Presenting an AR option to your patients is more important than ever with AR coating applied to nearly 30% of all lenses sold. In a survey by the Vision Council of America, 60% of all eyewear consumers have a desire to purchase an AR lens but many consumers are not even offered the choice. According to 20/20 Magazine, “improvements have reached a point where AR is not just a “nice to have” but many consider AR a necessity. Sure wearers can live without it, buy why should they?”

The patient benefits of AR coating are undeniable. By minimizing surface reflections AR coating improves vision when dealing with overhead lighting, computer screens and window glare. Vision during night driving is also improved reducing the glare of oncoming headlights. AR lenses are more cosmetically appealing for improved patient appearance. Not offering an AR option is a missed opportunity to improve patient satisfaction and even more importantly, a missed opportunity to grow your practice profitability.

Past barriers to providing an AR option such as quality, delivery time and cost, are eliminated with the in-office nanoCLEAR AR unit. Designed for use with the Q-2100 Digital Lens System, the nanoCLEAR AR unit processes lenses that are anti-reflective with a hydrophobic/oleophobic top coat in under 90-minutes. Using nano particle technology, our breakthrough design is a small table top system that easily installs in most offices. It is clean quite and automated for easy operator integration. Priced about the same as an edger, the nanoCLEAR AR unit is an affordable and profitable addition to any practice.

Capitalizing on increased photochromic sales can improve both patient satisfaction and your bottom line. According to Vision Care Product News, “the goal of every eyecare professional should be to offer the best products to all patients and photochromic lenses are high on the list of great products to offer”. Whether sold as an everyday lens or as a second pair, you can use the following tips to build your sunSMART II photochromic business.

Tip #1: Is everyone in your practice wearing photochromics? If not, they should be. A personal recommendation from someone wearing the product can go a long way in the sales process. Tell them how much you love your photochromic lenses and how they comfortably adjust to the light both indoors or out and see just how far your testimonial can go.

Tip #2: Are you recommending lenses during the eye exam? If the doctor shares a product recommendation with the patient in the exam room, they will be more likely to act on the suggestion. When the doctor is wearing the product recommended, you are almost assured a sale.

Tip #3: Are you presenting the photochromic option to everyone? Adult, mature adult, teen or child all can benefit from a photochromic lens. Make sure to always ask, “Would you like lenses that are clear indoors and darken when you are in the sun?” Or ask, “Are you concerned about eye health?” Both questions lead directly into the photochromic lens discussion increasing your chance of a sale.

Learn the 5 Reasons Why Offering Up Texting is Good for Your Business

by Samantha Toth Eyecare Business December

• Patient Engagement: Providing a wide range of communication channels…allows patients to connect with you in the way that fits them best.
• Patient Satisfaction: Four out of 5 patients say they prefer texting over calling their healthcare provider…
• Easy Inquiries: Encourage your patients to test your practice to easily check on the status other eyewear, update their records, or cancel appointments…
• Faster Responses: Have a patient coming into the office and need a quick answer before they arrive? Text them! It’s easy for your patients to reply when they cannot return your call.
• Mo’ Marketing: Amp up your current marketing strategy through the integration of text messaging. Have your patients opt in to promotional messaging and share current deals or educational material with the via text…

With the Q-2100 you produce digital quality lenses through a patented lens production process that utilizes digital glass molds on both the front and back surfaces of the lens.

This digital process is the only process that eliminates direct machining or polishing of either lens surface for a clarity of vision that cannot be achieved any other way.

Q-2100 digital lenses mirror the surface quality and prescription accuracy of the glass mold to an exacting tolerance.

Each digital lens is processed in premium index materials custom made to the patients finished Rx.

Dispense digital lenses to upgrade the visual clarity of every patient!

As a Q-2100 or nanoCLEAR AR system owner, you have certain lens warranties that you can pass onto your patients. These warranties carry a real value to you and your patients and can help build a long lasting customer relationship.

1. Non Adapt: Optical Dynamics offers a 6-month progressive non-adapt warranty from the date the lens is dispensed. If the patient returns their lenses for non adapt, save the lenses and you can return under warranty
2. Photochromic: Optical Dynamics offers a 6-month photochromic warranty from the date the lens is dispensed. If the patient returns their lenses for photochromic issues, save the lenses and you can return under warranty
3. Scratch: If coated with Optical Dynamics’ scratch coat (nanoXT or XTR), Optical Dynamics offers a 12-month scratch warranty from the date the lens is dispensed. If the patient returns their lenses for scratch issues, save the lenses and you can return under warranty. This warranty does not cover abuse of the lens.
4. nanoCLEAR AR: If coated with nanoCLEAR AR, Optical Dynamics offers a 12-month AR warranty from the date the lens is dispensed. The warranty covers scratching, peeling and crazing. If the patient returns their lenses for these issues, save the lenses and you can return under warranty. This warranty does not cover abuse of the lens.

In order to return under warranty, you must

1. Provide proof of the date the lens was dispensed and returned along with the reason for the return.
2. Return in groups of up to 30 pair or 32 pair photochromic (the same quantity as in a bottle of monomer).
3. Call Optical Dynamics customer service 800-587-2743 to obtain an RMA number.
4. Once the lenses are returned they will be reviewed and if they comply with the warranty standards will be replaced in like product at the warranty price.

