EyeCare Professional Magazine May 2013 Issue by ECP Magazine

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COLORS OF SUMMER / PAGE 6

2013 ACCESSORIES SUPPLEMENT / INSIDE May 2013 • Volume 7, Issue 65 • www.ECPmag.com

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EYECAREPROFESSIONAL

MAY 2013 Vol. 7 Issue 65

Features 6

Courtesy of Cotton Club / National Lens

Contents

Magazine

THE COLORS OF SUMMER Brighten up your practice for the summer with the latest in colorful eyewear and sunwear by ECP Staff

RETAIN AND REFER Retaining existing patients and gaining their referrals is an efficient way to maximize your sales.

by Anthony Record, ABO/NCLE, RDO

FINE TUNE YOUR WEBSITE Five simple tips that can help you create and maintain a functional and informative website. by Corrie Pelc

MANAGING YOUR AR SALES Learn how to effectively manage, market, and ultimately increase your Anti-Reflective sales. by Renee Jacobs, OD, M.A.

TINT TANKS The “art” of tinting comes from knowing your tank and what works best for which material. by John Seegers, M.Ed., LDO

KENYAN FRAME ART Cyrus Kabiru has used junk and recyclables to create art through his unique C-Stunner frames. by Elmer Friedman, OD

On The Cover: JF REY 212-842-1269 www.jfreyusa.com

Departments EDITOR/VIEW......................................................................................................4 DISPENSING OPTICIAN...................................................................................24 INDUSTRY PROFILE..........................................................................................26 MOVERS AND SHAKERS ..................................................................................34 INDUSTRY QUICK ACCESS..............................................................................40 ADVERTISER INDEX .........................................................................................41 LAST LOOK .........................................................................................................42 EYECARE PROFESSIONAL 3

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EDITOR VIEW Jeff Smith

EYECAREPROFESSIONAL

Magazine

Accessorize your Practice N KEEPING with the theme of this issue’s supplement, I would like to discuss a sometimes neglected but potentially profitable market – accessories. It may be difficult to compete with the chains on price, but you can differentiate yourself with the quality and variety of your small ticket items. Accessories may not result in big sales individually, but incrementally they can add much needed revenue without taking up too much space or sales time.

If you don’t already have an accessories display area, set one up. One of the best areas is the dispensing area, where they can be presented as the patient receives their new glasses, but the cashier area can work as well. When presenting accessories, keep your presentation light and fun. Remember to emphasize the added benefits, and sell on value. Don’t let the enthusiasm of fitting the patient to their new eyewear make you lose sight of helping them identify and fulfill their needs. Here are some of the most common accessory categories. Readers: Although we would prefer presbyopes to buy Rx readers, there is a viable market for over-the-counter reading glasses. Drugstores and warehouse retailers may appear to have this market cornered, but through recognizable branding and service, there is an opportunity to set yourself apart from the big boys, who can’t offer the same experience. Premium cases: There are several premium cases available that offer fun looks, added features such as mirrors, room for contacts as well as the glasses, carrying handle, etc. And for the guys; there are oversized cases, cases that clip to a shirt pocket or the visor of the car, as well as sports cases, featuring golf, football, or any number of other sports. Lens cleaner: Even if you already provided your patient with a free sample, now is the time to remind them of the importance of wetting the lenses before wiping them off, and the convenience of having several bottles of the lens cleaner available at home. Many dispensaries will give a small bottle with the new frame, but have larger bottles available for sale. Lens towels or wipes: While you might give a sample with purchase, be sure to mention having several in the house, car, and at work. How often is a clean, soft cloth readily available? Usually not when you need it, and most of the towels are fashionably packaged and designed. Frame holders, lanyards/jewelry, visor frame clips, repair kits: These inexpensive accessories can make life a lot easier. Be sure to mention lanyards to your patients who are purchasing readers or computer glasses; they’re a great way to keep from losing the glasses. Also, don’t forget them for sport enthusiasts, especially those who are active on the water. ■

EYECARE PROFESSIONAL

Publisher/Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jeff Smith Production/Graphics Manager. . . . . . . . . . . Bruce S. Drob Director, Advertising Sales . . . . . . . . . . . . Lynnette Grande Contributing Writers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Judy Canty, John Dick, Paul DiGiovanni, Gary Fore, Elmer Friedman, Lindsey Getz, Renee Jacobs, Ginny Johnson, Jim Magay, Warren McDonald, Corrie Pelc, Anthony Record, John Seegers, Jason Smith Technical Editor . . . . . . . . Brian A. Thomas, P.h.D, ABOM 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 7 Number 65 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 resddddd 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.

For Back Issues and Reprints contact Jeff Smith, Publisher at 800-914-4322 or by Email: jeff@ECPmag.com Copyright © 2013 by OptiCourier Ltd. All Rights Reserved For Subscription Changes, email: admin@ecpmag.com Scan this barcode with your smartphone to go to our website.

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no adverts, just buy our glasses

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‚Oh gosh! Now look at that! How much sex can you put in one single photo?! That prurience, the whole thrilling atmosphere of this photo is really giving me goosebumps. What a woman! And what is she wearing? Of course, ic! berlin. That woman, that look, that frame…that’s what I would call a symbol of eroticism. Phew!‘ J.H.

‘nameless 5’ worn by Nina Feil - Psychologist

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SUMMER COLORS

DYNAMIC BRIGHTS

1. A&A Optical

2. Classique Eyewear

3. ClearVision

The Carnival pattern, from Jimmy Crystal New York, is inspired by the vibrant colors and energy found in Rio’s Carnival. Matching accessory pieces are available to enhance the product and brand and create excitement at point-of-sale. Shown is JCS911, an acetate frame with polarized lenses, which features hand set Swarovski crystal elements. www.aaopticalco.com

Lisa Loeb Eyewear’s “Cake and Pie” stays true to the vintage cat eye fashion trend, in charming pink, subtle purple, classic tortoise and bold black shades. Acetate is the prevailing material, rich in color and solid in fabrication, it compliments the sturdiness of the looks seen on the runway with hints of geek-chic and sexy secretary. www.classique-eyewear.com

BCBGMAXAZRIA Luxe is a glamorous acetate frame that features a flattering modified square shape, front metal trim that marries to high metal temple, and mixed color and shaped stones on temple, creating a truly modern and stunning look. Available in Black and Tortoise. www.cvoptical.com

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SUNWEAR FASHION 5

4. JF Rey

5. Cotton Club

6. Marcolin

TOOTIM: Sunglasses line signed BOZ, to dazzle women who love original and smart pieces. With lines that marvelously contrast with colors and volumes, Tootim assumes its fashion style. The model is distinguished with the elegance and the boldness of acetate combinations: 4 possibilities to complete the look this summer. www.jfreyusa.com

Cotton Club Polarized sunglass collection is constructed of the newest materials and defines the concept of style, quality and luxury at affordable prices. This new line of 30 sunwear frames consists of men’s, women’s, unisex and sport models. (models pictured CC 1047 and CC 1059) Sold exclusively in North America by National Lens. www.national-lens.com

Diesel – DL0069 in color 42G: Made for contemporary women with an unconventional attitude, this 1960’s-inspired style evokes carefree charm. This model is characterized by a combination of different materials, such as acetate and metal with tone on tone mirror lenses and is available in two vibrant hues. www.marcolinusa.com

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Match Eyewear

The four launch models from Danny Gokey Sun reflect a modern interpretation of vintage charm, speaking directly to the classic, genuine and unique style of the brand and delivering effortless cool to men and women, between 18 and 35. A quaint round eye shape is updated with uplifted corners, subtle metal accents and slim temples on DGS 100. www.matcheyewear.com

Hilco

Hilco’s new metal collection of Rx Sunglasses offer a sophisticated contemporary twist on best selling traditional shapes. The metal collection includes three new styles in two sizes and three frame colors. Leader Rx Sunglasses are Hilco’s Smart Optical Solution to the price barriers and optical limitations of 8-base wrap sunglasses. www.hilco.com

Zeal Optics Revolution Eyewear

Don Ed Hardy is considered the “Godfather” of tattoo, and is the person who helped to make tattoos into high end art. He incorporated Irezumi into his tattoo art to make it more vibrant and colorful. Revolution first incorporated the tattoos onto the temples of the infamous sun-glasses, what followed is a feast for the eyes. The New Ed Hardy Collection has a whole new vibe. www.revolutioneyewear.com

