70% Support Cost Transparency

question:

Do you or don’t you display frame prices in your displays/on your boards?

Yes: 70%

• Why would I want patients constantly wondering/asking for prices? The patients may need to know to budget! — Angel Miller, Cynthiana Vision Center, Cynthiana, KY
• I do not like sticker shock. Patients should know the cost of the frame ahead of time. — Sonja Franklin, OD, Modern Eyes, Austin, TX
• There are legitimate pricing strategies and styling reasons for not pricing frames but we do price frames for ease of patient and staff in frame selection. This also follows our KISS principles we utilize to run the optical business. In addition, we include a code that quickly tells us how long the frame has been on the board. — Scott Mann, OD, INVISION, Christiansburg, VA
• Honesty and integrity in marketing is important. — Cindy Henderson, Eyear Optical, Hixson, TN
• Easier for patients and staff (don’t have to constantly answer questions about cost of frames). — Joanne Larson, OD, Palmer Family Eye Care, Easton, PA
• The Department of Consumer Affairs make unannounced visits to many businesses and they look for signage infractions and price labels on goods. I have been fortunate not to have been in violation of “Store Policy” signs and putting prices on my frame inventory. In addition, it helps ease any doubt the customer might have about what they would be charged and gives me a baseline to offer a discount. — Mitchell Kaufman, Marine Park Family Vision, Brooklyn, NY
• Makes it easier for the customer and staff. — Cynthia Sayers, OD, EyeShop Optical Center, Lewis Center, OH
• “How much does this cost?” is probably one of the most popular questions we get, even though prices are on the frames! It’s much easier to answer that question and determine patient’s insurance benefits if the frame price is readily at our fingertips. — Christine Howard, Eyes on Plainville, Attleboro, MA
• Why not be honest and present your pricing? All frames are tagged from our budget-friendly to our high end. Nothing to hide and no surprise markups! — William Chancellor, Best Chance Optical, Forsyth, GA
• Unless you are in a very high-end shop with precious metals and such, it is an unnecessary hassle for the customers. — Chris Clark, Oskaloosa Vision Center, Oskaloosa, IA
• I want people to see price. When I worked somewhere that did not put pricing on frames, people felt that the price changed based on their car key, clothing, etc. I would rather have them know up front the price. — Dorothy Reynolds, Eyes on Fairfield, Fairfield, CT
• The price has always been on the frames to make it easier for the opticians. — Danielle Doniver, Heritage Optical, Detroit, MI
• Why hide it? Generally people will get what they want even if the price is higher than expected. We don’t really see people checking the tags. — Kim Hilgers, Akre & Clark Eyecare, New Ulm, MN
• Pricing is subtle but available. I personally will not purchase from a business that does not have pricing. If I have to ask, I will typically walk. — Nikki Griffin, EyeStyles Optical and Boutique, Oakdale, MN
• The patients like the transparency and if they are budget conscious, they can be steered in the right direction. — Renee Karnavas, Zionsville Eyecare, Zionsville, IN
• We mark them with a small sticker on the inside of the demo lenses. Not sure why… I guess just because we always have. — Vicki Thompson, Arsulowicz Eye Care, Walker, MI
• It is easier for staff. — Kathryn Collins, OD, Kissel Eye Care, Lititz, PA
• So the patient knows what the frame costs. I never buy anything that doesn’t have a price on it. — Robert M Easton Jr. OD, FAAO, Oakland Park, FL
• Patients will know the frame price when they try on the frame. How many items do you purchase without knowing the price? — Texas L. Smith, OD, Dr. Texas L. Smith & Associates, Citrus Heights, CA
• Really, does anyone display without pricing? In our rural area, that’s hard to imagine. Price is always on everyone’s mind, from those looking for a deal to those who want “the best of the best” and need it displayed in a number… I can’t imagine how our collective sanity would be if we had to answer the pricing question on EVERY. SINGLE. FRAME. — Jen Heller, Pend Oreille Vision Care, Sandpoint, ID
• We have a small placard with the various lines and prices for each. We find it an easy way to handle pricing as there are no tags or marking up of the frame. — Kevin Count, Prentice Lab, Glenview, IL
• Our prices are right on the front. No transparency whatsoever. In our small town that’s been no problem at all. And I love that fact. — Rick Rickgauer, Vision Associates, Girard, PA
