Illustration by Ken Condon

It's happened to nearly all of us. The phone rings, and the lab on the other end is calling to tell you that the job you just ordered is just not possible to manufacture.

You think back to when you were discussing options with the patient, a huge man with a quick temper. The no-nonsense type that knows what he wants, and it better be done fast and right. Yikes! You can't call him back to select a new frame so his lenses will cut out properly. This guy would go ballistic and you can't deal with it today, so you tell the voice on the other end, "Just do the best you can."

Hopefully this is an over-dramatization, but there are some wonderful things going on that can insure this will never happen in your office. Upon interviewing several OLA laboratories, I found a genuine enthusiasm for improving service. There was also excitement that the labs' accounts were getting a good understanding of lens options and their benefits for the patient.

Beyond Turnaround Time

"What is service? Is it just turnaround time? It's not," says Craig Giles of Soderburg, Inc. "It goes far beyond turnaround time. It's being able to fix that frame with a screw, and being able to take a large lens and cut it down. It's being able to give the finest product out there as the first option, instead of going to the quickest product." There are several keys to promoting good service:

Needs. Understanding each other's needs is a must. The lab needs to keep in mind that you, the dispenser are on the front line with the patient. They are your support team. When you are on the front line, it's your responsibility to ensure that the lab receives every piece of information needed to process the job. "Treat each other like customers," advises Giles. Think of the information you send to the lab as the product you provide to them as your customer.

Forms. The thing all lab people will overwhelmingly list as a top priority is communication. you can never give a lab too much information about a job. This must certainly be in the form of a complete Rx, with all necessary measurements (neglecting these is the number one thing that will slow down your service).

I've known labs that say they would take an order scrawled on toilet paper, but the truth is, it's best to use standardized forms. If you use your office software to generate purchase orders, see if it is possible to make the output look like the Rx the lab is accustomed to. Thus can nearly eliminate costly omissions.

Drawings. You've heard that, "a picture is worth a thousand words." Nothing could be more true in communicating something to your lab. Even the crudest drawing can clarify a point you may have difficulty describing.

Some pictures, however, need careful detail. For example, a drawing of a lens is worthless without a 180 reference line. Without it, segs may be crooked or the axis out of tolerance! A circumference measurement will ensure that the correct shape also has a decent fit.

Accuracy. Another tired old adage, "garbage in, garbage out," really rings true when it comes to the information you provide your lab.

Delivery. Rush jobs are another area that required good communication. To most labs, all jobs are rush jobs. What the lab needs is your definition. Tell them exactly when you need the job, and your lab will move heaven and earth to satisfy that time frame. With awareness of delivery time, the lab can work more efficiently to process jobs. "If a job is three days out, for example," explains Sound Optical's Lydia Knoll, "and we can process it in two days, there is no reason to describe it as a rush job."

New Technologies

The next few years will see in-office tracers becoming the standard. This will eliminate the need to send frames to the lab, but also will make it necessary for dispensers to do a little more mounting.

Knoll contemplates: "When we're looking to the future and what skill package a skilled optician should have under his or her belt, it should include the ability to mount lenses and do basic adjustments afterward. As we look forward, I think it's inevitable that at some point in time there has to be a tracing system that will become a universal means of ordering and tracking Rx work between the laboratory and the retail operation."

New technologies require commitment to make them work. This applies to equipment, lenses, frames, or the latest pliers. Some have abandoned craftsmanship for a more robotic attitude, and when they encounter a problem, the lab gets the blame. When there is a constant problem, there needs to be some creative brainstorming. The retailer and the wholesaler need to take responsibility and work together to find a solution.

Training Opportunities

A number of labs offer classes and seminars that will improve the skill level of any office. Steven E, Ross of Midwest Optical Laboratories in Dayton, Ohio, shared stories of shocking seminar participants with frames that have been "run over by a truck."

It's extremely satisfying for both parties involved when, at the end of the session, you've done things you could never imagine doing. Mueller Optical's Eric Mueller says, "Training needs to be proactive rather than reactive." Mueller does 30 to 40 in-house training seminars a year. These seminars range from Optics 101 to A.B.O. certification preparation. All interviewed labs believe strongly in tailoring the seminars to the needs of the office, and they solicit that information beforehand.

"New people need to be trained," said Craig Giles. "Training should be considered an investment. This takes commitment. One optometric group with 17 offices closed for two days for intensive training. This investment of several thousand dollars will reap great benefits."

Bud Bargman of Hawkins Optical Lab add, "We take great pride that many of our accounts include Hawkins' classes as mandatory staff training." Without training, new office personnel can frustrate a lab by insisting on a power or PD being perfect when perfection isn't necessary. Those of us who have been around a while can probably remember a needless delay in service for a PD being three millimeters off on a .25 D sphere.

As Knoll explains it, "Accounts need to bear in mind the reason we have A.N.S.I. standards is that there are certain limitations in our industry as to what we can, and cannot do. This is not an exact science; it's a close facsimile."

One impediment to good service, for example, is ordering lenses in powers that simply don't exist. It's great to use your imagination to design the most stylish, functional, and durable eyewear. It's not too bad for the profitability of both retailer and lab, either. However, one can lose credibility at the speed of light by having to call a patient and tell them we need to look at other options because they don't make what you wanted. At that point, you are in the unenviable position of giving them what they perceive as second best.

Helpful Resources

Lab training can be especially valuable concerning the availability of lenses. "Midwest has a great resource we call 'the lens book,'" says Ross. "It lists every product we have. We give the recommended power range and availability for each job." Most labs have similar resources.

There are several resources that are essential to have on hand. Progressive cut-out charts are a must. Though frames have generally decreased in size, you will often be frustrated when a glass progressive, for example, is not large enough for a midsize frame. It also can help when you're trying to show a patient why you want then to get a deeper frame for their progressive lenses.

The OLA publishes a booklet that should be required reading on a yearly basis. It covers every lens option imaginable in very easy-to-understand language. The OLA "Progressive Identifier" is a great asset. And last but not least, "The OLA Managed Care Handbook" has great advice for helping your customers deal with managed care. "Get this book, and never deviate from it," says Ross. "It will make your business profitable."

What about repairs? The ability to do in-house repairs is important. But we can miss opportunities to better serve when we fail to use our knowledge and lead patients on that "high road" to newer and better options to fulfill their needs. Simply put, there needs to be balance. EB

Alex Yoho is employed by Hawkins Optical. For more information about OLA publications and activities, call 800-477-5652.