Shown is Zeal’s new Kennedy frame, made with the world’s first plant-based lens, e-llume. The sunglass is specifically designed for those who lead an active life without compromising style. With its hidden spring hinge, pro flex rubber and unique shape, the Kennedy is made for those wanting to make a bold statement and are confident in what they want. www.zealoptics.com

ic! berlin One of our top models has been used in our collaboration with Italia Independent, applying a velvet effect front, one of I-I’s distinguishing features. Thanks to the UV LUX treatment, that makes the surface of the sunglasses smooth and soft to the touch. They seem to be covered with velvet, the treatments give to the product a scratch resistant finish and guarantee the color even after long exposure to the sun. www.ic-berlin.de ic! berlin

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Avalon Eyewear

Modern Optical

The new WiRED Polarized Sunglass collection for men features a mix of Avalon’s modern sensibilities as well several styles that have a fashion-tech edge. There are four plastic styles and three metals, all of which are Rx-friendly. Each style features polarized lenses as standard, the majority of which also feature back-coat Anti-Reflective treatment for enhanced visual clarity. www.avaloneyewear.com

Monterey Pop is an acetate sun reader offering oversized fronts with UV400 protection. Look stylish while reading at the pool or beach in these tortoise frames accented with a “pop” of green on the interior. Show your style, not your age. www.modernoptical.com

Baby Banz

REM Eyewear

Baby Banz has launched the new specialty line of Junior Banz. These frames feature Swarovski crystals hand placed by Jimmy Crystal of New York. These fun frames are fashionable and protective – featuring 100% UVA/UVB protection as well as polarized lenses. usa.babybanz.com The latest sunwear collection from Tumi is built with equal parts passion and purpose. Carl Zeiss Vision has developed a CR-39 polarized lens exclusively for the collection, TUMI ZR3™, which offers superior optical and visual performance. Named for bridges around the world, the Sun Collection delivers on the Tumi promise of blending superior quality and functionality with design excellence. www.remeyewear.com

Gold & Wood Releasing three new solar frames: ATIK, ATRIA, and AVIOR. These Sunpieces embody the delicate revival of the brand by connecting its customers with the magic of the world around us. Connecting timelessness with modernity, the three models strike the perfect balance between the latest trends and classic style. The Sunpieces come with polarized lenses, and are available in three combinations of wood and precious metals. www.gold-and-wood.com

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friezeframes

Rudy Project

Handmade 100% in the USA, friezeframes continues to push the style boundaries with the inauguration of its newest collection, The Presidential Collection. Featured frames; Roosevelt in Black/Red with polarized lens & Reagan in Blue Stripe with polarized lens. www.friezeframes.com

Oversized lenses and stylish lines give a Diva allure: those are some of the features of the Sunflower sunglasses. Enriched by luminous rhinestones, the Sunflower is an elegant accessory which stands out. Guaranteed 100% UVA & UVB protection, the Sunflower come with a 3 year frame and lifetime lens warranty, even against scratches. www.rudyprojectusa.com

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MANAGING OPTICIAN Anthony Record, ABO/NCLE, RDO

Where Have All Our Clients Gone? Where Have All Our Clients Gone? And How Can We Get Them Back And How Can We Get Them Back WHEN A PROSPECTIVE new patient walks through the doors of Max Optics (my office in Port Richey, Florida), I immediately have two goals that guide everything I say and do: Retain and Refer. My initial goal is, of course, to retain them for the initial transaction. I do this by trying to establish rapport and by communicating in such a way that I distinguish myself from other ECPs (Eye Care Professionals) they have come in contact with over the years. Throughout the initial fitting and ordering process, I continue working on retaining the patient for all his or her future optical transactions by giving world-class service. When the patient picks up the glasses a few days later I do not hand them to her and say, “How do they feel?” I place them on her face, and begin a hands-on, custom-fitting. Sometimes that means cutting temples, making several bends, utilizing my hands and several different pliers. I often inform the patient as to why I am making every cut, twist, bend, and turn. Once I’m sure the glasses fit perfectly I hand them to the patient and say, “Here you go. They’ve been custom fit just for you. These should be the most comfortable glasses you’ve ever had.” I then thank them for their patronage, walk them to the door, and ask them to please tell all of their family and friends about me, and how I rely on referrals to remain in business. This helps to ensure that they will work to achieve my second goal: referrals. A few days later they receive a personal thank you letter, again thanking them for their patronage, encouraging them to come see me if anything is not

100% satisfactory, and to please refer, refer, refer. And guess what? It works. Without any other advertising, Max has thrived even in the hardest of economic times. Unfortunately, many private (and corporate) optical dispensaries do not fare as well. Sometimes after years of being in business they must shut their doors. Why? The number of customers, clients, or patients that come through those doors have dwindled to unsustainable levels. Retention rates plummet. Referrals are rare. After years of taking patients for granted and providing mediocre care, sometimes it’s just too late. Before it becomes too late for you and your business, consider why your clients might be disappearing – and where exactly they are going. In his groundbreaking book, The Ultimate Marketing Plan, researcher and author Dan S. Kennedy discovered some universal statistics that apply to every kind of business, including ours. He found that, generally speaking, this is where your clients have gone: 1% die; 3% move away; 5% form other interests; 9% leave for a better product or service; 14% leave because of dissatisfaction with the current product or service; and 68% leave due to what they perceive as indifference from the merchant or someone within the merchant’s organization. They feel unappreciated, unimportant and taken for granted. Before you start spending your heardearned money trying to attract new clients, consider these startling statistics, which were compiled at about.com: Repeat customers spend on average 33% more than new customers. Referrals from repeat

customers are 107% greater than those from non-customers. It costs 6 times more to sell something to a prospect than to a current client. Most startlingly, it costs as much to gain one new client than to keep five existing ones. Let’s consider Kennedy’s six reasons why clients leave and what we can do about each one. 1% die. I guess there’s nothing to do about this one...kind of hard to retain a patient if they’ve gone to the great beyond...or is it? Many years ago when I was still an apprentice optician, my sponsor was phoning some of our customers to let them know their glasses were ready. Of course, all I could hear was his side of the conversations. Consider my surprise when I heard this one: “Hi, I’m just calling to let you know that Mr. Johnson’s eyeglasses are ready to be picked up...oh no...I’m so sorry to hear that...I tell you what, though, he’d probably look really nice laid out in these new glasses.” I swear, that really happened. And you’d have to know my sponsor to know that he meant no disrespect. He was truly speaking from his heart. Short of some bizarre experience like that, let’s just concede this one and concentrate on the other 99% who are at the very least still vertical. 3% move away. On the surface it might seem that this is another category that we must concede. After all, how can I retain a patient at my practice in Florida when the whole family up and moved to Maine, or Michigan, or Las Vegas, or Scotland? And why did I just mention such disparate places? Those four places popped into my mind because I routinely send optical products to families who live there. Patients who at one time were Florida Continued on page 14

12 E Y E C A R E P R O F E S S I O N A L

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You could WIN a cruise vacation or cash prize & earn gift card rewards Purchase KODAK Progressive Lenses from a participating lab during April 1 - August 31, 2013.

ABBREVIATED PROMOTION RULES Promotion includes a sales incentive program and sweepstakes. No purchase necessary to enter sweepstakes. Open to individual eye care professionals or eye care practice employees who are 19 years of age or older and a legal resident of one of the fifty United States or District of Columbia, and who have approval from an owner, officer or director of the professional eye care practice at which such individual is employed or working. Void where prohibited. Runs 4/1/13 - 8/31/13. Subject to official rules (which include details on free method of sweepstakes entry) available at www.KODAKLensPromo.com. Sweepstakes Prizes (cruise certificate or cash alternative) will be awarded to the professional eye care practice at which the registered participant is employed or works, NOT to the entering participant. Gift card incentives will be awarded to the individual participant.

Kodak and the Kodak trade dress are trademarks of Kodak, used under license by Signet Armorlite, Inc. All other brands mentioned are the property of their respective owners. ÂŠ2013 Signet Armorlite, Inc.

