Look into my eye socket
For at least two months, I’ve been one step from blind: I’m on my last pair of contacts, and they’ve already been worn longer than they’re supposed to be, and the dog chewed up my only pair of glasses. So a few days ago, I checked in at Lenscrafters for an in-house doctor appointment. They handed me a stack of paperwork to fill out, and included prominently was a solicitation – the only thing in the pile that’s laminated and in color – for an Optomap scan, which would tack on $40 to my bill. I looked around, and the sales pitch was everywhere: There was an advertisement for it on the front desk, and a nearby flat-screen TV was on a few-minute loop, touting the virtues of the scan. On the final page of paperwork, I was asked if I wanted the Optomap. Check yes, and you’re on your way. Next to the “No” box, there was a statement along the lines of, “I understand that without the Optomap, my doctor won’t be able to find the giant, throbbing growth behind my cornea, and I’ll probably die tomorrow.”
I stared at this paper for a few minutes, not sure of what to do. It seemed like a blatant upsell. Its name sounds like a half-baked villain out of Marvel Comics. And if Lenscrafters was pushing it so heavily — pushing, I should say, for their $40 — then clearly, this thing was nothing more than a ruse. Nothing more than a–
“Are you thinking about the Optomap?” said the girl at the front counter, a few feet away.
“Yeah,” I said. “It looks like an upsell.”
“It’s not,” she said. “You should do it.”
Do these people work on commission? I lingered for a minute longer, and then the girl said, “It makes a great screen saver.”
“You can e-mail it to me?”
“No problem,” she said.
Now it’s definitely a scam. But despite all that, I began to think the way Lenscrafters wanted me to think. Well, I haven’t had an eye exam in, like, two years. Maybe there is a giant, throbbing growth behind my cornea. Boy, that’d be bad. Maybe it’s worth $40 to find out. It’s only $40, right? And with that, I checked “Yes,” and went in. This is why upselling works. I was ashamed.
The Optomap is a machine about the size of an old microwave. You look in, and a bright, green light wipes across your eye. That’s it. Ten minutes later, the scan of my eye was up on my Lenscrafters-doctor’s screen, and he told me there’s no throbbing growth behind my cornea. Then, indeed, they e-mailed it. That’s the image above. Toward the left, the veins (or whatever) kind of look like half the Green Line in Boston, don’t they? Here:
It’s not my screen saver, though. Really, who wants to look at that all the time?
Afterward, I Googled “Optomap” and discovered that the company that makes it seems legit, and (to my surprise) isn’t an arm of Lenscrafters. And if this device really is valuable — and I’m still not sure it is — Lenscrafters really needs to rethink the way it encourages patients to use it. When my health is being discussed, I don’t like to feel like I’m being huckstered. Talk to me straight. Don’t advertise to me. But then, when I go to a company that’s combined doctor visits with retail, I suppose I should have known better.
Susie on 12 Oct 2007 at 12:19 pm #
I refused to get it done last time I went. And they made me feel super guilty about it. Not sure what I’ll do this time…It is a pretty cool picture though!
ジェンー on 15 Oct 2007 at 12:48 am #
I worked for an eye doctor in Cambridge- It’s a good test but not always necessary- It’s a great idea to have at least one mapping, especially if you wear contacts but certainly not a need each appointment if the doctor didn’t see any problems with your initial scan. In my experience, Techs were offered commission but it was a dollar per scan and my co-worker and I only suggested it when a patient’s history suggested that it was a good idea. There are better ways to earn a buck. $40 isn’t bad though. My company charged more than double that and the test is rarely covered by insurance.
ジェンー on 15 Oct 2007 at 12:50 am #
BTW: One of my favorite things about my job (beside my co-worker) was refracting patients. I love looking at people’s eyes. You wouldn’t believe how beautiful and unique they are magnified.
Sara on 23 Oct 2007 at 3:05 pm #
Jason, I had a very similar experience at the optometrist’s office. I found it incredibly insulting and weird.
The first time, the tech said something like “Do you want this blah-blah scan? It’s not covered by your insurance, but it’s a good thing to do.” I asked tons of questions, about what it does and why I need it, and decided to skip. It just didn’t seem worth it, and felt like a scam.
Now, every subsequent time that I have visited, the tech has not offered me this courtesy. Instead, she has said something like “Okay, now it’s time for your blah-blah scan,” and I’ve had to say “WAIT - is this the thing that’s $40 extra and not covered by my insurance?” She then looks down, sad-eyed, and says, “yes.” I say “I don’t want it.” She looks like she’s not going to eat tonight.
I have to imagine some type of commission or quota is in order here. But this is a doctor’s office, and money should not come into play here. Either I need something, or I don’t. If I need it, my insurance should cover it. I don’t want to “shop” for medical services.
Fido on 10 Nov 2007 at 2:18 pm #
I went through that this week, (the pressure sell) and I said no, for the same reason. What followed were lots of hangdog expressions, and peer pressure. “But…the DR recommends it, Ma’am!” There is something wrong here. Next time I use an optomologist. It’s money well spent.
Soph on 25 Jan 2008 at 3:26 pm #
I totally had the same experience a year ago! I went without it, but I admit for the two months after that, I had nightmares about the potential “giant, throbbing growth behind my cornea”.
Steve on 22 Mar 2008 at 1:09 pm #
This is a scam pure and simple. All of the “information” that this test gives can be done by seeing an ophthalmologist instead of an optometrist. This is covered by your medical insurance, unlike the $40 (I’ve seen up to $150)!!! There is no reason to take a picture of your retina (although you’re right it is a cool picture) unless they see something abnormal that needs to be monitored.
If you’re thinking, I better do this because the “doctor” recommended it…these are not medical doctors, they are eyeglass doctors. They wouldn’t know an abnormality even if they saw it on the optomap. Go to an eye doctor with an MD after their name, an ophthalmologist and you’ll be better off.