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Last Word

Optical Buyer’s Remorse

By: KARLEN MCLEAN
Eyecare Business September 1, 2009
last word

By Karlen McLean, ABOC, NCLC

Optical Buyer's Remorse

Buyer's remorse has been on the upswing recently in the optical industry. According to field sources, the economic downturn is triggering patient complaints, frame changes, warranty and non-warranty remakes, and refund requests.

Allan Barker, OD, president of Eyecarecenter headquartered in Rocky Mount, N.C. observes, “We track our patient complaints closely. Lately, buyer's remorse has become epidemic. Patients are finding everything wrong with their glasses in order to get a refund. The real culprit is probably the economy, because we're maintaining our level of service, but the complaints are still skyrocketing.”

Diane Charles, LDO, from Redmond Wash., has had similar experiences. Manager of Children's Eye Doctors and Woodlawn Optical, Charles says, “We now have patients sign a form, showing that they know there is no canceling and exactly what the costs will be on delivery. We had to start enforcing that policy six to eight months ago because of the remorse issue.”

What about the refunds? “We have always offered a two-month satisfaction redo,” says Charles. “But it is exchange only. We do not provide refunds.”

What can your practice do to manage and even counteract optical buyer's remorse? Experts weigh in.

BE PROACTIVE

Rene Soltis, director of training and education, The Vision Council, advises creating a culture that eliminates buyer's remorse up front by:

  1. Using a process to identify patient's needs, wants, and desires.
  2. Making sure doctors use a patient needs assessment to create a treatment plan of solutions.
  3. Communicating with patients in value-driven language.
  4. Never overselling or pushing a patient into a product or decision. Guide them through the selection process by providing them with the knowledge to make informed choices.
  5. Always avoid setting unrealistic expectations. Clearly state what the products will and won't do.
People, Processes, & Product

Sandy Likes, co-founder, Business Rx, Cincinnati, Ohio, makes the following recommendations for proactively dealing with buyer's remorse.
1 PEOPLE: Focus on specific training to help employees. Good communication skills, the ability to consistently follow a proven process, assertiveness, and mental toughness are the new success traits for today's salespeople.
2 PROCESSES: Update all of your processes and address the four main reasons people buy: Safety, price, image, and happiness.
3 PRODUCT: Offer a range of prices and styles that make it easy for patients to see the differences. This allows them to make their buying decisions based on their current circumstances and what is important to them.

RESOLVE PROBLEMS QUICKLY

If there is an issue (and it's usually because there was a gap in service or communication during the initial encounter), ask plenty of questions to uncover the real problem. Then, restate the issue to be sure you're on the same page as the patient, and work to correct what is correctable.

If at an impasse, ask the patient how they'd like to see it resolved. Usually they ask for less than you'd be willing to give. EB

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