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residents and Max clients who still trust me enough to still do business with me. It’s not uncommon for me to go to my post office box and receive a package from a loyal, albeit distant, client. A typical note might read: “Dear Anthony, I have enclosed my titanium eyeglass frame I purchased from you last year. I’ve also enclosed a copy of my new prescription. Please make me new lenses - ultra thin and Transitions like last time. Here’s my credit card number...” Wow. That’s loyalty. 5% form other interests. What Kennedy further explains with this one is that 5% of the people who quit your practice do so on the advice of a friend or family member. Think about that. If you read between the lines what that tells me is that some other optical dispensary has done such a better job with retaining and referrals that their patients are actively recruiting new patients from their ECP’s competitors. That might be you! Of course if you offer hands-on, world-class service, when your friend or family member suggests to someone that they ought to “form other interests,” the answer will be “no.” They will say they are perfectly happy with your service and they may even turn the table - recruiting that person for you! 9% leave for a better product or service, or the perception of a better product or

service. How can we counter this one? How about offering better products and services ourselves. If you feel your products and services are comparable to others, maybe it is just a perception issue. It then becomes a matter of more effective communication. Make sure that your customers are properly educated and informed of the value they are receiving at your dispensary. Revisit your price lists. Are the prices you charge for your products and services reasonable? How would you feel if you found out your mom (who lives 2,000 miles away) had visited an optician and was charged for her glasses what you charge. Would you feel she had received a fair shake? Or would you think she’d been swindled? That empathetic approach might shed a pretty bright light on the perceived value you offer your clientele. 14% leave because of dissatisfaction with a current product or service. To put that into language that might be more appreciated by a practice owner, it means that they were angry because they had to return to the optical shop four or five times before their glasses finally almost fit comfortably. Maybe they’re upset because a hinge screw fell out several times. Or the metal frame turned green after a few months. The time to discover if product

dissatisfaction was a contributing factor as to why they quit another practice is when you first encounter the new patient. Find out exactly what the problem was, and then make sure that never happens with your product. For example, if the complaint was a screw that fell out too often, treat the screws with Loctite Threadlocker before they’re ever dispensed. Make sure they never lose a screw! This type of proactivity will ensure that you never lose a patient due to product dissatisfaction. Finally, realize that 68% of the people who quit patronizing a business do so because they felt staff members demonstrated a sense of indifference. That means the patient felt staff members just didn’t care, showed no interest or concern, that they felt unimportant and not valued. This one is tricky. You can’t fake it. You have to realize that the only reason you even exist is to serve your clients. You must model the behavior you expect in your staff members, and deal quickly and harshly to employees who do not embrace this philosophy. Treat your patients and their optical needs with the respect and professionalism they deserve, attend to some of the other things, and watch your practice thrive. I

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US Optical Implements Essilor’s DEFINITY & Crizal In-House Processing Technologies

Ron Cotran, Robert Cotran, Ralph Cotran, and Jay Sagor (Lab Manager)

Essilor of America, Inc. has announced that it will be completing the technology transfer of its patented DEFINITY® and Crizal® processes to East Syracuse, NY’s US Optical Laboratory, effective March, 2013. With access to Essilor’s DEFINITY and Crizal EXT technologies, US Optical will be able to fully manufacture DEFINITY lenses including both DEFINITY and DEFINITY Short Lenses, and the Crizal family of products: Crizal Avancé UV™, Crizal Alizé UV™, and Crizal Easy UV™. “We are extremely pleased to receive Essilor’s state of the art DEFINITY and Crizal technologies for in-house production at US Optical. This will allow us to integrate these excellent and leading technologies into our business model, thus providing ECP’s with fast service on Essilor’s DEFINITY and Crizal products. My brothers and I are elated to continue our 25 year long term relationship as a distributor of Essilor’s products,” Ralph Cotran, Vice President of US Optical. US Optical’s new Crizal and DEFINITY facility will operate Essilor’s proprietary and patented processes control to ensure quality compliance, and to guarantee consistency at the highest possible level. All Crizal No-Glare lenses offer the clearest vision and now also provide the most complete daily UV protection with an E-SPF™ of 25. The Eye-Sun Protection Factor™ (E-SPF) is a global index developed by Essilor and endorsed by independent third parties, measuring the lens’ UV protection excluding direct eye exposure from around the lens. E-SPF of 25 means the wearer is 25 times more protected than without any lens.

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TECHNOLOGICAL ECP Corrie Pelc

World Wide WOW 5 Tips for Making Your Website Better Right Now

irrelevant. “The news should not be Merry Christmas at Easter,” she says.

Chances are good you have a website for your practice. But is your website doing your practice any good?

have and starting over – it just means you have to make a few changes and put in a bit of effort to make it a strong tool for your practice. The following are five tips that you can do to help improve your website right now.

For instance, when was the last time you updated the content on your site? Is your contact information and hours up-to-date? Do patients complain they have trouble finding things on your site? Do you even know if patients are visiting your website?

Tip #1 – Content is King

If these questions are causing you concern, then this article is for you. Improving your practice’s website does not have to mean tearing down what you 16 E Y E C A R E P R O F E S S I O N A L

Paradi says keeping the site updated with fresh content does not have to be daunting or difficult, and can include things like charity events the practice is participating in, welcoming a new staff member, new equipment additions, or information on the latest developments in the eye care industry. “People panic and think I can’t come up with something, but there’s quite a variety of things that count as ‘news’ and can help you keep your site fresh so that whatever time I visit it, I’m not seeing something that’s obviously outdated,” she explains.

One of the first changes ECPs can make to help improve their website right now is updating the content – both words and photos – on their site.

Make sure your photos are just as current as your written content, suggests Kelli Worth, senior Innexus specialist for Innexus by Innereactive Media. “Don’t have pictures displaying glasses from the 80’s or 90’s on your pages,” she says. Worth also says to make sure the photos on your website are the appropriate file size as a too large file can cause a webpage to load slowly, and impatient visitors may leave.

According to Karri Paradi, director of marketing for EyeCarePro, ECPs should remember a website is not static – unlike a printed brochure, content can and should be changed as information becomes

Up-to-date photos should also include those of your staff, practice and optical, says Stephanie Watts, sales manager for EyeMotion. “It provides a great first impression,” she says.

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And Paradi also advises ECPs take the time to check all written content on the website for proper grammar, spelling and punctuation. “There are handy tools that will do that for you, or you can get someone else to look at it for you,” she adds. Tip #2 – Easy Does It Now that your content is updated, you want to make it easy for patients to find what they need when they visit your website. The first step in making sure your site is easy for patients to use is to look at your site from the patient’s point of view, Watts says. “Today’s website provides a 24/7 open business for information on the practice,” she explains. “For potential new patients, this is a first introduction and, their first impression, so it should be a nice representation of (your) physical business and feature services you offer.” From there, if a practice can edit their website themselves, Worth advises them to look at the navigation of their website and make sure it all makes sense, such as the “contact us” section having email, phone number and hours all easily viewable. She also suggests ECPs look at the font size

they use on their website to make sure all visitors can read what’s on there. “A lot of people know how to zoom, but certain age ranges sometimes have a hard time with that,” she adds. And Paradi advises ECPs keep their websites neat, professional and attractive. “Oftentimes a site becomes an accumulated heap of stuff that ended up on the homepage over time, and nobody stops to think, do I really need all of that stuff or can I streamline it,” she says. Tip #3 – Use It or Lose Them Your site may be fresh and easy, but will patients find it useful? Paradi says nowadays people are expecting to be able to do more when they are online, either through their computer or mobile devices, and it’s important for patients to be able to schedule an appointment through an ECP’s website. She says this could be a tool linked to your practice management system, or just a simple form on the website. Another way to make your website useful is by making patient information forms available on their site, says Rod

Yost, president of EyeMotion. He says that also allows a practice “be their own best ally” as it helps drive both current and prospective patients to their site. “The (patient) forms on the website, that’s really a time-saver for the practice and convenience for the patients to complete information online,” he explains. Paradi also suggests adding contact lens reordering capabilities to a website. This is done through an agreement with a contact lens fulfillment company - the ECP provides a link on their site that drives customers to the ordering website. “Many people are exploring contact lens reorder because it’s happening online whether they want it to or not,” Paradi says. “If my optometrist is not providing me with that utility, I’m going to go to some other place and my optometrist is going to lose that business.” And for even added usefulness, Worth suggests ECPs consider a mobile version of their website for use on smartphones and tablets. “Having the mobile platform version of your site for convenience with one-touch dialing, one-touch directions and things like that really helps as well,” she adds.

