editor's letter

Easy As Pie

by Stephanie K. De Long

Selling to kids sounds like it should be as easy as pie. But, it isn't. Whenever we do research on the children's market, I'm surprised at how different kids' and parents' expectations are from the care they sometimes receive in the dispensary. Here are just a few examples from EB surveys in which we interviewed parents and eyecare professionals.

• KIDS SECTION. Eight out of 10 parents told us having only one department for kids is like having just one for adults. Their needs—depending on activities, sex, and age—are too different to lump them all together.

• SAFE FRAMES. Nearly 75 percent of ECPs interviewed told us safety isn't a big issue when it comes to frames. Yet, 54 percent of parents we spoke with said they'd want to know if some frames were safer for children than others.

• PLASTIC LENSES. Only 47 percent of you reported any kind of Duty to Warn program at your location, yet 88 percent of parents said they'd definitely pay more for safer lenses.

• KID TALK. While 57 percent of parents thought dispensers should talk more to their kids, nearly 70 percent of you disagreed.

Are you on the same wavelength as your pediatric patients? To find out, you might follow the lead of the manager of four locations on the West Coast. As a result of surveying both parents and kids, his dispensers now spend more time talking to kids. And, with parents, they now cover three separate subjects under the umbrella of protection: lenses, frames, and UV.

The bottom line? Both his repeat business and second pair sales are up more than 20 percent.

Stephanie K. De Long
Editor-in-Chief

P.S. Don't miss this month's CE for both optometrists and opticians. Sponsored by Transitions Optical, it begins after page 40.