Insights From Our Editors

Upgrade Your Optical: Add a Digital Measuring Device

Jan. 13, 2016

You might want to finally invest in a digital measuring device for your optical, if you haven’t already. Some 42 percent of optical retailers responding to Jobson Optical Research’s 2015 Premium Lens MarketPulse survey said that they have a digital measuring device in their office. Among them, 49 percent said they use it 75 percent to 100 percent of the time. Most (56 percent) are tablet-based.

>>Click HERE to purchase Jobson Optical Research’s 2015 Premium Lens MarketPulse report.>>

In your optical, are patients still being measured with a ruler and a felt tip marker? Think about this for a minute. Is this the message that you want to send to your patients? You’ve just convinced the patient that the newest 21st century, highest-tech lenses available will improve their quality of life, then, the optical staff pulls out caveman tools to take measurements. If this is happening in your practice, then mixed messages are being sent to your patients.

“But my patients are happy with what we do.” Are they? Your patients are getting marketing messages about new technology used in fitting eyewear accurately–more accurately than practices using a ruler and a felt tip marker.

Watch these two 30-second ads from Lenscrafters.
‘AccuFit’

AccuFit Bus

The first ad ran three years ago and the second ad ran two years ago. Their newest ad making this same point was on TV last night. The point is this is not new. Your patients have been exposed to these ads repeatedly for at least three years.

Jobson Optical Research’s 2015 Premium Lens MarketPulse survey shows a trend toward using digital measuring devices in the optical. The interesting number to us was that even though 42 percent of practices surveyed had a digital measuring device in the optical, only 49 percent of the practices that had one are actually using it. Doing the math, that means that a little more than 20 percent of all practices are using a digital device in the optical 75-100 percent of the time. That shouldn’t be surprising because we know that staff often doesn’t use new technology unless the owners make it happen.

In marketing, points of differentiation make a difference. The primary question to answer with all your marketing is: why should a patient come to your practice rather than go down the street to someone else? These two Lenscrafter ad examples are answering that question. Lenscrafters is sending a message to your patients that glasses received in their locations are more accurately fit than in practices that still use a ruler and a felt tip marker.

There are many high-tech, cost-effective solutions available today to help you put digital measuring devices in your optical. Here’s your five-step action plan for this week:
1) Find an optical measuring device that works for your practice.
2) Upgrade your optical by investing in that digital measuring device.
3) Train your staff how to use the device.
4) Make sure your staff are using the digital measuring device.
5) Create an internal and an external marketing campaign letting your patients know what you’ve done and why they should come see you rather than go to the practice down the street.

Remember, about 80 percent of the practices out there are not routinely using digital measuring devices in the optical. This is a point of differentiation to exploit in your practice. The action plan for this week is to make a positive move for both your patients and for your practice.

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