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Tip #4 – Find & Seek You could have the loveliest website in the world, but if nobody is coming to it, it’s not going to do you and your practice any good. Paradi says today’s potential patients are turning to the Internet rather than the Yellow Pages, so today’s ECPs have to be a little more tech savvy. “If you’re going to attract new patients, you have to have somewhere for them to go and you have to make sure that your website is popping up when they are searching in their neighborhood or area,” she says. One way of doing this is by optimizing the content of your site to the types of key words and phrases patients might use to search for an ECP in their area, says Worth. “You need to make sure that your content on your pages is written accordingly - we offer optometry in this city and state - so that you have those natural keywords built in that people are going to type in to search,” she explains. Another way an ECP can help themselves be found is through “claiming their business” for free by taking a few minutes to set up an account with Google, Bing, or Yelp, says Watts. Additionally, Watts says this gives them one more place to tell their practice’s story, capture patient

reviews, and even advertise special deals. “This is something that a practice can do themselves to significantly improve their local search engine optimization,” she says. And adding Google Analytics to your website can not only help you in search rankings, but can show you just who is coming to your website and what they are doing while there, Worth says. The tool helps you track statistical data on your site - how many hits do you get a month, what pages do they visit, what time of day do they come by, how long do they stay. “So you can gather all that data and then make wise decisions on marketing investments,” Worth adds. Tip #5 – Don’t You Forget About Me Now that your site is fresh, clean, useful, and has lots of visitors, how do you keep them coming back to your site even when they don’t need to schedule an appointment? Worth says one way is to constantly promote your website’s URL on everything you do, from business cards to letterhead to newspaper ads. And Paradi suggest to not just print it, but say it as well. “Talk to every member of your staff, particularly the desk and phone staff, (and) get them telling everybody –

we have a new website, we updated our website, check the website the next time you want to make an appointment.” Watts suggests that ECPs consider adding patient education videos to their website. “It’s something the patient easily accesses from the website that keeps them coming back as a source of information and education,” she says. Another driver to a website can be an email newsletter. If you send out newsletters, consider adding current & archive issues to your website, in which Watts says ECPs can talk about the news and upcoming events they have posted to their website, such as new technology and equipment, staff updates, specials, and upcoming trunk shows. “This is the place where the eye care professional can tell their story and what separates them from another practice,” Watt adds. And of course, there’s always social media. Worth says integrating your website with sites like Facebook and Yelp can be “phenomenal.” “That’s where everyone is getting the word-of-mouth testimonials and showing people the human side of their business,” she explains. It helps provide the “wonderfulness” of connecting with patients to keep a line of communication open “to hopefully have reoccurring business besides just that appointment once every two years.” I

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THROUGH THE LENS Renee Jacobs, O.D., M.A.

Invoice Review: The Mystery of Lenses Without AR DO YOU LOVE a great mystery novel? As you turn the pages, do you logically sort pertinent details as they are revealed? In suspense, do you analyze all the facts, and then draw your own conclusions? When you reach the finale, do you appreciate a happy ending? If you love a great story, consider applying your passionate curiosity and deductive reasoning to solving mysteries within your business. For example, do you know the percentage of lens orders that include top tier AR? Do you know which

patient populations purchase AR? Do you know which patient populations do not purchase AR? Would it be exciting to study the clues, apply forensic techniques, and solve that puzzle? Your happy ending might include increased numbers of patients experiencing best possible optics while your business increases revenue. Envision a stack of invoices, one month of lens orders, as your unique story titled The Mystery of the Lenses Without AR. The setting is your office. Each order represents an interesting character, a patient with their own background of jobs, marriages, affairs, and lifestyle needs. Each order has clues embedded within the prescription, the lens material, and the suitable lens style. Add engaging detectives, those doctors and opticians inside your business. Then sleuth to solve the puzzle. Identify which patient populations, in your business, do not understand the value of AR treatment on their lenses. Begin your investigation by actively revealing pertinent details. Divide orders into two stacks: those with AR and those without AR. Then sort the invoices without AR toward ferreting out germane evidence. Sort the orders by patient age. Are patients of all ages persuaded that AR is important for every pair of prescription eyewear? Sort the invoices by lens materials. Do any patterns emerge? Sort the orders by lens style. Is your business better at promoting AR for progressives than for single vision

prescriptions? Sort the invoices by lens color. Are you effectively marketing AR for photochromic lenses and sunglasses? When you study the facts, can you identify any victims within your patient base? Which populations are not experiencing the benefits of top tier AR? Know the Benefits of Top Tier AR Anti-Reflective against reflection re•flec•tive (adjective) 1. able to reflect able to reflect light, sound, or other forms of energy 2. resulting from reflection produced by reflection from a surface

An anti-reflective coating is applied to the surface of lenses to reduce light reflection and to increase light transmission through the lens. This improves the efficiency of the system since less light is lost due to reflections. We see best through clear lenses and with increased light. Anti-Static against electric charge e•lec•tro•stat•ic (adjective) 1. relating to static electricity produced by or relating to static electricity 2. of electrostatics produced by or relating to static electricity

The surface repels charged particles, like dust and lint – lenses stay cleaner. Oleophobic oil afraid oleophobic (adjective) lacking affinity for oils

The surface is smudge resistant. The surface repels skin oils from brows and cheeks and finger prints. Lenses stay cleaner and are easier to clean. Continued on page 22

20 E Y E C A R E P R O F E S S I O N A L

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BLUE LIGHT

Are we living in an experiment?

By combining HOYA Sync Phoenix lenses and Recharge AR Treatment, you have the ideal optical formulation for today’s child with a digital lifestyle.

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Hydrophobic water afraid hy•dro•pho•bic (adjective) 1. afraid of water relating to or affected by an extreme fear of water 2. not compatible with water CHEMISTRY not dissolving in, absorbing, or mixing easily with water

The surface wicks away water to stay dry. Water beads and rolls off. Anti Scratch against scratch scratch (verb) 1. scrape surface transitive verb to make a slight mark on the surface of something with something sharp or rough

A superior hard surface is scratch resistant. The result is durability, clear vision, longer life of wear, and often includes an extended warranty. Know the Populations That Can Benefit From Anti-Reflective Coating Why is AR important for a Pre-School Child? It’s a joyful experience to make eye contact with a pre-school child, and read their expressions through clear eyeglass lenses. Children see their best through scratch free surfaces that stay cleaner by repelling dust, lint, sweat, and fingerprint oil. Why is AR important for school children grades K-3, during school and outside of school? Grade school children use their eyes throughout active learning since the majority of information is gathered visually. At school, overhead florescent lighting produces reflections on prescription lenses, making it more difficult for classmates and teachers to see the student’s eyes. Outside of school, a young person will see best through lenses that are free of scratches, despite the occasional spit-shine. Why is AR important for middle school children grades 4 – 8, during school and outside of school? Nowadays, grade school students use backlit devices such as lap top computers and tablets, during coursework and when completing homework assignments. 22 E Y E C A R E P R O F E S S I O N A L

These technologies add glare to lenses, reducing comfort in addition to clarity outside of school, young people often participate in recreational activities. Consider the vision required to nail a landing in gymnastics, or hit a baseball, or spin a skate board. In general, great vision contributes to great athletic achievement. Furthermore, when personal appearance and social status become paramount, young people appreciate lenses that disappear. Lenses are almost invisible when scratch free, glare free, and clean. Top tier AR can improve personal appearance plus confidence. Why is AR important for high school and college age individuals, during school and outside of school? Young people are less inclined to over-wear their contact lenses when they enjoy crystal clear acuity through their back up glasses. Both appearance and quality of vision matter. In addition, anyone who drives at night will have better reaction times and greater peripheral vision when looking through their accurate prescription with glare free surfaces. Finally, when interviewing for that first “real job”, great eye contact is enhanced by clean, scratch free, glare free lenses. Why is AR important for adults? Shouldn’t we offer adults the same great products that we recommend for youth? After all, adults sometimes work under florescent lights. Many use back lit devices like computers, tablets, and smart phones. Some adults even participate in recreational sports. They deserve all of the same benefits as people with fewer birthdays. Make every effort to convey the value of top tier AR. Even adults appreciate best quality vision. Consider Lens Materials and Lens Color High Index Lenses All lens materials refract and reflect. Some light will travel through the lens, and some light will bounce off the surface. Thin lens materials are more reflective than standard ophthalmic plastic due to scientific principals. First, the higher the refractive index, the greater the reflection. Second, the flatter the lens,

the greater the reflection. In general, CR 39 reflects about 7 percent of light, and high index materials can reflect upwards of 50% more light. As patients move into thinner and lighter materials, quality of vision will decrease as reflection increases. For this reason, insist upon top tier AR treatment for those high index materials. Photochromic Lenses Photochromic lenses reflect light just like clear lenses do. AR coating reduces those surface reflections, thereby increasing light transmission. Patients benefit because increasing the amount of light traveling through a photochromic lens causes pigments to change color faster. Faster reaction time means greater comfort. Sunglasses Any eyewear that is worn only part time, is at risk for damage. Loose in a purse or briefcase, sunglasses can rub against keys or other abrasive surfaces. Left on the passenger’s seat, sunglasses might inadvertently slide to the floorboard. You get the idea. Top tier AR protects lens surfaces. The oleophobic and hydrophobic properties of top tier AR deliver huge benefits too. This is especially true for those who wear sunglasses during sports. Sweat is more likely to bead up and roll off rather than smear prescription lenses. We see best through clean, scratch free lenses. Finally, all ophthalmic materials refract and reflect. Everything true regarding CR39 and high index lenses applies to sun lenses too. AR is necessary for best possible vision. Consider Lens Styles Free form lens technologies reduce optical aberrations, thereby improving refractive clarity. Free form technology does nothing to mitigate reflection. This is true for single vision lenses and progressive lenses. Patients will not experience best quality optics unless lens surfaces are scratch free, clean, and glare free. When you sell top tier lenses, insist upon top tier AR treatment too. Deliver best possible vision whenever possible.

