TOUGH Love

Got difficult lens customers? 3 eyecare professionals dish out details on their most outlandish experiences—and the resolutions that built relationships

BY KARLEN MCLEAN

Know how to turn that patient frown right around? Read on for three eyebrow-raising lens customer experiences—plus smart examples of ECPs’ lens wisdom and interaction toughness that resulted in pure client love.

1. Scratch Champion
Patrick Fasano, RDO, ABOC, owner, Focus Opticians, San Anselmo, CA

A client kept falling on his bike, had a car accident, then a hiking accident—all within three months. He insisted I cover the cost of replacing his “scratch-proof” lenses.

I explained that no lenses on this planet are scratch proof, only scratch resistant. So, he paid for three pairs of replacement lenses.

The next time he scratched his lenses, he went to a big-box retailer to save money. He couldn’t see through those replacement lenses. He brought them to me, and the Rx verification showed they were the wrong power.

He begged me to fix it and asked if there was insurance for glasses. I wanted to be a hero and satisfy this client, and came up with an idea for chronic lens scratchers. I made him an offer to do five pairs of lenses for the price of three. He jumped at the deal—and used it up within seven months’ time. This worked well for me, as low-powered single-vision lenses are relatively inexpensive.

It was a moneymaking business venture plus made him a happy, loyal client. He told his friends, and now I have around 12 clients who benefit from that little insurance policy!

2. High Maintenance
Dianna Finisecy, ABOC, president, Wagner Opticians, Washington, DC

We have a highly myopic customer with Sjogren’s syndrome who suffers from extremely dry eyes. She’s a germaphobe who’s sensitive to materials, scents, lens centering, and frame tilt.

We make her moisture-chamber glasses with shields mounted between her lenses and the frame to form an airtight chamber that doesn’t irritate her skin. Because she can’t tolerate the temples touching her ears, we use a sports band instead.

We’ve learned over the course of 16 years of trial and error that she can’t wear polycarbonate or 1.74 index lens material, but is successful with 1.60. Her optical centers must be set at 29mm high in a frame she’ll wear forever. We add a light edge coating that must air out for 24 hours before we begin mounting the moisture chambers.

When she arrives for her very long and arduous visit, she insists we disinfect the fitting table, line it with paper towels, and use a hypoallergenic soap that she provides.

From her, I’ve learned extreme patience, the ability to listen, and respect for valid or perceived patients’ needs. Between my knowledge and her input we succeed, but only because I’m willing to put up with demands that others may not. This woman with a high-powered federal job trusts us and is our “business friend.”

Tough Customer Tip #1 Got Angry? Listen to the problem. Nod with lips zipped.

3. Know-It-All
Susan Smith, LDO, Office of James Podschun, O.D., PA, Winter Park, FL

A quirky engineer type came in. He’d been researching the Internet to find a remedy for annoying reflections and rainbow images he was experiencing in his current eyewear.

He’d been reading about Abbe value, and he requested the thinnest possible lenses in a rimless or semi-rimless style. So I did my research, finding that the higher the index (thinner), the further away from the Abbe value of the human eye, which is 45.

While Trivex material would be the natural choice, with an Abbe of 45, our practice generally doesn’t use Trivex. I chose 1.60 index as opposed to 1.74 because 1.60 has an Abbe value of 38 and 1.74 has 34. The 1.60 lens material was not the thinnest, but still thinner than poly or standard plastic.

To stop reflected light from passing through the outside edges of the lenses, the edges weren’t polished. We applied a premium AR, an advance from the previous lens treatment on his prior disappointing Rx. After months of emailing back and forth, he finally approved my lens recommendations, ordered the glasses, and was “entirely happy” with the result.

Tough Customer Tip #2 Turned That Frown Upside Down? A graceful “thank you” is enough for a resolved situation.