essilor Gamma RC . . . . . . . $ 12,950 

Essilor Kappa RC . . . . . . . . . $ 17,950 

Safety bevels and Grooves! 

Instruments 

Reichert Keratometer . . . . . . . . $ 595 

Chart Projectors starting at . . . . . $ 395 

Marco Radiuscope . . . . . . . . . . $ 695 

Optical Finish Equipment and Supplies 

Grimes Optical Equipment Co. 

800-749-8427 

www.grimesoptical.com 

Well Established Frame Company seeking exclusive or independent 

representatives in TX, CO, NM, GA, AL, TN, VA, WV, and north FL. 

High commission, 90% closing on first visit, Sign in bonus for top Rep. 

Fax resumes: (718) 937-2825 or email globalopti@aol.com 

FOR SALE: 43 Double-return frame rods (each holds 10 frames). 

Dia. 5/8 inches, 3 ft tall. Great condition. Retail value over $2,500. 

Asking $750 or best offer. Contact Roxanne Slancik, 

Andersen Eye Associates, Saginaw, MI 

via phone – (989) 249-1029 or email to lancik@anderseneye.com. 

Interested in sharing your 

Optical insight with fellow ECP’s? 

If you would like to write for the fastest growing 

publication in the industry, email a brief description 

about yourself and your areas of expertise to: 

editor@ecpmag.com 

We feature IN HOUSE CRIZAL TD2 OC2 

(house A/R), Varilux, Kodak, 

Drivewear and Younger and stock lenses. 

We participate in VSP, VBA, 

VCA and Eyemed. 

CENTRAL OPTICAL 

6981 Southern Boulevard, 

Boardman, Ohio 44512 

Tel: 330-783-9660 • Fax: 330-783-9721 

Toll Free: 800-322-6678 

NOW FEATURING 

IN-HOUSE CRIZAL PROCESSING! 

WHEN SKILLED HANDS using 

state of the art technology come 

together the result is 

precision bench work. We pride 

ourselves in producing edge work 

that is light years ahead of our 

competition. 

(800) 221-4170 

www.21stcenturyoptics.com 

Join our Winning Team as a Eyewear Sales Rep. 

We offer a base salary plus competitive commission structure. 

You should have prior Optical Sales experience. 

We are seeking reps nationally, please send your resume to: 

recruiter1@us.luxottica.com 

JANUARY 2009 | EYECAREPROFESSIONAL | 47 

To advertise please call 800.914.4322, or visit www.ecpmag.com

To advertise please call 800.914.4322, or visit www.ecpmag.com 




➧ $ 1 Credit for ALL e-orders 


➧ 24/7 HOLIDAY SPECIAL: 

through Jan. 31, 2009: 

➧ $ OPTOGENICS 

we make eyeglasses 

3 Credit for ALL AR e-orders 


SPECIALS THROUGH JAN. 31 TH 

Go to Optogenics.com 

for more special offers! 

OPTOGENICS 

= In House ARs 

Tel: 800-678-4225 

Fax: 800-343-3925 

VSP, VCP, VBA approved 

Free UPS pick-up (min. 3 Rx’s) 

CE 



2009 is Here! 

Fact: Advertising in a troubled economy increases sales!! 

Call now for special rates on advertising 

and the Vision East Expo Show Guide 

February 2009 – Material deadline is January 20, 2009 

Contact: Lynnette Grande 

Director, Advertising Sales 

800-914-4322 ext. 2 

lgrande@ecpmag.com 


ABO APPROVED 

CONTINUING EDUCATION 

A Tale of Ocular Anatomy 

$ 12.99 for 2 ABO Credit Hours 

Available at: www.ecpmag.com/CE 

Take the course online and receive your certificate within 5 days! 

Step into Three Rivers 

Optical’s “O” Zone. 

Our “Free” Lens Series offers 

one-of-a-kind bifocal designs 

that fill a void in the optical 

industry. With our unique, 

patented “Round Seg” 

technology, your patients 

will experience the best 

in bifocal lenses. 

Get in the “O” Zone Today 

800.756.2020 

www.threeriversoptical.com 

Similasan specializes in 

over-the-counter (OTC) 

products for the eyes, ears and nose. 

Similasan products are safe for 

the entire family, contain no harsh 

chemicals and are found at 

all major retailers. 

www.SimilasanUSA.com. 

Green Bay, WI 54308 

800-678-4266/Fax 920-965-3203 

Balester Optical is a full-service, 

independent wholesale optical 

laboratory. We are committed to 

providing you with quality products 

and excellent customer service. 

We maintain a state-of-the-art 

laboratory, including two in-house 

anti-reflective coating systems. 

Toll Free: 1-800-233-8373 

Fax: 1-800-548-3487 

www.balester.com 

www.drivewearlens.com 

Drivewear lenses 

uniquely combine two of the 

most advanced technologies 

found in the industry today: 

Transitions Photochromic 

Technology and NuPolar ® 

polarization. Drivewear is the 

first polarized photochromic 

lens to darken behind the 

windshield of a car. 

Serving the optical marketplace for over 

80 years. We carry a full line of finished 

and semi-finished lenses, lab supplies 

and small instruments. 

sales@rozinoptical.com 

www.rozinoptical.com 

Toll Free: 877-470-LENS 

Tel: 305-715-7165 Fax: 305-715-9917 

Click, click, click, 

your lens order is done. 