• We display so they know when we add it all together it is what they want and need. — Chris Clark, Advanced Eye Care Optical Shoppe, Panama City, FL
• Actually most of the time the customers don’t see the price because I write it very small with a thin sharpie on the front of the lens. I think it’s a good idea for people to know what they’re paying for and how much. — Julie Uram, Optical Oasis, Jupiter, FL
• Yes on the tag. Small enough to not be so noticeable. We only tell them the price of the frame if they ask. Otherwise it will be given as a total price at the end of sale. — Miguel Rodriguez, Fava & Maria Eye Associates, Lebanon, PA
• So patients can make an informed decision. — Laura Miller, OD, Northwest Hills Eye Care, Austin, TX
• Pricing should be accessible but not intrusive. If patients are blown away by the price you likely need to up your retail game. — Jason Klepfisz, OD, Urban Eye Care, Phoenix, AZ
• Yes, we use a label maker, clear label, very small pricing on the front of the lens. Makes it easy to quote but doesn’t look “price tag.” — Jenna Gilbertson, McCulley Optix Gallery, Fargo, ND
• Each frame is priced; my customers like to know there’s nothing to hide. — Jennifer Leuzzi, Mill Creek Optical, Dansville, NY
• No tags, written small with a fine marker on the inside of the demo lens. Usually not noticed but available if asked. — Dave Schultz, OD, Urban Optics, San Luis Obispo, CA
• Prices are tagged on the frames, not displayed elsewhere. Prices are there but we prefer patients to find the frame they like first, before considering price. Start with best, then consider, better, then good! — Geoff Graham, Lake Country Optometry, Lake Country, BC
• Yes, but it’s small and our clientele doesn’t see it as it’s part of our serial number for inventory. We went away from displaying prices on everything so people would compare the feel and style rather than the price. — Travis LeFevre, Krystal Vision, Logan, UT
• Many people are price sensitive. They search for the frames they like best that cost the least. — Dave Goodrich, Goodrich Optical, Lansing, MI
• How else will patients know how much the frames cost? — Kris Kittell, Del Mar optometric, San Diego, CA
• Pricing is on the labels. — Janet Cole, Dr. Pattison Family Eyecare Center, Roseville, CA
• It just makes life easier for everyone if the price is readily available. — Judy Scheuerell, Fox Valley Family Eye Care, Little Chute, WI
• Our patients like to know and it is easier for the staff to sell them. — Kristina Jordan, The Eye Site, Mishawaka, IN
• We do as it make most people more comfortable looking at glasses as they can better assess what frame is their favorite (two frames tied in look). It also saves optician the time of having to look it up as many people do ask at our office as they shop. We also like to make sure patients are comfortable as they shop for glasses which in our area involves not having a price surprise. — Zachary Dirks, OD, St. Peter and Belle Plaine Eyecare Centers, Saint Peter, MN
• SKU/price is labeled on every frame. — Ron Catterson, Clear View Optix, The Villages, FL
• We use a color code sticker system and a posted price key. — Bart Parker, Vision Source-Fox Optical, Lake Worth, FL
• Price is the primary concern/question for most of our patients. — Sarah Brozzo, Harrison Eye Care, Harrison, MI
• No surprises for the patient at check out. — Scott Keating, OD, Vision Trends, Dover, OH
• We are a high-volume group. The prices on the product help the optician as well as the patient. — Michelle Wright, DePoe Eye Center, Stockbridge, GA
• We are an open book as far as pricing. Our clients in Florida are an older generation and we know they have expenses they have to plan for. — Chris A. Clark, Advanced Eye Care, Panama City, FL
• Life is hard enough, why make it harder? — Katie McDowall, Northside Vision Center, Spokane, WA
• We’re upfront. — Ivy Frederick, OD, New Castle, PA
• Honestly, the way we present the frames and assist the patient in selection, they aren’t as concerned about price as they are about look. We just roll with that! It’s easier to have the price already on the frame than have to look it up or memorize it. — Becky Garoutte, Thomas Eye Care, Owasso, OK
• We schedule appointments and select frames for our patients, so this help expedite the visit. Patients do not typically wander the frame boards and if they do they do not seem to be looking for prices. — Pam Peters, Midwest Eye, Downers Grove, IL