So as a staff member, why would I want to cast lenses?

Job security: Ever think it’d be easier to just call a lab and have the lenses made? It is easy. In fact it’s so easy that pretty much anyone can do it. Making lenses requires a little more effort, but it also makes you an integral part of the transaction. The person that makes the lenses is harder to do without than the person that orders them. Making lenses in-house also makes the practice you work for more profitable!

It’s pretty cool: Do you ever think about the direct output of your efforts helping people see? You’re making something that improves their lives. You’re not just an order taker and delivery box. Some stores can’t even tell you what kind of lenses they’re selling. The corporate office or lab decides that for them and doesn’t feel the need to tell customers. If you make the lenses you’ll know more about how they behave and how they should be used. You become a more important part of your customers’ lives.

Keep it local: With economic worries and political unrest around the globe, more people are deciding they’d rather spend their time and money at local businesses. Let your customers know you’re actually MAKING their lenses at your store on equipment that’s made in the USA. If you need something out of range, our lab can probably surface it for you and it’ll still be made in the USA (we cast our own blanks in Louisville, KY and surface them in the same lab).

Differentiate yourself and the business: Remember earlier when we were talking about how easy it is to phone an order in? With Internet eyeglass retailers growing, the consumer can easily “phone in” a prescription too. It’s important to give the customer something they can’t get online, so they’ll want to come to your store. Whether it’s a quick turnaround, intimate knowledge of lenses and materials, or the fact that you’re going to personally make the lenses for the user, you have the opportunity to give your customers something a little more special. There are still lots of people that value a personal touch and want to build relationships with the businesses they frequent. Don’t underestimate the importance of those parts of the transaction.

And remember Casters Do it Better!

Ask the Labs, Eyecare Business

If a patient has a high-plus or high-minus Rx, which frame characteristics should be taken into consideration to ensure it will work best with the lenses?

When working with a patient with a high-plus or high-minus lens Rx, say over four or five diopters in total power, the following tips can help:

In general, rounder and smaller shapes are best for reducing edge thickness. One key factor in reducing edge thickness is picking a frame that requires the least amount of decentration. Decentration is the natural enemy of high-power lenses, as decentration increases, so does edge thickness. Another way to look at it: The closer the geometric center of each eye is to the pupil, the less edge thickness there will be.

Of course, other aspects of frame choice also have a role to play. A frame that hides more of the lens edge will help improve aesthetics— with plus lenses the thickness will tend to be in the nasal, with minus lenses it will be the temple edge. Be careful with drills and rimless groove frames; instead consider zyl or metal frames with thicker eyewires.

As for wraps, they are designed for lower powers, typically from -3.00D to +3.00D, and can become risky above this range. For wraps in general, we strongly recommend consulting the frame manufacturer to determine the lens range the frames were designed to accommodate.

— Swen Carlson, vice president, operations, VSP Optics Group

A Look at Lens Materials by Jenean Carlton, ABOC, Eyecare Business

Given all the considerations of lens materials, how do you make a decision about the best lens material for your patients?  First, learn about the patient’s prescription and lifestyle needs and then research data about materials.

Index of Refraction: Index of refraction indicates how readily a lens material will refract a bean of light. The higher the index of refraction, the more the material will bend light rays. The higher the index of refraction, the thinner the lenses can be processed. Plus power lenses are thinner in the center when fabricated and minus lenses are thinner on the edges.

Abbe Value: White light is made up of the visible spectrum of wavelengths from 380nm to 760nm, with each wavelength corresponding to different colors of light. The higher the Abbe value of a material, the less likely it is to have problems with dispersion or chromatic aberration, which is perceived as color fringing or off axis blurring in the lens periphery.

Specific Gravity: Specific gravity is a measurement that determines a lens material’s weight. The lower the density or specific gravity of a material the lighter it will be when fabricated into a lens.

Reflectance: All lenses reflect at least a small percentage of light; some reflect a significant amount depending on the refractive index of the material. The higher the materials refractive index, the greater the percentage of light reflected from the lens surfaces. (END ARTICLE)

At Optical Dynamics, our clearLIGHT advantage lens combines the best of all attributes:

• Thin – Premium Index
• Light Weight – 1.20 g/cm3
• High ABBE Value = 40
• UVA & UVB Protection
• Exceeds FDA Standards
• Drillable
• Excellent Tint Absorption

Eyecare Business by Stephanie K. De Long

Tip #1 Be Visual & Verbal – Marketing and message have to take into consideration not just the age of kids but also whether your communication is meeting their learning styles. That’s often overlooked.

Tip #2 Understand the Essence – Whether you’re talking about a product, program, or promotion, this is an exercise that has proved very useful at Youth Market Systems in the development and marketing stages.

Tip #3 Consider Identification Patterns – Whether it’s a real person or – in terms of character identification – an animal or cartoonlike personality, you can understand identification patterns: how a child relates to and interacts with things and people.

Tip #4 One Size Won’t Fit All – Whether attempting to market through advertising, print, promotions, or the Internet, certain generalizations are often applied. Some work, Some definitely don’t.