Use one website to order all of your stock lenses electronically. With no usage or ordering fees! 

email: info@opticom-inc.com 

www.opticom-inc.com




LOW PRICE LEADER SINCE 1949 

Factory Direct Savings on 

Fully Stitched Slip-in Cases 

Clamshell Cases Lowest Prices 

in the Industry 

Molded Plastic & Children’s Cases 

Huge Saving on Microfiber Cleaning 

Cloths and Spray Cleaner 

Call: 800 249-1058 

See our complete case catalog at: 

http://www.LBI.biz 

Framedisplays.com 

is the leading provider of optical 

frame displays for ophthalmic 

dispensing professionals. Products 

include optical eyewear and 

sunglass displays in addition to 

lockable, rotating, standing, wall 

mount and slatwall frame displays. 

Call 877.274.9300 

for info and catalog. 

Exquisite design with distinct Italian 

flair, wide range of styles and colors, 

exceptional quality, and comfort – 

all this with prices set to please. 

www.newlineoptics.us 

TEL/FAX: 866-648-2661 (TOLL FREE) 

“Independent Sales Rep Wanted” 

INC. 

Op-Tags , Labels & 

Bar Code Systems... 

Your most cost effective 

merchandising tools! 

Arch Crown, Inc. 

460 Hillside Avenue 

Hillside, NJ 07205 

Toll Free: 1-800-526-8353 

Fax: 973-731-2228 

e-mail: orders@ArchCrown.com 

www.ArchCrown.com 

Rudy is Sport RX. 

Rudy Project is Italian for cutting 

edge technology and innovations in 

plano & RX eyewear/sunwear. 

Increase your sales to athletes! 

Contact us. 

www.rudyprojectusa.com or 

888-860-7597 

Large Stock of Optical Cases ON SALE 

Metal Clam Shells, Slip In Pouches, 

Flip-Top and Plastic Cases 

Large Sunglass Cases 

Fashionable Cases and Accessories. 

1-800-291-8528 

www.nyopticalcase.com 

TM 

National Lens 

America’s Leading Discount 

Contact Lens Distributor 

Phone 1-866-923-5600 

Fax 1-866-923-5601 

www.national-lens.com 

TRANSITIONS ® 

PREMIUM ELITE LAB 

Our Specialty — UnCuts 

Approved VSP Lab 

UNCUT CR-39 TURNAROUND: 

In By 12 Noon Out By 4pm 

SAME DAY! 

800-360-5367 FAX: 888-360-5367 

215-289-2480 FAX: 215-289-4046 

To advertise please call 800.914.4322, or visit www.ecpmag.com

Last Look 

Leave it to our 

cousins in Jolly Old 

England to do a BBC 

survey and to blow 

the whistle on the 

most hated clichés! 

Cliché; a French word of course! A phrase, 

expression, or idea overused so much it is 

more likely to be used in a negative 

connotation (Also, a printing term when 

type was set by hand). 

We have entered a millennium when original thought and creativity 

is frowned upon, judging by the abundance of clichés in 

our media and everyday life. Airhead celebs and brain dead 

politicians alike use the lingo of the media. What is the poor 

man in the street to do? I fear for new generations of our 

impressionable kids growing up without being able form a 

complete sentence absent the words “Like” or “Whatever.” 

Here in America our politicians live and die by cliché. Sound 

bites are their forte, so trite phrases are about all you hear 

(I believe there are special academies for public officials that 

carefully train our politicians and civil servants in an officialspeak 

language that bears little resemblance to everyday 

English). 

Turn on TV news and listen to any government official’s 

verbiage. Phrases such as,“The end of the day,”“The whole nine 

yards” (Actually refers to a Scotsman’s dress kilt!), “We give 110 

percent” (Hmm, 6 pounds of what, in a 5 pound bag?), “Going 

forward” (as opposed to going backward?), and let us not forget 

the ever popular “24/7.” 


At The End of the Day... 

What self-respecting local hack... er, politician 

could live without the phrase, “Let me 

speak to that issue” – they would be utterly 

helpless. Another favorite would be “At this 

moment in time,” along with the evergreen, 

“I, personally...” 

The English respondents were scathing in 

their comments and obviously their public 

servants aren’t much more erudite than 

ours. “To be honest” was one particularly 

despised phrase signifying to most that it 

means the user is usually dishonest! 

“By the end of play today,” “Can’t get my 

head around it,” “Don’t just talk the talk, 

you got to walk the walk,” “Lessons will be learned,” “Actually,” 

“Brilliant,”“You know?”“To be fair,” and so on. Makes you wish 

a new Winston Churchill would come along and show us how 

to speak precisely, (and with clarity) once again. 

We in the optical field are no strangers to cliché-ridden 

language. “They’ll (new glasses) be fine, you just have to get 

used to them,” or “You’ll look like Sarah Palin in these!” and the 

ever popular, “But we made them according to your Doctor’s 

prescription!” 

“So, at the end of the day, remember that the things we think are 

fairly unique are absolutely not. I personally suggest, with all 

due respect, that we stop using these clichés. At this moment in 

time, it’s a nightmare to hear these tropes 24/7. C’mon, shouldn’t 

of we have stopped this a long time ago? It’s easy, lets do it. 

After all, its not rocket science.” ■ 

Yours Truly, 

Jim (a true original) Magay 

Jim Magay, RDO

“Knife Edge 

Plus Lenses” 

21st Century Optics 

47-00 33rd St., Long Island City, NY 11101 (800) 221-4170 

53 Brown Ave., Springfield, NJ (800) 672-1096 

www.21stcenturyoptics.com / www.quickcareframerepair.com

EYECAREPROFESSIONAL ... - EyeCare Professional Magazine

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