What’s your opinion on contact lens manufacturer rebates? Do you love them, or are they kind of a nuisance? However you feel about rebates, they have been around for a while now and have evolved over time. There are so many of them from every manufacturer that it gets confusing and can be difficult to implement a system without costing too much staff time.

Rebates can be a positive resource for your contact lens business if implemented correctly. Try to remove as many variables as possible so it is not confusing to your patients. Perfecting your in-office rebate process may help grow your contact lens sales.

Establish a Rebate Process

1. Market annual supply sales. Patients have many options on where to order their contact lenses. Rebates can help make this decision easier. Online sites use this tactic with every single purchase.
   For example, popular online sites start with the annual supply, then add in multiple rebates to reach the final price after free shipping. This changes the per box price and what is advertised on the front end of the website.
2. Provide the right tools to staff. Streamline this same process in your practice to make it easy for patients to do business with you. Try to avoid six-month and three-month rebates, as they add extra staff time and are not as valuable to patients. Rebates provide patients with an incentive to buy the annual supply from you at the time of their exam and will keep them out of the contact-lens-buying market until the following year.
   Next, add any rebates, whether they are manufacturer driven or in-office instant rebates. Then, advertise that final per-box price. This net per-box price that includes all of the incentives is the easiest way for patients to compare pricing.
   Additionally, remind patients that you can apply any vision insurance benefits to their purchase and that your office will stand behind that purchase. This assures patients that they have someone to go to if there are any concerns with their supply of contact lenses (i.e., ripping, change in prescription, defective lens, etc.).
   Finally, develop a form, have the information ready to go, and fill in the blanks (Figure 1).

Prepare for Success

Contact lens rebates may be time consuming for patients and staff if you are not prepared to handle them. Taking the extra time up front will help you market your practice and utilize rebates in a positive way for all involved. CLS