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“Your happy ending might include increased numbers of patients experiencing best possible optics while your business increases revenue” Write Your Own Story When you engage in the process of invoice review, reading every order like a page from a mystery novel, you will discover how your story is unique. Your tale, The Mystery of Lenses Without AR, is twisted by your characters. These include patient populations - their culture, their values, and their life aspirations – all happening within your neighborhood. Characters also include your staff, their product knowledge, their people skills, and their abilities to communicate product benefits to patients. Because communities are complex, your puzzle will be unique. Only you can

investigate every clue, and apply forensic science, toward identifying the victims. Only you can determine which patient populations do not understand the value of top tier AR. Consider hosting a mystery dinner. Invite your detective staff of doctors and opticians. Study a month of lens orders. Identify opportunities to improve patient education. Then proactively apply tools and strategy to earn your happy ending. In many stories, the real world vanishes as we are caught up in a world of mystery. However, your novel is non-fiction. In real life, you can improve AR talking points. You can improve AR demonstrations.

You can improve AR product messaging within the management areas of reception, pre-test, the exam, and optical. Use your powers of observation and deductive reasoning. Test new tactics, then measure results. This way, you can proactively revise to create new editions with successful outcomes. You get to fashion your finale. Your happy ending might include increased numbers of patients experiencing best possible optics while your business increases revenue. I

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DISPENSING OPTICIAN Judy Canty, LDO

What does an ECP do on Vacation? I needed a vacation...badly. So, back in January my family planned a visit to Seattle, Washington for mid-April. WHY SEATTLE? My son moved there about a year and a half ago and couldn’t stop talking about how beautiful it is, rain or no rain.

“twoanahalf ”) a monster hat. I was still complimenting complete strangers on their eyewear, and then I found it! Market Optical.

We arrived on a Friday morning and it was raining. Not hard rain, but the kind of intermittent rain that makes you wish you’d brought a hat.

Market Optical is amazing! First, Pike Place Market is the last place I would expect to find an optical boutique. While the Market is a shopping destination for local residents, it is also a huge tourist destination.

Ben was right! It is beautiful. Green and grey, but not oppressive, just sort of soft. More shades of green than a 100count box of Crayons. Silvers and grays and browns that are lush and calming. I began to notice other things as well, like eyeglasses. Seattle wears eyeglasses like no place I’ve ever been. Seattle doesn’t seem to wear them for their trendiness. Seattle wears them for the shape and the COLOR! All these years in the optical business and nobody told me about the Pacific Northwest and how they love colors. I spent the rest of that first day complimenting perfect strangers on their eyewear. My three-piece rimless felt positively boring. Day two, Saturday. Pike Place Market. We were looking for the guys who throw fish around. We found the fish guys and my grandson was delighted. I found flowers. Flowers of every kind in colors I’ve only seen in gardening catalogues. Pike Place Market is a riot of color and sound and smells. It was also Earth Day, which only added to the energy of the location. We wandered through the market. We bought Jackson (the grandson who is 24 E Y E C A R E P R O F E S S I O N A L

I’ve spent several months writing in this magazine about creating an eyeglass experience for patients and here it was, inviting me in to have a look. Thank heaven I was wearing my blue zyl/metal combination frame with the tortoise shell temples! I would have been embarrassed to be in anything less colorful. Market Optical is an oasis of calm and color in the midst of a busy fresh market teeming with people. My guide for the visit was Autumn Simpson, a student at U-Dub, which translates to the University of Washington, and a parttime optician. She was not only quite knowledgeable about the products being displayed but also proud of the reputation and history of Market Optical, a fixture at the market for 32 years. Of course it was a Saturday and the shop was busy, so I decided to investigate further by visiting their website. The site is well designed and easy to navigate. I learned a great deal about how the owner, Ruvane Richman, sees his part in the business community of Pike Place Market. “Market Optical is committed to the

community we serve. We are proud to support our community through donations to numerous school auctions, to the Lions’ Club, and to our own Market Foundation that preserves the traditions and diversity of the Pike Place Market neighborhood through programs that serve low-income and elderly residents of downtown Seattle. In addition, Market Optical has designed and carries an economically affordable frame line to meet the diverse economic needs of our wider client base. We have also sought out opportunities to help fundraise. Each year in December, we donate 10% of our gross revenues to charities such as Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Lifelong AIDS Alliance, and Washington Wilderness Coalition, to name few. In just the past eight years, Market Optical has given $340,000 to local charities. For December 2012, we are concentrating our donation efforts on the following three nonprofits. The first local agency is Puget Soundkeeper Alliance whose mission is to protect and preserve Puget Sound by monitoring, cleaning up and preventing pollutants from entering its waters. Also, our December fund is benefiting the Pike Place Market Foundation that support the Market’s human service agencies for low-income people like a Clinic, Senior Center, Food Bank and Child Care and Preschool and works to preserve the traditions and diversity of the Pike Place Market neighborhood. The third nonprofit we giving to this December is New Beginnings whose mission is to provide shelter, advocacy and support for battered women and their

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children, and to change attitudes and social institutions that foster and perpetuate violence.” Also from the website, I can see that trunk shows are a regular part of the business plan, sometimes at all three locations over a long weekend and sometimes at a specific location. While so many ECPs are wary of trunk shows, Ruvane has made them regular and eagerly anticipated events. He also features photographs of his patients in their eyewear rather than relying solely on manufacturers marketing stills. My next investigative move was to Yelp. I figured that the anonymity of the internet would give me an idea of how the public felt about the Market Optical experience. The first review I found was a lengthy bit of prose about a simple adjustment. An adjustment, for pete’s sake, on a pair not purchased from them. Other reviews included words and phrases like “bada$$” and “pricey but worth it”. Sure, there are some less

than positive reviews, but the overall feeling is that it is the place to go for the best eyewear, eye care and customer service.

able staff that seem genuinely happy to be there and ready to help patients find the perfect eyewear. And lastly, their commitment to the Seattle community.

It seems that what Market Optical has done is to explain clearly and comfortably, the value of quality eyewear. Perhaps that’s another reason why I was so impressed during my visit, everyone I came in contact with was comfortable in their role. Comfortable in explaining why their products and services were worth every penny spent.

It was the eyeglass experience I’ve been looking for.

Now, why did I get so very excited about this chance encounter with an optical shop? First, because the location was so unexpected. Second, because the design, from floor covering that mimicked the walkways outside, to the dark wood furnishings and sophisticated lighting, was high-end without the pretense. Frames are displayed on open glass shelves, spot lighted to make the colors pop. No dust, no fingerprints on demo lenses. Third, helpful, knowledge-

Market Optical actually has 2 other locations, one in University Village and one at Bellevue Square. I intend to visit all of them on my next trip to Seattle, sans grandson. My daughter thought it was hysterical that I kept pointing out eyecare practices as we toured the area, “like it was a surprise to find one”. Eyeglasses bloom in Seattle, rain or shine! I can’t help myself. I love visiting optical shops. I love seeing how they’re designed, what lines they carry and meeting the people who populate them. It’s what this ECP does on vacation. I

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ACCULAB

Offering Digital Expertise and Top Notch Service EyeCare Professional’s Paul DiGiovanni, LDO, speaking with Chris Brundies, CEO, Acculab. Joe Colton (left) and Chris Brundies (right)

