Dr. Sorrenson, middle, with her practice team. Dr. Sorrenson says freebies from vendors are best optimized by sharing them equally among staff, or ensuring in another way that the freebies benefit the practice as a whole rather than just one or two employees.
Optometry vendor incentives and fair practices
By Laurie Sorrenson, OD, FAAO
Dec. 4, 2024
In the world of optometric practices, it’s not uncommon for frame vendors to offer incentives like free frames or gift cards to opticians.
Many optometrists are not aware this is happening in their own practice!
I had an optician come to me with three gift cards that totaled over $1,000 from a frame vendor. Fortunately, my optician was honest and gave me the gift cards instead of keeping them to himself.
These incentives aim to encourage opticians to order specific brands or push certain frames to patients. While it may seem harmless or even beneficial at first glance, this practice can inadvertently lead to decisions that prioritize vendor relationships over what’s truly best for the patient and the business. I also believe it is not fair to the rest of the staff.
Why Freebies for Only Some Staff Are Unfair
Let’s break down the issue. A successful eyewear sale doesn’t rely solely on the optician who places the order or who helps the patient pick out the frames. There is an entire team involved, including the employee who schedules the appointments, the staff member who verifies vision plan benefits, the technician who takes the patient’s history, the doctor who performs the exam, the lab staff who processes the order, and even the billing department that submits claims.
Each person plays a vital role in creating a seamless experience that leads to the sale of a frame. So, why should the optician alone receive a freebie or gift card for the sale?
The Damage Caused By Incentivizing Only the Optician
The reality is that incentivizing only the optician can create an imbalance. It encourages opticians to recommend frames from specific vendors, possibly leading to a situation where the patient’s needs are secondary to meeting vendor expectations.
In an optometric practice, patient care and the practice’s best interests should always come first. When decisions are made with incentives in mind, we risk undermining the trust patients place in us to recommend what’s truly best for them.
The Solution: Comprehensive Vendor Agreements
This is where a comprehensive vendor agreement can come into play. Every practice should establish a vendor agreement that clearly states that any free frames, gift cards, or other gifts, are the property of the practice owner—not individual employees.
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The vendor should sign this agreement on an annual basis. This agreement also states how many frame board spaces are allowed and other office policies. This policy ensures that the practice benefits from these incentives in a way that aligns with its goals and values.
For instance, the practice owner could decide to use free frames as part of a patient giveaway or raffle to promote the practice, or they could distribute the incentives equitably among all staff during the holidays.
The agreement should also include a clear warning system for vendors. If a vendor violates the agreement by offering incentives directly to staff, they would receive one warning.
If the behavior continues, the practice would then pull the vendor’s products and require a full refund for any outstanding inventory. This policy ensures vendors understand the practice’s stance and encourages them to work with the practice in a way that respects the established guidelines.
By implementing a vendor agreement, optometric practices can maintain control over external incentives and ensure they are used in a way that benefits the entire team and, most importantly, the patients. This approach fosters a culture where the practice’s success is shared, and decisions are made with integrity, with the business in mind and keeping patient care as the top priority.
Ensure Vendor Freebies Benefit the Whole Practice
In summary, I strongly believe that vendor incentives should not be treated as personal rewards for opticians or any single employee. Instead, they should be managed by the practice to benefit the entire team or the practice itself.
By establishing a vendor agreement with clear rules and consequences, optometric practices can promote a fair, business-oriented, patient-centered approach to handling “freebies.”
Laurie Sorrenson, OD, FAAO, is president of Lakeline Vision Source in Cedar Park, Texas, and the Professional Editor of Review of Optometric Business (ROB). To contact her: lsorrenson@gmail.com.
