Wholesale Optical Lab: Finding The Right One

The wholesale optical lab business isn't exactly fraught with competition, but there are several companies out there promising discounts and quality products for those in the eye business. As a proprietor of an eyeglass store, an optical office, or a retail space, you have to make the decision about which one to go with. Certainly, the bottom line is always going to be cost, but without the right products, good delivery options, and dependable customer service, your front end is going to suffer and your customers are going to go elsewhere.

Cost

If you're looking for a wholesale optical lab, you're looking to skip more expensive distributors and go straight to the source. This is a money-saving maneuver, so money will be forefront on your mind when you make an order. However, beware of deals that seem too good to be true. Unless there's a very good reason why you're only paying pennies on the dollar for a product you know is much more expensive—and a good reason might be a grand opening sale or some other type of special promotion—you have cause to be skeptical about these spectacles.

Products

One wholesale optical lab is not necessarily going to carry everything the next one does. It may be in your interests to purchase certain items from one lab and others from another. Don't take away the power of choice from your customers just because your profit margin is too low on this one particular brand. While most customers are always going to appreciate good pricing, they will be turned off if you don't offer the top name brands they can get from your competitor.

Delivery and Customer Service

You need a wholesale optical lab that works for your situation. Delivery options are a big part of that package. If you have one wholesaler that is able to get your products out to you the next day and another that typically takes a week or more to ship it, the lower costs might start to get outweighed. Customers don't want to wait for their orders and there are few things that will drive away business faster than a bunch of "Out of Stock" signs. Look for easy-to-get-along-with customer service as well. You want a phone number you can call at any time of the day and discuss any problems you might have. This is where a good company really shines. Don't settle for being treated like a second class citizen just because you might be a small fish in a big pond.