Please provide us with a brief overview and history of Acculab. I have worked in many of the different facets of this industry and the wholesale side has always been the most enjoyable for me. The excitement of all the advanced technological breakthroughs has fascinated me and given me the drive to continue in this market. Acculab started as a one man show seven years ago, where I would work long hours doing everything from sales, maintenance, customer service, training and of course producing lenses for ECPs in the Midwest. The last few years things have started to pickup, and I brought on our Production Manager Matt Jordan, followed by our Director of Sales and Marketing Joe Colton. Bringing on more team members has allowed me to stay focused on the success of our lab. In January of 2012 we were excited to bring in state-of-the-art Schneider free form digital equipment which has turned out to be a key stepping stone for an independent lab like us. I started my optical career in the Army in December, 1988. I continued to make lenses for the military for the next 6.5 years. Shortly after leaving the service, I owned and operated a retail store which included a lab. In 2005 I decided a wholesale lab was what fit me best and decided to start focusing my energy on that side of things. With December being my 25th anniversary in the optical market, I am proud to be a part of this ever-changing and fascinating profession. Acculab prides itself on customer service and tech support. What makes Acculab different from its competitors? Being an independent lab brings about huge advantages to ECPs around the nation. We are not bound by corporate policy. Acculab is able to accommodate each business relationship on a more personal level to meet the needs of both the patient and the ECP. We have a trained and knowledgeable staff who can assist our ECPs in areas some other labs cannot. I’ve heard from count26 E Y E C A R E P R O F E S S I O N A L

less owners and opticians, who call certain labs, only to be put on hold for long periods of time. And when they finally do get through to someone, that person isn’t qualified or knowledgeable enough to solve the problem or even answer the question, which as we all know can be very frustrating. Acculab takes a different approach. We start off by providing each individual ECP one-on-one training on digital free form lenses, covering all aspects. We have educated team members who understand the importance of customer relationships and are equipped with the knowledge to answer even the most unique of questions. Acculab works closely with an onsite optometrist office and dispensary, which gives us more in-depth knowledge of the market and allows our team to work directly with the wearers to strengthen their knowledge. Working directly with patients gives us the benefit to understand the importance of customer service, quality, and turnaround time. Joe Colton, Director of Sales, is an integral part of your organization. Can you tell us a little about his background and his role with the company? Joe Colton has been a great asset to the growth of Acculab. Joe spent his first two years in corporate optical as an optician and was excited to get into the independent side of things. He effectively builds outstanding relationships with all of the ECPs we service. He consistently goes above and beyond in providing consultation, training, and knowledge to meet each office’s needs. The ECPs have grown to love and speak very highly of Joe which creates very loyal and long lasting relationships. Do you have any type of special price points for those ECPs with large volume accounts? We give discounts to both big and small ECPs. We have helped offices who are just getting started by supplying them with free consultation and great discounts to help get them on their feet. We take care of bigger volume accounts as well with generous volume discounts.

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What lens brands do you offer? We are currently carrying Seiko, Younger, Excel, KBco, VisionEase and are looking to expand by offering Zeiss and Shamir digital designs. What distinguishes you from your competitors with regards to digital free form lenses? We realize the optical market is massively shifting towards digital free form technology. It will soon replace all or a vast majority of the conventional lenses we know today. Our goal at Acculab is to help ECPs convert over to digital without them or the patient noticing the damper in their wallet. We are able to create those happy patients who return, usually with friends, and most importantly allow ECPs to be more profitable, sometimes up to 50% in their first year. In most cases we can supply high-end digital free form lenses for a lower or equal cost than conventional lenses. We have witnessed multiple offices who were struggling, regain control of their business and double their profits. What is the average turn-around time for uncuts and completed edge jobs? Standard uncuts generally ship out within 24 hours; special lenses may take a day or two longer. Edged jobs usually go out the same day we receive the frame. ECPs in the Midwest region are provided with a delivery service that picks up the frames Mon-Fri. For ECPs outside the Midwest region we arrange something based on their needs. Can you give us any specifics as to the in-house AR technology that will be debuting later this year? We currently carry many different types of AR in which we work closely with a partner lab. I have decided to step it up a notch and will be partnering with Schneider Optical and their newest technology. With the intense training programs provided by Schneider and a passion of perfection, this was an obvious choice for my lab. Acculab will have the ability to produce AR & Mirrors in-house with Schneider’s quality engineering. ECPs will now have the ability to choose the color of their AR, blue or green, upon every AR purchase while maintaining the quality that they are accustomed to. Being able to choose the color of AR will give our ECPs the ability to separate themselves from many of their competitors. Acculab Testimonials

At Special Eyes, we value customer service and quality, both of which we continuously receive from Acculab. We appreciate their accuracy and timely return on finished lenses, and love the personal interaction between our company and Acculab’s employees. Robyn Apple, Owner, and Nimisa Bhave, OD Special Eyes, Arlington Heights, IL 28 E Y E C A R E P R O F E S S I O N A L

We have seen some amazing profits this past year, and are looking forward to continuing our relationship with Acculab. They have great pricing, and their turn-around time for our finish lab has improved our conversion rate, and overall customer service approach. I would highly recommend Acculab to any optical business looking to save money, while having their product made in a complete digital, highly technological lab. Jason Fox, COT/ABOC Rockford, IL It was my good fortune to learn about Acculab. I was not dissatisfied with the quality or service of my previous lab, but with today’s economy, I was thrilled to find a great product, great service, and a super price. Suzy Reinholm, Owner & Optician Lake Geneva, WI Acculab is the most efficient lab that I have ever worked with. They are more than willing to go above and beyond expectations. I know that I can count on their customer service to bring our patients the highest level of satisfaction at exceeding turn-around times. Alyssa Ranieri, Manager Total Vision Family Eye Care, Bartlett, IL

Nanofilm’s New Ultra Clarity Lens Care Packaging

“Nanofilm’s new Ultra Clarity® packaging is a beautiful weapon to fight the myth that cleaning eyeglass lenses with soap and water is ok,” says Jodi Groh, Director of Marketing.“The look matches the facts: Ultra Clarity exceeds every standard for cleaning effectiveness and safety on all lenses, AR and other coatings, and is a far better choice than soap and water. Just as important, the good-looking design gets lens care out of a drawer and onto the countertop with the other

grooming essentials. It’s a daily visual reminder that there’s a very best way to perfect your view while protecting your lenses.” The new look in fresh blues and greens has the high-end cosmetic look that reflects the fashion trends in high-end frames and optical retailers. “Nanofilm has a reputation for style, and this new collection will add to it,” say Groh. For more info, go to www.nanofilmproducts.com

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FOCUS ON EYE HEALTH National Summit REGISTER NOW! Tuesday June 18, 2013 Washington Marriott at Metro Center Washington, DC Register at PreventBlindness.org/eyesummit Join Prevent Blindness America and other leading organizations for the release of a new report featuring cost data related to vision problems across the age spectrum as well as a variety of signiďŹ cant public health presentations.

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EQUIPMENT FOCUS John Seegers, M.Ed., LDO, owner – OpticianWorks.com

THE UNSUNG HERO OF THE LAB: Have You Hugged Your Tint Tank Today? Let’s take a look at that workhorse of a tool that we take for granted –

OUR TINT TANKS. t is said that tinting is both an art and a science. Even though I am a pretty lousy artist, and, at best, a fair scientist, I manage to get pretty good results out of a nearly thirty-year-old tint tank. The “art” of tinting comes from patience, trial and error, and, sometimes, knowing the color chart. The “art” comes from knowing your tank and what works best for which material. The “art” of tinting uses your eye for what looks right.

The science is real enough, and I am sure that there are people out there who can explain why a certain temperature works for one material better than another, and the science behind neutralizer. If you are in charge of thirty-two pots at a large wholesale lab, you may well know the science. For most of us, however, knowing there is a scientific explanation for our results may be reassuring, but it isn’t the heart of our day-to-day work. I don’t own a thermometer, so my tinting is done by experience alone. Tip: Remember that applying a non-glare coating over a cosmetic tint will lighten the tint. Yes, getting this right is really the lab’s problem, but you may want to tell the patient that there is no guarantee on a cosmetic tint with AR. Since results are unpre-

dictable, I’m not a fan of light cosmetic tints with AR. Tinting basics: • Always cut lenses prior to tinting them. • Thoroughly clean the lenses with lens cleaner or alcohol prior to inserting them in the lens holder. • After cleaning, be sure that you only handle the lens from the edge.

• Don’t slam the lens holder down on the lens – use just enough pressure to hold the lens in place. • Allow the tints to rise to the correct temperature before inserting the lenses. • Give the pot a little stir with the lens holder to stir up any tint settled to the bottom of the pot. Tip: Did you know that many tints are now available with UV built in the mix? No

Progressivelenses.com 30 E Y E C A R E P R O F E S S I O N A L

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more two-step processing, and the pre-mix frees up a tint tank pot for another color.

Tint tank maintenance should be performed at least every two years.

