At the time of writing [early June], summer 2024 is still not quite living up to expectations – with just a handful of days with above average temperatures. This does affect all businesses of course, but for opticians it could mean a drop in sales of sunglasses and related products. So what else apart from the sunshine (or lack of it) can have an impact on our businesses?
Like many, I’m very much looking forward to a bumper summer of sport with the usual cricket, tennis, motorsport, cycling and golf. This year, we also have the UEFA Euro 2024, and Olympic and Paralympic Games to look forward to. Such high-profile events usually boost the public’s interest in sports, with measured activities by clubs reflecting this. They can, of course, also lead to additional dispensing opportunities in practice.
But how good is our sports product knowledge, and how well do we promote the products that can both protect and improve the vision and visual comfort of our patients? Being able to enhance a patient’s enjoyment of a particular sport can be rewarding – whether this is to ensure the correct protective eyewear is fitted or a lens design and/or a specific coating/tint dispensed to aid vision clarity and performance.
It is vital that you know how, where and when your patients use their eyes and then offer better solutions specific for their situation. Do such discussions happen in the consulting room or at the time of recommending frames and lenses? Is there information on your website or in the practice? On the whole, patients will not be aware of specialised lenses for sports.
Where necessary, you should refer to the relevant BSI standards and, just as importantly, any guidance issued by sports’ governing bodies. Much of this information can be found in the Advice and Guidelines section of the ABDO website.
I am looking forward to attending the British and Irish Orthoptic Society Conference and AGM in July, which is being held in Manchester. With the majority of orthoptists being employed by the NHS in hospitals and community eye services, it will be interesting to hear about the important work they carry out and how they integrate and communicate with dispensing opticians working in all environments.
I look forward to meeting members at upcoming regional events and conferences and if you would like to contact me, then please drop me an email to kgutsell@abdoboard.org.uk
In the meantime, whether you plan to holiday abroad or in the UK, I hope that you have a good break over the summer and recharge those batteries.
This article appears in the July/August 2024 print issue of Dispensing Optics.