No: 30%

• Because the market now varies and tariffs and office overhead and not fuel prices are changing too often to lock in a price, the suppliers are also changing too fast. — Ken Weiner, OD, Livingston, NJ
• Frame pricing gets really confusing to some of my older patients or patients with insurance. I built a database of my frames, so I just enter the code on the side of the frame and it populates the price. — David Greening, Astorino Eye Center, Newport Beach, CA
• We want patient interaction. — Edna Cooley, Shelby Macomb Vision Associates, Shelby Township, MI
• We did for years. It just never seemed classy or high end to have a price written on the lens or having a price tag tangled in someone’s hair is never fun. Our customers trust us at this point and our prices are easy to lookup in EyeCloud. — Harris Decker, Eye Designs of Westchester, Scarsdale, NY
• With our new EHR I have to have a serial number on each frame so I write that on the lens instead of price. If I did both it would just be too many numbers on there. — Lindsey Pulford, Insights Eyecare, Manhattan, KS
• Each vision plan insurance may have its own markup formula of what we are allowed to charge so it is easier to figure out the price on the spot. — Marc Ullman, OD, Academy Vision, Pine Beach, NJ
• We did have them attached to the frame for the past 15 years. The tags kept coming off and when Covid hit, we were soaking our frames to disinfect and tags were fading and coming off. Our optical manager then went for a long period of not having them on there. Patients didn’t seem to mind at all. No complaints. We find now that patients will look at all frames instead of ones just in a certain price bracket. Once the optician sits down with the patient and works through pricing often times the patient has already made the frame they love “theirs” and want it no matter the cost. — Melanie Jenkins, Spring Hill Eyecare, Spring Hill, TN
• When our office moved to a new location five years ago, we opted to not use frame tags. Our frames are priced by vendor, i.e. all Kate Spade frames are $XXX. There are exceptions, of course. We have a price list for patients to use if needed. Honestly, it is the best thing we ever did. Patients shop by style and are not driven by cost. It’s a much simpler process for everyone. — Ann-Marie Weaver, Optimal Eye Care, Lewis Center, OH
• We just started a new tier program where we have placed them in four price categories. The optical is now organized based on the tiers and we know how much each frame is. We removed all tags and labels and not one patient has complained about not seeing prices up front. — Heather Aites, Family Vision Center, Westminster, CO
• Want to speak to patients first. — Warren Berman, Sports Vision Center, Raleigh, NC
• If you display price patient shops only on price and tries to match to insurance allowance. I want them to pick what they truly want. — Adam Ramsey, OD, Socialite Vision, Palm Beach Gardens, FL
• It allows us to engage with patients to look up each frame and go through why our prices are what they are. — Caitlin Neal, San Juan eye center, Montrose, CO
• We prefer the frames to speak for themselves versus their pricing. The patient should look for fit and styles and then let the optical staff discuss pricing and payments. — Colby Spivey, Vision Center South, Dothan, AL
• We do not have client’s in the optical without an optician, therefore there is no reason to have them priced. Also, pricing just the frame implies you can buy just the frame. We are partnering to create you best visual experience, therefore you cannot price just the frame. — K Elizabeth Bouravnev, Bergh White, Springfield, IL