EYE ON EQUIPMENT

Finishing School

A checklist for making the most out of your in-house edging lab

we asked four ECPs—who together have more than 90 years of edging experience—about what they’ve discovered to be the keys to boosting profits through in-house edging. The answers lie, unsurprisingly, in keeping a finger on the pulse of the industry and optimizing machine performance for maximum profit building.

✓ SELECTION

It may sound cliché, but it’s true: there is an edger for everyone’s needs: from streamlined “just the basics” models to fully automated systems with all the bells and whistles. Which one is right for you? That depends entirely on you.

“If you’re a wholesale or retail lab cranking jobs out, then you probably only need a budget or midrange edger,” says John Chong, optician-owner of Omni Vision Optical in Philadelphia. “If you’re a detail-orientated retailer who wants a nice finished look, then it’s worthwhile to invest in an advanced edger. I shopped lots of edgers before I got my current one The company I purchased this edger from asked all the right questions including, ‘what did you dislike about your last edger?’ So they fit me with a product that I liked and worked well for me.”

✓ CONSISTENT UPGRADES

Technology is constantly changing, as are lens trends. Savvy business leaders stay apace with the industry.

“Over the years, I’ve consistently upgraded my edgers,” says Allan Panzer, O.D., of Houston Dry Eye Clinic in Houston, TX. “I currently have three edgers: One I’m selling, one I’m keeping for backup, and my new advanced edger.”

✓ TRAINING

However user-friendly a machine is, it still needs a human to run it. And that human needs to know how to get the most out of the machine. When choosing equipment, choose a vendor that will supply you and/or your staff with the training needed to make the machine work for you.

“Even though I had a longtime edging background, the company sent an expert to work with me for a full week of hands-on training,” notes Chong. “There is a learning curve with edging. You must have the ability to learn, retrieve, and retain the information to become proficient at the task, even with a touchscreen machine.”

✓ RECORD KEEPING

“Our current edger stores each job in memory so we have an accurate record of each pair of glasses fabricated,” explains Barry Laslow, lab manager, 10/10 Optics, New York City. “This allows us to do quick fixes when customers break their glasses, and to offer detailed custom rimless shapes and sizes. We do a lot of custom rimless work, offering over 1,000 different rimless frames, all of which we can customize the lens shape on. The edger allows us to match rimless holes perfectly every time.”

✓ CUSTOMER SERVICE

A great pair of glasses is definitely worth the wait, but people don’t like to wait. This is where having an in-house finishing lab is going to score big points with patients.

“If someone wants a pair of glasses quickly, we can do that,” says Laslow. “If someone’s on vacation and breaks one lens, or is leaving on vacation tomorrow and needs glasses before they leave, we can do that. People are accustomed to getting things quickly in New York City, and we’re positioned to match that climate.”

In addition to turnaround, customer service can come in the form of custom work—even if it takes longer to produce.

“There are more mistakes and remakes with custom work,” reminds Charlie Blankenship, ABOC, lab manager of The Spectacle Shoppe, Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN. “Sometimes you can practice before cutting the real job; otherwise, you must edge a custom job on-the-fly. Custom-fit patients are generally willing to wait a few weeks for their glasses, but you still need to be aware of and work within today’s realistic eyewear delivery expectations.”

— Karlen McLean