Unity Via Victories Contest Finalist: 'Never Say Never'

​This was a finalist in the Unity Via Victories contest. Voting ended on December 31, 2021 at 11:59 p.m. pacific time.

I’ve been in the optical industry for almost six years.  The moment an optician hears “I can’t see” or “something’s not right,” is when a thousand thoughts flood the mind with “what’s the issue.” Then it comes to trouble-shooting and going through all of the check marks as to what the problem may be. It may be something as small as an adjustment, or as big as a change of the type of the lens type. 

​After a minute of getting used to the lenses, a patient may even say, “Oh, okay, this is going to take some time to get used to,” which is the part where the optician may tell them to try them out for the next week and to wear them as much as they can. After about a week, if the patient still does not like them, they may even say “Forget about it,” and just not wear them again. That’s also usually when they mention it at their next appointment (that they could never get used to them). Of course, the optician may say “we can’t help you if we don’t know.”

That is just the background of some scenarios.

At the end of August, I had a patient that had a progressive lens before and never told us he didn’t like them until his next appointment. He was actually overdue for his exam, but dreaded coming in since he figured it would be the same situation. His needs fit what a progressive lens is used for: distance for when he drives, computer use, and reading paperwork. He mentioned how he could never get used to them and was not interested in them. I mentioned to him that some people take longer than others to get adjusted and asked if he could be a little more patient with them. I mentioned that there were new digital lenses that adapt more quickly than others. On the off chance he didn’t like them, we would be happy to remake them to single vision for no charge. His insurance covered premium progressive lenses anyways, so money wasn’t the reason for his resistance. After discussing this with him, he said he would give them one more chance, and that’s when I got the satisfaction and the light bulb turned on, that the Unity® Via lenses might be the answer.

I put the order through and waited for the glasses to come back. I was excited to not only see the results, but excited for the patient as well! On September 10th, I received the glasses from the lab! Not only did the patient get notified via text, but I personally called them! They came into the office the next day that they could, which was the following week.

The gentleman sat down and I presented his new glasses! They were looking sharp! He had also chosen the TechShield® Blue Anti-Reflective Coating because he works on a computer, along with a standard polycarbonate lens. The first-time progressive-wearer puts them on and the first thing that he says is: “Wow.” I gave him a minute to give me more feedback and he said, “It’s going to take a second to adjust to them, but these are actually great!”

​Hearing that was amazing. I love when my patients not only say that they can see, but that they can see well! The glasses fit like a glove and he was happy that he understood the way they worked that fast. I suggested not to drive home with them until he was 100% used to them, and he was so pleased that he said “I think I am actually good to go!” He thanked me for a great pair of glasses. I told him I would call him after a week to see how he was doing with them, and off he went.
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I called him about a week later to ask how he was doing with his new glasses. The word he used was “impressed.” He said that this is not how he remembers it being before, and he is happy he gave it another chance, especially with the multiple tasks that he does in a day. He said he couldn’t be happier with his purchase and he is actually looking forward to his yearly eye exams. I thanked him for his trust, and he thanked me for putting him in a great lens.

*To vote for this Unity Via Victory, please "Like" or "Tweet" below. To view other Via Victories finalists, visit the contest web page here.

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