Contact lens purchasing

The scenario

As a practice manager, we have noticed a trend towards new contact lens fit patients, once comfortable and happy with their lens, turning to online options to purchase their lenses. What can we do as a practice team to improve retention and ensure return to practice purchasing

Roshni, practice owner

The advice

Faye McDearmid, optometrist and Johnson & Johnson Vision professional affairs consultant

For practices affected by online sales in this way, I would firstly encourage them to consider why their patients may be deciding to purchase online. What I hear, usually, is that it’s because it’s easy and convenient. If the consumer can purchase through a single click of a button on their phone, that’s what they will do because their time is important to them.

I ask practices to put themselves in the shoes of the contact lens patient, or I assume the role of the contact lens patient and ask: How easy is it for me to order some contact lenses? Do I have to ring up? Do I get through? Do I speak to an answerphone? Do I have to wait for someone to call me back? Do I get through to someone who can process my order, or do they need to check with someone else? If it’s too convoluted to order, patients will stop trying.

I think it’s sometimes easy for a practice to assume that patients are going online because it’s cheaper, when in fact it’s likely to be because it’s cumbersome for them to order lenses with the practice and the customer is looking for convenience.

The plan I provide allows patients to access care whenever they need it. Their check-ups are always in date, and they can choose to add their lenses to their subscription or not.

Subscription retention

My practice has been in that place too, where customers were going online to purchase contact lenses. As a result, about 10 years ago, we made it mandatory for all of our contact lenses patients to be on a subscription plan with us. This was for a number of reasons: I had grown frustrated by patients accessing perks that they should not have been entitled to, patients were not attending for a check-up, but would then urgently request lenses because they were going on holiday the following day. It led to difficult conversations that I wanted to avoid.

By introducing a mandatory subscription plan, I wanted to demonstrate our value and support the patient in the best way possible.

Contact lens wearers can sometimes be perceived to have a bad reputation as being demanding or awkward customers for the reasons I have listed above. Through the subscription plan I introduced I decided to turn it on its head and consider: contact lens wearers love their lenses so much and they don’t want to be without them, so why should we let them be without them?

The plan I provide allows patients to access care whenever they need it. Their check-ups are always in date, and they can choose to add their lenses to their subscription or not.

I price my lenses in line with online retailers in order to remain competitive. I may sometimes be told by a patient that they can purchase their lenses online cheaper, and in these situations, I explain the benefits of the subscription plan that we offer, and try to demystify online sales. For example, online suppliers often price lenses per eye, whereas practices will price per pair. I talk openly to my patients about this in order to demystify and manage the situation before it occurs.

Once the patient is on a subscription plan, they pay the Direct Debt and their lenses are delivered to their home. It’s an easy and simple process for both the patient and the practice.

If they need to update, for example, their address, they simply email the team. If they get to the end of the year and they have lots of lenses left, I am happy for them to return them and we credit their account accordingly.

For patients who do not wear contact lenses regularly, we have a pay-as-you-go option. These patients email the practice to place an order, letting us know how many lenses they want and where they want them delivered to. We send them a payment link, they pay online, and the lenses are shipped. Again, it’s easy. People email me from all over the world when it’s convenient for them. It’s made the purchase accessible and easy.

Consumers are used to subscription models for many things in their lives nowadays, from Netflix to toothpaste. If we are not considering this model in the eye care sector we are falling behind.

Consumers are used to subscription models for many things in their lives nowadays, from Netflix to toothpaste.

Contact lenses in conversation

If a practice is experiencing an issue with online sales and patient drop out, having a conversation with the patient is really important. I would encourage practices to introduce a question on the feedback form at the end of a contact lens fitting asking, for example, ‘What would we need to do to encourage you to purchase from us?’

I see it as an opportunity to learn. It may be that they are looking for something that I don’t want to offer. For example, I stock products that are eco-friendly and that I know pay a fair wage. This is not important to everyone, so they can choose to purchase elsewhere. However, the reason that you think someone is purchasing online is most often not true, so asking a simple question like this can help you uncover the truth.

When it comes to cost, I would advise against offering free fitting appointments. This is because ultimately you must cover your professional time in some way. We charge for all fitting appointments and when doing so we explain to patients that this fee covers the professional and clinical advice, so they can be assured that the recommendations being made are genuine and honest to them.