I just love writing Breaking News! Opticote our newest sponsor is a lens coating lab located in Franklin Park, Illinois. They started out initially in 1971 in color coating eyeglass lenses and filters for military and aerospace applications- so they must know what they are doing! In order to reduce human error they started automating their process in 1994. If you have ever visited a coating lab, you will know what I am talking about, everything has to be pristine and one little touch can ruin the lens.
Lense coatings have come a long way since 1994 and are not only a huge profit potential for the eyecare professional but provide important eye health preventative measures. Personally, I could not do without my AR coating on the backside, I have my fashionable Gold Flash fashion retro eyewear, I have my mirrored sports performance sunglasses, and I cannot tell you how important it is to have quality coatings on eyewear.
Opticote Merchandising Display
The other thing I really like about Opticote, is the information on their website about lense coatings and how they work, what types of lense materials they will work on. Good stuff to be able to tell your patients and help you sell coatings.
Of course the best way to sell coatings is visual appeal. Opticote has several different merchandising programs available. Let your patients browse through all the samples, you can explain the features and benefits of each type of coating and the performance abilities and sell multiple pair of lenses if not frames.
Plus they offer a rewards program
‘For every mirror coating that you sell, we will provide you with a Certificate of Authenticity (CA). Five registered CA’s will earn you a $20.00 gift certificate from My Choice Gift Cards (www.quickgifts.com). With rewards available from more than 100 retailers, you can choose the reward that appeals most to you.’
Not a bad gig, make money and receive even more money just by offering your patients important eye health options to enhance their visual abilities and comfort levels.
What type of coatings do they offer:
- Anti-Reflective Coatings
- tzAvoRite Info
- tzAvoRite Lens Acceptance
- Illusion
- Illusion HP
- Fog Free
- Glass Coatings:
- Mirror Coatings:
- Mirror Coatings Chart
- Rxtreme
- Maxximus Mirror
- Mirror Collections
- Mirror Cross Reference
- Poker Coating
- Color Coating
I know on time delivery is extremely important to the eyecare professional. Your patients do not want to wait. If you can believe this, on the home page of their website, Opticote has a graph with their on-time delivery, allowing you to make educated promises to your patients.
Opticote Delivery Statistics
I had some questions for Mike Bellamo, Director of Marketing and Sales,
1.) Since you don’t do surfacing, how do they send the lenses to you? Uncut, in the frame? without the frame? We receive lenses both ways uncut or edged and the preference is always without the frame. Certain coatings require uncuts only, like our Fog Free or tZavoRite hard coat AR. Rimless applications we suggest uncuts so any clamp marks are certain to cut out.
2.) What is the turnaround time? does it depend on the coating? AR, Solid and Flash mirrors are same day service. Coatings that require several layers are two-three days. To the best of my knowledge we are the only company that publishes a monthly turnaround time. For 2009 we averaged 97% of better on time delivery on work received. By publishing that number it re-enforces the fact we want our customers to be ” Clearly the Best ” in the eyes of their customers.
3.) Should I mention that you do the coating for other labs? Oh yes please do! We do coatings for every major lab in the country along with a great number of independents. OPTICOTE’S position is it’s always the 1% that creates 99% of all headaches and Labs chose to use us for that 1% to eliminate those concerns while they focus on what they do best.
4.) The cost of the equipment, what was your investment? People are always impressed by this. We have been in this location since 1991 and over the years ten of thousands of dollars have been spent on the purchase of state of the art equipment, plus software upgrades and maintenance of all our machines. Maintaining and having the conviction of publishing a monthly turnaround time is a testament to the diligence and monies spent on the equipment we use daily.
5.) Do you have any eco-friendly products or equipment? OPTICOTE follows all EPA guidelines .
My Recommendations: Visit Opticote’s website, take a look around, explore all the information and products available, give them a call and try them out.
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