Most of us know that CR-39 tints well, I have good luck with 1.60. Most 1.67 tints well, and I have tinted Trivex in yellow for a shooter. When it comes to poly, I am having excellent results with Seiko’s tintable polycarbonate. Seiko says, “Fashion tints in as little as 15 minutes; sunglass dark in about half an hour.” Their tintable coating seems to take a tint well, provides consistent depth of color and good matching between lenses. I love having a tintable poly choice! The Seiko line comes in a wide range of powers, from 6.00 to +4.00, and cylinder out to a -2.00 with an extended range to -4.00 cylinder from 0.00 to -2.50 and to -3.00 cylinder in -2.75 to -6.00.

Supplies:

Tip: It is possible to damage the scratch coating on a lens by overheating it. On high index lenses, which often take a long time to tint, you’ll want to briefly run your heat up and then back it off repeatedly instead of risking a long soak at a high temperature. An alternative is to soak for ten minutes, pull and cool, soak for ten minutes, etc. I have done this, but find it quite tedious. The colors you choose to maintain may be influenced by your patient base. Since we only have a six pot tank, we keep black (sun grey) UV, green (G-15) UV, brown, yellow, pink and neutralizer. I’m not sure if I have used the pink in the last ten years! About 90% of our tint jobs are for 80% sun grey. Tip: I keep an old-fashioned kitchen timer next to the tank. If I get distracted, I can easily forget that I have lenses in the tank. Setting the timer helps me remember them. It also keeps me from leaving the tank on overnight.

32 E Y E C A R E P R O F E S S I O N A L

• Rubber gloves • Slop sink • Dish sponge with soft scrub back • New tints • I like the bottled ones • Fresh neutralizer • Fresh HTF Steps:

• Replug unit and tint. This article is all about you and your tint tank – developing your technique, and maintaining your materials. But....did you know that you don’t need a tint tank to tint lenses? Would you believe me if I told you that all you needed was a microwave? Yep, that’s right: With the OMS Opto Chemical Micro Tint kit, you can tint a set of CR-39 lenses in as little as 60 seconds! Their Micro Tint kits can tint CR-39, high-index, and polycarbonate (to a light cosmetic tint) in just minutes. OMS Opto Chemicals says,

• Be sure to note the date you performed the maintenance and place it in a conspicuous area near the tank. • Unplug and strip the entire unit. • Dump all the pots – dispose of old tints and neutralizer. • Soak and scrub each individual pot until spotless and not causing any foaming. • Dispose of old HTF fluid. • If caked, carefully scrub heating element with soft-scrub side of sponge – don’t overdo it. • Use sponge and paper towels until HTF reservoir is spotless. • Wipe down entire unit. • Refill with new HTF to proper level. • Reassemble pot rack, fill all but one of the pots about half-way with water and reset in rack. • Empty pots will float in the HTF. • Fill the remaining pot with neutralizer and insert in rack. • Add dye to 1/2 filled pots and top off.

• Increase net profit on final product: “The Finished Glasses” • Do your own UVs, tints, and scratch resistant treatments • Apply them with ease, clean and no mess, fumes • Biodegradable treatment products to work with 2 minutes of easy manual work • Same products can be used over and over for long periods of time Available from OMS Opti Chemicals www.optochemicals.com You can tint a lens to an 80% sunglass in the background, while you work on other jobs or even wait on patients. I often offer to tint lenses at no cost to the patient as a discount for buying a second pair of glasses. Just today a patient bought glasses, contacts and a set of sunglasses to take with her on her honeymoon. The family has been coming to us for years, so the tint became our wedding gift, a gesture celebrating both our long professional relationship and her marriage. I

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MOVERS & SHAKERS PPG Industries

QSpex Technologies

PPG Industries has named John Liebenguth as general manager, optical materials. He will be responsible for the optical monomers, coatings, sunlens and industrial lines of business and will report to Richard C. Elias, senior vice John Liebenguth president, optical and specialty materials. Liebenguth also will continue to serve as director, sales and marketing, until other changes are announced. In his new role, Liebenguth succeeds Christine Camsuzou, who has been appointed general manager, consumer electronics, for PPG’s industrial coatings business.

John Lowery, Chief Operating Officer of QSpex Technologies, Inc. has announced that Michael O’ Connor has joined their management team as Vice President, Manufacturing. Mr. O’Connor has twenty years of manufacMichael O’ Connor turing and operations experience in the optical industry, most recently with Essilor Labs of America and Davis Vision. Mr. O’Connor holds a Bachelor of Science Degree from the State University of New York at Oneonta, and a Masters of Business Administration from St. John’s University.

The Vision Council

Practical Systems

The Vision Council has announced the addition of two new high-profile spokespeople, Lawrence Zarian and Jenn Falik, to its Eyecessorize fashion eyewear campaign. Zarian is a TV personality, style expert, author and TV Lawrence Zarian host who can regularly be seen on Entertainment Tonight, while Falik is a style and beauty expert who has appeared on The View, The Today Show, The Rachael Ray Show and E! News. Both will help promote eyewear as a must-have fashion accessory.

Practical Systems has announced that Richard ChooQuan has joined their Technical Sales Team. He will represent PSI’s line of supplies and equipment for surfacing and finishing labs in Florida and around the country. Richard is Richard ChooQuan an optical industry veteran with 28 years, and has experience in all aspects of lab processing and consumables. He comes to PSI from Satisloh North America where he served as a Product and Best Practice Specialist.

Legacie Superior Vision

Kirk Rothrock

Superior Vision has appointed Kirk Rothrock as president. Rick Corbett will remain CEO of the company. Rothrock will manage day-to-day implementation of the company’s overall operations, while Corbett will focus on strategic initiatives and relationships.

Rothrock brings with him more than 25 years of expertise in the health care marketplace, most recently as president and CEO of Sentient Medical Systems. He was also chairman and CEO of vision and dental benefits provider, CompBenefits.

Abbott Medical Optics David Tanzer, MD has been named divisional vice president, medical affairs and chief medical officer at AMO with responsibility for medical affairs, product safety and the development of scientific educational materials David Tanzer to the medical community. He is also responsible for providing medical input into AMO’s clinical strategy, innovation and business development activities. Dr. Tanzer is the director emeritus of the Navy Refractive Surgery Center, Department of Ophthalmology, Naval Medical Center San Diego.

34 E Y E C A R E P R O F E S S I O N A L

Legacie Accessories, the luxury company of B. Robinson, has appointed Travis Chivers to the position of National Sales Manager. He will also maintain his own specific territory in the state of Florida. Chivers was previously the Travis Chivers Sales Manager at JF Rey Eyewear and prior to that was a Regional Manager at ic! berlin. He brings a wealth of industry experience as well as a keen interest in continuing to build upon Legacie’s quest for unrivaled customer service.

Advanced Vision Research Advanced Vision Research, maker of TheraTears, has named Diane M. Houtman OD, MBA, FAAO as vice president of Professional Relations. Dr. Houtman, a licensed optometrist, will serve as the medical and clinical lead for all AVR projects and will act as corporate liaison to the Diane M. Houtman medical community. Prior to joining AVR, Dr. Houtman worked for Alcon Laboratories, in a variety of positions including, associate director, Global Medical Affairs; associate director, Clinical Development and principal as a Clinical Research Scientist.

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SECOND GLANCE Elmer Friedman, OD

Kenyan Artist Creates “C-Stunner” Frames Who could have predicted that a destitute young man who lived in a slum adjacent to a Nairobi city dump could emerge as a world class artist, as he used junk and recyclables to reflect the popular culture? Every day he woke up and saw junk, but he managed to combine junk with his love for painting. He is Cyrus Kabiru and his C-Stunners (read as “see”) frames, for which he is best known, have captured the sensibilities and attitudes of a new generation in Kenya that is starting to circulate to other countries, such as the U.S and London. He has been featured in group shows throughout Europe and the Middle East, including Istanbul, Dubai and Paris. He has been profiled by major news agencies like the New York Times, The International Herald Tribune and the African press. MTV has also made a film about his work. Kabiru, in his first solo exhibition in the U.S., was featured in Los Angeles, California at the Frank Pictures Gallery in conjunction with the Ed Cross Fine Arts Gallery, located in Santa Monica, CA. Cyrus is a self taught painter and sculptor. He recently completed his first international exhibition of over fifty of his extraordinary C-Stunners glasses. He has, to this date, created over one hundred CStunner frames. His work is rich in social comment. Some of his glasses contain bars that suggest the jails of Nairobi and there are those with spent bullets that tell a story of criminal or police brutality. His work uses cast off items and materials to fashion various forms into his artistic

