Frame and Lens Packages
With insurance today, your patients’ choices in eyeglass frames and lens treatments are often restricted for the first pair. Offering affordable second and third pairs of glasses has become a challenge due to price. Many patients have varied life styles that the first pair does not always satisfy. Being able to offer sunwear or special application lenses such as computer and other lifestyle eyewear is essential to maintaining a healthy bottom line. The use of frame and lens packages allows for the multiple pair sale resulting in increased patient satisfaction (retention) and a better bottom line.
This is where you can use these types of frame and lens packages to your advantage. The package allows you to present a second and third pair as being discounted or ‘special price’, thus making it more attractive to the patient. Many patients need to be educated about what is available to enhance their lifestyle. Packages that include free-form lenses are the best. These packages allow you to offer virtually any type of lens tailored to the patient’s unique activity.
“Many patients need to be educated about what is available to enhance their lifestyle.”
One lab’s frame and lens program includes over 12 different free-form designs that meets virtually all your patient lifestyles, while maintaining an affordable price for both you and your patient. The more modern frame and lens programs also include all the treatments (Anti-reflective coating, Photochromics, UV & Blue Light protection, etc.) and multiple lens designs – not just clear single vision lenses in a frame.
These types of packages can also make service and turn-around much easier, enabling you to deliver complete jobs to your patients faster than normal. The way these programs work is that your lab provides the frame, and deals with edging and mounting. Once you order it, the only other thing you have to do is dispense it. That makes it an even better investment for you, the ECP, as you don’t have to invest a lot of your time or effort in shipping frames or edging the lenses yourself.
It can be beneficial to ask your lab(s) if they have this kind of a program that you can use for your more budget-conscious customers. If you can offer them a good selection at reasonable prices, then you create an additional sense of value in your customer’s mind. It becomes more attractive for them to come back to your practice, as opposed to going to whoever happens to accept their insurance.
Bill “Other Bill” Heffner, IV
Director of IT, Marketing and Sales, FEA Industries, Inc.
