last word

Environmental Issues

Karlen McLean, ABOC, NCLC

While knowledge of a patient's work and lifestyle are important factors in making eyewear recommendations, there's another critical component: their environment.

What's around them: mountains, tall buildings, lakes? And what eyewear situations arise from living with these environmental issues?

Sales made using this knowledge almost always result in highly satisfied customers.

I spent most of my dispensing career in south Florida, where the ocean, beaches, and sun played key roles in most people's lives. Some examples of my environment-based sales include the following.

NEVER TOO OLD

A patient and his wife, both with average insurance, got eye exams and opted for everyday eyewear covered by their plan.

They were 70 and still highly active; in fact, he regularly wind-surfed. He complained about glare off the water interfering with his vision and enjoyment of the sport.

Voilà, polarized lenses—a second pair that he was excited about, paid for out of pocket, and raved about once he'd worn them.

His wife came back to get polarized lenses, too, so she could watch him windsurf from the beach and read her book without interference from glare.

From then on, they always got a second pair of polarized lenses. And they always brought me home-baked cookies, too.

GOLF LESSON

A retiree who came in with his wife (who needed glasses) teasingly bragged that he still had 20/20 vision and didn't need glasses.

He golfed regularly, so I suggested a pair of plano sunwear for comfort and protection which he laughingly refused. A few months after that visit, he came in to the store in a solemn mood with a patch over one eye.

When golfing, he was chipping and some dirt flew into his eye. He immediately flushed the eye with water and the eye seemed fine.

That night he said he woke up screaming in pain, and when he was rushed to the hospital, doctors found that something had entered the eye. In the end, he needed a corneal transplant.

He said, “Now I'll take you up on that offer of sunglasses to protect my good eye.” Ouch.

Senior editor Karlen McLean has been in the optical industry for 35 years. She has spent half of that time in the dispensary. In this monthly column, she will share her own experiences, and hope you'll share yours. Contact her via email at karlen.mclean@wolterskluwer.com.