FRAME REPAIRS

5 FRAME REPAIR SUPERLATIVES

THE VALUE OF ADDING REPAIR WORK TO YOUR PRACTICE

BY AMY SPIEZIO

While eyewear isn’t supposed to last forever, it should have a normal lifespan. But the world being what it is and people being what they are, even the most rugged frames might need a little tune-up from time to time. Build business and customer loyalty by being the one who gets the repair job done.

1 BETTER SERVICE

Ready to impress your patients? Bring out your repair kit and get to work. “Sometimes the simple favor of fixing a customer’s glasses is worth more to them than salesmanship,” says Paul Garcia, business manager/buyer at Charlotte’s Optical in Colorado Springs, CO. “Resurrecting a favorite frame from the dead brings about an appreciation that cannot be achieved by costing a customer the expense of buying a new pair, and sets the stage for a returning customer in the future.”

Doing repairs in front of patients is also an educational opportunity. “Repairs and adjustments help our relationships with patients because we use that time to explain the difference between great design, function, materials, and of course great fit!” says Marissa De La Mora, optician and manager at Contacts and Specs in Chicago.

2 BETTER OPTIONS

When it comes to repairs, start simple with an understanding of basic work.

METAL FRAME REPAIRS. It’s fairly realistic to expect your basic repair work to include tune-up items such as replacing factory screws with locking screws, replacing worn out or lost nose pads, adjusting frames to proper four-point alignment, and ultrasonic cleaning of frames.

More complex repair work for metal frames includes multiple solder or repair points, then fixing up the frame with plating or painting to restore to its original appearance.

PLASTIC FRAME REPAIRS. The same tune-up traits are on the table for plastic frames: replacing factory screws with locking screws, four-point frame re-alignment, and ultrasonic frame cleaning. Specific plastic frame repairs include bridge repairs and hinge replacement. Clients also may come in seeking nose pads and arms for extra comfort in their frames.

TITANIUM FRAME REPAIRS. This material is a bit tougher to work with than plastic or other metals, but the standard once-over for nose pads, alignment, and cleaning can be accomplished easily. For the next step up, repairs include multiple solder or repair points.

Another common change for metal and titanium frames is switching temples to better suit patients’ needs by lengthening or shortening them or switching to cable temples.

3 BETTER SAVINGS

So you’ve done some tweaks and now your patient is about to head onto the street representing your practice with tape-free, professionally repaired glasses. Is it time to deliver a bill?

While the opinions on the topic of charging for basic services vary dramatically, some find that a free fix can pay off in the long run.

“We only start to charge above and beyond things like screws, nose pads, and adjustments,” says Garcia, “Typically, repairs will be no more than about $30, mostly for things like welding, solder, and painting jobs.”

Not sweating the small stuff is, for many ECPs, part of doing business. “Our practice does minor complimentary repairs and adjustments. We charge patients if we have to send the frame out to another lab or if we have to special order a part,” De La Mora says.

Creating a standing stop-in policy for free eyewear maintenance can be an effective way to build a relationship with patients while keeping their frames in tip-top shape. Encouraging patients to stop in quarterly to have their adjustments checked and frames cleaned is not only a way to show patients you care about their comfort, but it’s also an opportunity to present sunwear options, new accessories, or even their next pair of glasses.

The Dog Really DID Eat My Glasses

A Wall of Shame decorates the wall at Maui Jim’s lens lab. A destroyed sunglass in a miniature coffin is just one of many repair jobs that has come in. Here are some of the lab’s most attention-grabbing cases.

When asked what happened to a customer’s sunglasses, the response was: “Well…an elephant stepped on them. Is there a chance you can repair them? They’re pretty crushed.”



Maui Jim’s team has had its share of laughs at some of the ways their customers wind up with damaged sunglasses. “We had one customer whose sunglasses were ripped off her face by a baboon,” says Lynn Campen, Maui Jim’s vice president of customer care. “The baboon clearly had a good time trying on our sunglasses because they came back in bad shape. She sent a photo of the incident to prove her story because she was worried we wouldn’t believe her!”



Many repairs result from dogs chewing people’s sunglasses. Those sunglasses are returned repaired along with a dog biscuit for the naughty puppy, the staff reports.

This softer approach can be effective. “Pushing for a new sale will sometimes do exactly the opposite. It is better to start a relationship and rapport with your customers and have faith in your service, rather than the patient’s first experience with you to be tainted by the fact that you are trying to squeeze money from them,” says Garcia.

1. Western Optical 2018 spring hinge pliers kit; 2. Santinelli International’s Titanium Pad Arm Kit; 3. Modern Optical screwdriver kit; 4. Modern Optical parts kit

4 BETTER COMPETITION

While Warby Parker and other online shops may be trying to steal brick and mortar dollars, they can be a business builder for practices that are not afraid to do some repairs.

Contact and Specs charges $20 for adjustments to online frame purchases. “We explain that we cannot be held responsible for any breakage but that we will be very careful!” says De La Mora. “At that point most people are fine with paying for our expertise and time. A lot of online designers don’t use the best materials, so often enough the adjustments don’t stay. I usually say ‘You wouldn’t walk around town with some ill-fitting shoes, so why are you walking around town with ill-fitting glasses?’”

How does it work? Pretty well, she says. “More often than not a patient will come back after being unhappy with their online purchase and will select a better brand and or style with our help.”

“Fixing Warby Parker’s many mistakes and maladjustments solidifies the fact that I am the one who can get it right, and right the wrongs,” Garcia says. “Eventually, people build an idea of who the better shop truly is. And THAT alone is ammo enough for any reputable shop to poise themselves as a better shop.”

5 BETTER REPAIR KIT

Getting started or interested in building your best tool kit? A good kit contains a supply of parts and tools that can handle all minor repairs. Need inspiration? The sidebar to the right contains suggestions from EB’s Fix and Fit expert, Alex Yoho, ABOM.