To buy or not to buy?

Choosing which frames to buy for your practice is one of the easiest ways to differentiate your offering from the competition. Emma White and Rob Moss provide 10 top tips on frame purchasing

1 WHO IS THE BUYER?
The best person to purchase frames isn't always the practice manager or owner. Dispensing opticians are probably in the best position to gauge what your patients want in terms of frame styling because they're most involved in the patients' decisions.

Remember, however, that while established staff will have a good idea of what your current client base is looking for, a relatively inexperienced member of staff might provide a more open-minded outlook on frame fashion. In most cases, a team effort is the best approach.

Optometrist Gillian Whitby of Whitby & Co on Fleet Street, London, says she would never impose her will on staff when it comes to choosing frames.

'At the end of the day, if the dispenser doesn't like the frames I choose he won't show them to the customer. Dispensers have to be on board and you need to give them enthusiasm about their job.'

Shelly Bansal, owner of First Contact Opticians in Pinner, Middlesex, believes buying is all about teamwork.

'We tend to look at buying collectively in the practice,' he said. 'Myself, the dispenser and support staff all contribute our own points of view.'