ask the labs
By Joseph L. Bruneni

CREATIVE ACCOUNTING 101

Q We have a patient who purchased single vision glasses from a new optical boutique in town. Her lenses are clear polycarbonate with anti-reflective coating. She paid $385 for the lenses and explains that her lenses only have AR on the backside because she was told that she would have had to pay double the price for AR if she wanted it on both sides of the lenses. She was also charged extra for the scratch coating on her polycarbonate lenses. We think she got taken. Do you?

A Retail fees are what the seller chooses to charge. However, we had assumed this kind of creative bookkeeping vanished along with robbing stagecoaches. There are two issues here: 1) The full benefits of AR coating require coating both sides of the lens. Sometimes sunlenses are AR-coated only on the back surface to eliminate backside reflections coming from dark lenses. Single side AR makes no sense on clear lenses. In addition, coating one side doesn't save money because AR coaters charge the same for coating one side as they do for coating both sides (for valid reasons). 2) All polycarbonate lenses come with scratch coating on both sides and anyone charging extra for scratch protection is asking for trouble. A casual search of the Internet will quickly reveal this fact to any consumer.

TOO GOOD FOR KIDS?

Q We are having a lot of success with photochromic lenses for our adult patients. We're wondering if there are any reasons why we shouldn't offer photochromic poly to our young patients? What are the downsides to suggesting photochromics for children?

A There are several traditional reasons why ECPs have not been more active recommending photochromic lenses for children. One has been cost. Some consider photochromics to be a high-end, luxury option, and parents tend to think that children's glasses should cost less than grown-up's glasses. There's no logic to this belief, but it does exist.

There was also concern regarding the residual color remaining in the clear state. Young eyes need maximum light transmission indoors. The latest generation of plastic photochromics is virtually clear indoors, within two percentage points of non-photochromic lenses, so that's no longer an issue. One major advantage of photochromics for children is that kids love them. If anything will inspire youngsters to wear and care for their glasses, it will be when they wear these "magic" lenses. Coincidentally, one major photochromic producer will be launching a major advertising campaign on the advantages of photochromic lenses for children. They will emphasize eye health and the need to protect young eyes from ultraviolet hazards.

What Goes Around, Comes Around

Q Please say it isn't so. I work in a lab and we heard recently that facets were coming back. We thought we had seen the last of these monstrosities.

A Relax, it may not be as bad as you thought this time around. Dredging up something that worked in the past is as popular in fashion as it is in TV programming (don't throw away those narrow neckties). No matter how you feel about facets, we suspect you will admire this newest generation of faceted eyewear. You'll see thin, higher index lenses mounted in stunning slim rimless mountings with just a slender facet running across one edge of the lens. We already know of a new lab set up just to do facets. They plan to be a backup for labs that don't want to do them. These handsome new faceted rimless are bound to be best-sellers. If they turn out to be as popular as we think they will, someone will develop an edger just to do facets.

If you have a question you'd like to have answered in Ask the Labs, send it to Joseph L. Bruneni. Fax: 310-533-8165. Phone: 310-533-4975. E-mail: joe@bruneni.com. Or mail questions to: Vision Consultants, 2908 Oregon Court, #I-2, Torrance, CA 90503. An archive of past Ask the Labs columns can be found on the Eyecare Business Website at www.eyecarebiz.com.