Sep 22, 2026 · 43 min · 10 segments
In this episode, Dr. Steve Vargo sits down with Amie Robinson, ABOC, optical manager at Spring Hill Eyecare, to reframe one of the most overlooked moments in a patient's visit: the handoff from exam…
Amie RobinsonGuest
Steve VargoHost
I think it becomes easier to do that when we've done our role as well in the exam room in terms of creating some level of anticipation for the frames, for the glasses, for the lenses.
I think they look at the optical side and the opticians is handling more of the retail side.
But if as doctors, we're not creating some level of excitement or anticipation to walk out there, it's harder.
I mean, there was a time where they used to kind of lie a little bit about not buying glasses from you.
And Then at some point they just started saying, I'm just here to get my script and I'm going to go somewhere else.
You know, this is how I make a living, but they don't always look at it that way.
But I think if we're doing our part and the opticians doing their part, we get past the sense of glasses are just a commodity.
Because I think a lot of patients who walk through the door, that's all they see.
That's the reason they're willing to go and look for... you know, they go online and go to other places where they're not perhaps going to get the same quality because as with any commodity, you're just looking at price.
So when the doctor's talking up the aspects of it that the patient needs, the patient starts to get a sense of, okay, I'm starting to see that all glasses and lenses aren't created equal, and then they just pass that on to you.
But when you were talking before, I was trying to put myself in the position of the patient listening to that.
The more I would hear as you're talking, thinking, okay, there's almost a sense of like, I don't want to buy something that I'm going to have a problem with, or I'm not going to like, or I, we start looking at it that way, the more educated we become.
I think it becomes easier to do that when we've done our role as well in the exam room in terms of creating some level of anticipation for the frames, for the glasses, for the lenses.
I think they look at the optical side and the opticians is handling more of the retail side.
But if as doctors, we're not creating some level of excitement or anticipation to walk out there, it's harder.
I mean, there was a time where they used to kind of lie a little bit about not buying glasses from you.
And Then at some point they just started saying, I'm just here to get my script and I'm going to go somewhere else.
You know, this is how I make a living, but they don't always look at it that way.
But I think if we're doing our part and the opticians doing their part, we get past the sense of glasses are just a commodity.
Because I think a lot of patients who walk through the door, that's all they see.
That's the reason they're willing to go and look for... you know, they go online and go to other places where they're not perhaps going to get the same quality because as with any commodity, you're just looking at price.
So when the doctor's talking up the aspects of it that the patient needs, the patient starts to get a sense of, okay, I'm starting to see that all glasses and lenses aren't created equal, and then they just pass that on to you.
But when you were talking before, I was trying to put myself in the position of the patient listening to that.
The more I would hear as you're talking, thinking, okay, there's almost a sense of like, I don't want to buy something that I'm going to have a problem with, or I'm not going to like, or I, we start looking at it that way, the more educated we become.
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