Lenses

What’s Your Vision Worth? Why Our Practice Stands Behind Shamir

Dr. Justin Prasad (middle) with his lead optician, Stephanie Castorena (left), and office manager, Nancy Rubio (right). Photo courtesy of Nancy Rubio.

THE OD’S PERSPECTIVE

I opened Long Beach Family Optometry in Long Beach, California, in 2005 and have been in the same location ever since. What started as a modest, 800-square-foot office has grown over the years—a remodel eight years ago expanded our space to roughly 3,000 square feet and allowed us to build a larger optical with more frame options for our patients. We try to work smarter, not harder. That philosophy drives how I choose technology and solutions for our patients.

For me, vision care is both precision and personalization. Our patients range from children to adults in their 30s and 40s, and the number one complaint I hear across ages is eye strain. I am presbyopic, so I tell patients I have multiple pairs of glasses for different needs, especially when it comes to work and my personal life. It’s like the shoe analogy. You don’t wear the same shoes for every occasion, so why settle for one pair of glasses?

I’m selective about the lenses we offer at Long Beach Family Optometry. I’ve used many brands over the years, and about three years ago we started using Shamir. I’d known Shamir for years as a leader in lens technology. When their reps came in and walked us through the optics and science behind the designs, I was impressed and agreed to trial their lenses in our office. We haven’t strayed since. In fact, we dispense exclusively Shamir lenses.

What sold me was twofold: education and results. The Shamir reps don’t just drop off a catalog. They train my staff, explain differences among designs and follow up. If a lens doesn’t work for me or my patients, I won’t use it. But I found the transition easy, and the quality has not let me down.

Our go-to progressive for everyday wear is Shamir Intelligence 18—our workhorse progressive. For patients switching from lined bifocals to a no-line option, we fit them into Shamir 15 or 13 depending on their visual needs. The customization matters. A teacher, a nurse and a programmer all use their eyes differently, and Shamir’s range lets us match a lens design to the task.

As the practice owner, my decision to use Shamir isn’t only clinical—it’s business. Shamir lenses align with our premium product strategy. While Shamir lenses aren’t the cheapest option, they deliver consistently better results for patients and we see far fewer remakes. Shamir also helps with rebates and marketing support at the back end, and their regular training and product updates keep my staff up to date, making it easier to recommend premium optics with confidence. When you can show patients the difference, they value it.

THE STAFF’S PERSPECTIVE

I’m Nancy Rubio, the office manager at Long Beach Family Optometry. I’ve been in the industry for a decade, starting as an optician at Long Beach Family Optometry before moving into management. Our practice mission is to provide the quality of life by providing the finest in vision care, and Shamir reflects that.

We introduced Shamir to the office after our lab rep connected us with a Shamir rep. At first, I’ll admit I was skeptical. Every rep I’ve dealt with promises the world, but Shamir’s approach has been different. Their reps are relentlessly proactive—they follow up, help solve problems and treat our team and patients like partners. They’ve become like a friend who drops by every other month and picks up the phone when we need them. That kind of responsiveness keeps the office running smoothly.

We compete with some nearby offices, so differentiation matters. Patients may not remember every brand name, but they remember the Shamir quality and performance. We always use visual demonstrations—talking about optics is one thing, but patients respond to tangible improvements. When they try the lenses, the results speak for themselves.

I’m Stephanie Castorena, the lead optician at Long Beach Family Optometry. I wear Shamir myself, and I recommend these lenses to patients with confidence. With a high prescription myself, driving used to be the worst part of my day, but Shamir’s sun lenses for daytime and moon lenses for nighttime have dramatically improved my driving experience. The anti-glare feature is incredible, too. I also love oversized, fashion-forward frames, and Shamir’s thin lenses keep them looking sleek.

We know that Shamir isn’t the bargain option, but for good reason. Patients who initially opt for big-box lenses often come back to Long Beach Family Optometry in search of the Shamir lenses we first recommended. I recently fit a patient who’d worn progressives years ago and was hesitant to try again. After I explained Shamir’s new designs and advanced technology, she agreed to try them on. “I was ready to be upset with you for suggesting these, but I can’t even tell I’m wearing progressives,” she told me. That kind of reaction makes the sale simple.

THE OD’S TAKEAWAYS

As a team, we’ve learned that patient retention improves when we prioritize quality optics and back them with education and support. Some practices chase vendor discounts or promotions to cut costs, but time and again we see patients return after trying cheaper alternatives elsewhere. I like to ask my patients, “What’s your vision worth?” and more often than not patients say “everything.” That said, we choose the solution that delivers the best quality and function, and Shamir lets us offer it with the utmost confidence.

Learn more about Shamir here.