The College of Optometrists

has anybody bought lenses from tesco yet? I am serious! Is it a ridiculous idea to start buying the lenses from them? We get food points....in fact you get triple food points!!! and we get them cheaper than we do from ciba...???

yes but can we get a vat reciept?

are you talking seriously?are you going to buy cls form tesco?they are working against us. what i think we have to do is to stop at all using lenses from companies selling to tesco,asda or other ono-opticians.

On monday i am going to order 3 mouths of focus dailys . My hope is that they will arrive 4 weeks late and are the wrong rx!

Sun Tzu " to know your enemy you fear no war".

This i know is no long term soltion. short term , plan is to pass on the discount, give supremo customer service and give the love that only a indepentant can . plus get my weekly shopping paid for!

Long term the only soultion must be charge more for after care. which is not going to be easy. when the likes od DA are doing free contact lens fits etc..

But it is a crazy dog eat Dog world we live in , i do agree that we should stick togther . but what am i to do about other opticians ( which i surspect are indi) ring to book fake appointments?

take a phone number and call back to confirm is a geniune appointment, if they are doing this I would give them a call and ask them why they feel they need to behave in such a way.

hold off until you have spoken to ciba,

i think you will find they will be willing to talk a reduction in price with you.

I agree about not using CL Suppliers that supply the supermarkets and YES you do need to up your CL aftercares. We all need to do this and ultimately if the Px's go to have it done free elsewhere - excellent - they can buy just the lenses from you if they wish. Free aftercares and initial fits is a VERY bad business model, hence D&A are getting rid of a load of their CL fitters.

Regarding other opticians booking false appointments, i would confront them head on and put in a complaint to the gos and the aop about un-professional conduct. as regards the grocers, guys they haven't even started advertising in a big way yet and i doubt the filling station forecourt has made too much of a dent. i pushed my fees upto £50 as compared to £25 for a c/l consultation and have not as yet felt a slow down in the c/l participation in my figures. it could be as most opticians in my area have increased too. this is what is needed countrywide amongst the indies. but who is willing to organise a countrywide or even in your local town, a commitee or association to co-ordinate a cartel type agreement on fees and pricing. i feel if properly done, we can take on the biggest multiple and maybe have the ciba, b&l or alike, lenses made under our name and thus the rx will only be aplicable to that product.

i would be the first one to participate and help organise this. it certainly would match the expectancy related to my name.

I think we should talk following your last post on here - great idea - email me at Alisdair@Optometrists.co.uk