Cheap Awesome Great Glasses?

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I'm an optician at walmart and we've got some of the best pricing i've seen. Single vision lenses start at $50 (plastic) and $80 (polycarb). This includes no-glare and UV coating.
Frames are anywhere from $18 up. They also carry sports goggles. Pricing might be different in other areas (i'm in the midwest).

cheaper doesn't mean "cheap." Our lenses are made by the same quality standards as any other provider. We offer low prices because we buy in bulk. 🙂
 
lens material may be as good as other providers, but you should not compare the "quality" of coatings (ie anti-glare), or frame materials that Wal-mart offer, to other providers. Not to mention, the "quality" of some of the wal-mart staff (no offense). I once leased space at a walmart right after school, and these people had no training what so ever. I remember a patient complaining about a pair of glasses they had picked up a week ago, after the Rx had been checked by 3 assistants, the office manager, and an "ophthalmic dispenser", no problem was found. I then checked them and realized that one of the progressive lenses was upside down!! Hard to imagine anybody missing this, lucky he did not get into an accident. I know this does not apply to all walmart staff, but it does point out the length to which walmart will go to cut costs, by hiring people with no skills. You are right about bulk purchasing affecting the net cost for materials, but far more significant is the type of cheap materials purchased. If your funds are limited, walmart may be your only option, but if you want quality eyewear, you are always better off, at a private office.
 
true true. i'm learning a lot more about walmart (ie...hiring practices and especially management issues). i guess i focused more on the 'cheap' aspect of the question... i've also never had problems with glasses i've purchased there. i don't know about the issue of coatings quality though, but then again, i'm a walmart optician....i lack the knowledge 😉
 
I would just like to urge all poster to stay as civil as those above. Lets play nice.
 
i actually get pretty p.o'd when i see opticians offer suggestions to optometrists...

however, this one fellow here seems ok... i'm just glad he's not arrogant
 
drbizzaro said:
i actually get pretty p.o'd when i see opticians offer suggestions to optometrists...

however, this one fellow here seems ok... i'm just glad he's not arrogant
I gotta disagree with you on this one drbizzaro. It is in the best interest of the patient for an optician to make a suggestion to the optometrist. If the optometrist likes the suggests, then great, otherwise he'll ignore it.

If you had your own practise and had opticians on staff, would you prefer that they never made suggestions, or that they gave you valuable input when they thought of something? Economics says that we all do better when we share ideas.
 
haha i'm NOT arguing with anyone, no plans of it. There's enough of that on here and it made me very hesitant to post. To tell you the truth, I expected much anger at the mere mention of walmart. I'm not sure why everyone on here argues, but it makes me not want to come back sometimes. I just like some of the advice.

I'm an optician for now... still a bit more undergrad to go before optometry school, I feel like school will never end! I'm glad for the experience, I wont ever underestimate what they do for the doctors.

Oh and i'm a girl.


Thanks for not stoning me for working at walmart! much much appreciated🙂
 
How are MODO? I just bought a pair for $500 at Cohen's Optical. Are they good frames?
 
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