He started making his special spectacles as toys for himself and then using them as barter during his school days. They were hand made “punk” style and soon became the rage among those who were intrigued by his originality. They were flamboyant and controversial. Despite his love for eyeglasses, he

view. He made his first sculpture in 2005 by using plastic bags to help form a lion that measured 7 by 3 feet. The tools he uses for the metal work are pliers, hammer and nails. Brushes and palette knives are utilized for the paintings. He is presently working on a project that shows African nature by using thousands of bottle caps that are sewn together. His frames demonstrate fashion, wearable art, performance and a one of a kind commodity object. His C-Stunners have a special energy and whimsy that provides a fresh view to others that offers a different appearance and a mind frame to match. The artists’ work portrays the aspirations of the African culture and reflect the ingenuity and resourcefulness as they provide a fresh perspective for the observers. Cyrus Kabiru was inspired by memories as he grew up under poverty conditions. He would use bottle caps, shoe polish kits, wire, wood, car parts and cutlery to form eyeglass frames. His visual art is built on the idea of, in the artist’s words, “giving trash a second chance.” He claims that he made his first pair of glasses when he was three years old. He walked around naked so that he wouldn’t dirty his clothes and cause his mother the burden of keeping his few clothes clean.

was forbidden to wear them. It seems that his father and grandfather harbored a deep seeded hatred for eyewear. As a young boy, Cyrus’ father had vision difficulties. Consequently, Cyrus’ grandfather bought his son a pair of spectacles at the local hospital. A few days later his father was holding the glasses as he played with his companions. His father accidentally dropped them and a vehicle, by chance, ran over them and completely shattered them. The glasses had been very expensive and Cyrus’ father received a thorough beating because of his carelessness. As a result, his father, from that day henceforth, always hated glasses. He told Cyrus, “If you want to survive in my house you will make your own glasses.” However, Cyrus decided that when he became older he would use the pieces that the destructive auto left behind to make Continued on page 39

36 E Y E C A R E P R O F E S S I O N A L

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his own spectacles. Thus, he started on his long journey collecting junk and other discarded material to make eyeglass frames. Many people taunted and badgered him as he continued to nurture his dream. They ridiculed the glasses and the names he created for them and thought his ideas were sheer nonsense and that his notions were strange. Years later, his unusual hobby and passion would position him as one of the current leaders in avant-garde art. His dad wanted him to become an electronic engineer or attend an art college as an alternative. Cyrus painfully refers to his poor high school performance since he was completely absorbed in art. Instead of writing his lessons in his book, he drew pictures and sold them to buy another lesson book. Cyrus confides that he is a “self learner” and he did not want to follow any teacher’s rules and regulations. He is happy to be free to follow his instincts and to be himself. His father became interested in the popularity of Cyrus’ toy spectacles and began to encourage him. He recreated, over and over again, the object of his father’s pain and his grandparent’s hope.

Kabiru created a body of work that would have a symbolic significance beyond his own personal family story. Kabiru declared, “I am planning to have an exhibition of my work to connect with people from Central Province, Nyanza, Coast and also Nairobi. I know this will help to finish tribal conflicts. Some years back there were fights in Kenya because I am Kikuyu. The exhibition will bring different tribes together to see how they share Kenyan and African art. So they will talk to one another and find that their reasons for hatred are based on old tales of long ago.”

He remembers how natural it was for him to constantly pursue painting and sculpting. He states, “I try to travel to different places and see different things. That’s where my inspiration comes from. My first sculptures were about wild life, birds and crocodiles all inspired by the wildlife I have seen. Every piece of art that I produce has a story behind it. And so, I feel that every piece that I sell is a part of me, so it’s not just the selling but getting appreciation for the work.” Now, his CStunners are mind blowing and have made him the most popular and sought after artist in Kenya.

In a recent interview the artist also said that he loves the environment so that by working with recycled objects, he feels that in a way he is helping nature. He is developing workshops to educate people how to care about it through art. Many people have learned about him through the internet. Prior to this internet exposure such an influence was not available to young artists from Africa. Cyrus is amazed that he sells his art to people who know nothing about him. He claims that when he first started he didn’t realize the level of acceptance he would achieve.

Tourists come to his studio and his story circulates widely. Cyrus claims that he has no special plans for the future. He says that he lives each day, one at a time, hoping that people will continue to accept his art work. In a recent interview Cyrus was quoted as revealing, “I live, breathe, eat and sleep art. Some say I don’t have a life because all I care about is my art and my C-Stunners. But I love what I do. I care for the moment and art occupies me for most of the time.” I

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ADVERTISER My Vision Express

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PHONE #

WEB SITE

877-882-7456

www.myvisionexpress.com

SEE INSERT

800-883-6266

www.nanofilmproducts.com

32, 37, 39

866-923-5600

www.national-lens.com

877-333-0074

usa.babybanz.com

Nanofilm

BACK COVER

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Briot

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Nellerk Contact Lens Cases

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Opticom

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Corning

800-821-2020

www.corning.com/ophthalmic

OptiSource

SEE INSERT

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Eyevertise

847-202-1411

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Optogenics

800-678-4225

www.optogenics.com

Fatheadz

INSIDE FRONT

800-561-6640

www.fatheadzeyewear.com

Optometry Giving Sight

888-OGS-GIVE

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19, INSIDE BACK

800-327-2002

www.feaind.com

Prevent Blindness America

800-331-2020

www.preventblindness.org

Balester

FEA Industries Grimes Optical

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Hilco

9, SEE INSERT

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Hoya

ic! berlin

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i-see optical

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LBI Eyewear Modern Optical

J.F. Rey

Seiko

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Signet Armorlite

800-759-4630

www.KODAKLensPromo.com

Tech-Optics

800-678-4277 www.techopticsinternational.com

Three Rivers Optical

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www.threeriversoptical.com

www.iseelabs.com

Trevi Coliseum

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www.national-lens.com

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www.jfreyusa.com

US Optical

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Vision Systems

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800-818-4692 www.thehoyafreeformcompany.com

E Y E C A R E P R O F E S S I O N A L 41

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LAST LOOK Jim Magay, RDO

“Look it up Online!” A beautiful Monday, crisp, sunny, a little snow on the ground – a perfect day to look for...kitchen chairs, oh nooo!

ECP’s feel we need to compete against Internet merchants. We certainly don’t go out of our way to encourage the practice. When people in our offices start taking pics with their iPhone and asking for their PD, well, face it – we get a little uneasy, no?

should mention up front – I am the worst shopper in the Western world, but I decided to bravely soldier along attempting to assist my furniture expert wife (no kidding – she worked for a furniture manufacturer a number of years ago) and keep out of trouble by remaining silent.

Being into supporting local businesses, we hit a few local stores and after looking at about a million chairs, were told at several establishments, “Here are some catalogues, you can check these out!” or as a variation, “Here is the web address for that manufacturer, look at their offerings at home!” Now, I don’t know about you, but I found this very strange since many of us

42 E Y E C A R E P R O F E S S I O N A L

I want someone backing me up, an expert who advises us. After all, we are spending a lot of hard earned bucks; we should get excellent service with our purchase. Sort of like what we as eyewear and eyecare advisors do, or are supposed to do! We read that half of all online eyeglasses fail Rx or safety specifications, not to mention poor fits, incorrect models (i.e. not what was ordered) and sure they take them back, but at the costs of inconvenience, shipping, etc.

I was surprised, to say the least, and then it occurred to me that there might be a connection between the furniture store and the manufacturer, which would protect the vendor.

It reminds me of attempting to get some missing grill parts on an online purchase of a Weber Grill. Sure I saved some money, but the frustration of having several missing parts come in wrong made me swear to buy my next one at a local hardware store!

Upon follow up, I find this is not necessarily the case. When you look up products online in the furniture world – you ostensibly then take your info back to the store for further refinement (type of finish, upholstery color and type, drawer pulls, etc) and finally, ordering.

So maybe the answer to Internet ordering is looking us in the face. Perhaps we buy only from frame manufacturers that agree to sell only to independent retailers and who agree to no online sales whatsoever. That means no Frames Direct or any other mass marketing site.

But nothing stops you from Googling the product and ordering from an online only vendor – minus an expert to explain all the details of variation. I’m sure that is fine with many folks used to the no service/self-service world we live in today, but it chills me to the bone.

Thinking about this phenomenon, I’m wondering if the furniture guys are ahead or behind us? ■

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Focused on Technology

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* Actual prescription range available may vary depending on chose frame and material. Higher prescriptions may require lenticularization.

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