web analytics

Posts Tagged ‘WalMart’

@optotrician: Time for an Eye Exam

David Langford, O.D. on April 26th, 2013 under @ the Optotrician, Optoblog •  Comments Off on @optotrician: Time for an Eye Exam

Don't talk to Willie!

Don’t talk to Willie!

Our Walmart Vision Center has a life-size poster of a tough-looking beared guy from Duck Dynasty. Someone thought it would be fun to put a Walmart name tag with the name “Willie” on it.

It’s strange having Willie in the optical because you see him out of the corner of your eye and you instinctively have to look over at him to see who’s there, but the then you feel stupid because you’ve already told yourself a thousand times before that Willie is just a cardboard picture.

The other day, an optician saw a lady trying to talk to Willie and asking a question. Of course it was only for a few seconds, but it was a couple seconds longer than most people would talk to a cardboard picture.

The VC manager decided to take the name badge of Willie after that. Now most people just come over and have a picture taken with cardboard Willie.

Tags: , , , , , , ,

What Kind of Society do We Live In?

David Langford, O.D. on November 30th, 2012 under Asides, op-ed, Optoblog •  Comments Off on What Kind of Society do We Live In?

Walking into Walmart today, the door greeted me with this poster over the retail theft detectors:

sickening poster of Farcry3 video game

What?! We’re just playing. Having fun.

Everyone who enters Walmart gets to see this intense, menacing, threatening, brutal, cruel, violent picture. Innocent four-year olds, impressionable tweens, expectant mothers, you, me…everybody!

Don’t get me wrong. Mr. Fairy-face could just as well be holding a baseball bat. The issue is not about sidearms. Every sane, law-abiding adult should be allowed to carry a gun on the beach- holstered until needed to save own/family’s life and limb. The issue here is about men wearing makeup.

The other issue here is showing such an intense, graphic, violent scenario for public display. The poster is sickening. Despite Mr. Fairy-face’s great trigger-finger discipline, he is pointing a gun at a guy’s head. A guy who has been buried to the nostrils in the sand, unable to defend himself, waiting in suspense for his brains to exit his skull. You would normally have to watch an R-rated movie to see this kind of imagery. Now Walmart uses it as their welcome sign!

Okay, America. What kind of society do we want to have? I think it would be a good idea to go to church and pray about that.

Tags: , ,

Walmart and 1800Contacts are Splitsville

David Langford, O.D. on October 31st, 2012 under Optoblog •  Comments Off on Walmart and 1800Contacts are Splitsville

In an e-mail today to Walmart affiliated optometrists from Dr. Chad Overman, director of professional relations, he announced in relationship to Walmart and 1800Contacts that:

“Given future diverging business interests, a decision has been made to end our relationship effective December 31, 2012”

This isn’t 1800Contacts’ first divorce. As I explained before, 1800Contacts shacked up with a regional optical in Utah, Standard Optical, a few years before their civil union with Walmart in 2008.

Dr. Overman continues:

“Even before our alliance with 1-800 Contacts, our patients have counted on us to provide them a broad assortment of contact lenses at affordable prices, and our pledge to them and you is that we will continue to do so. In the event your patients have questions, thank them for their continued trust and patronage and provide them assurance of our continuance of this commitment…
Why are we ending our relationship?
Our customers trust us to provide a broad assortment of products at everyday low prices, and we approach every business decision through this lens.”

The last few years I did enjoy how we typically get contact lens orders to patients in just two days. That’s great customer service, but I’ll bet it’s more cost expense than Walmart is willing to pay in hopes of keeping prices low. I guess we’ll go back to saying “about a week?”

Tags: , , ,

Walmart Health & Wellness Meeting 2010 Updates for 2010-05-06

David Langford, O.D. on May 6th, 2010 under Optoblog, Tweets •  Comments Off on Walmart Health & Wellness Meeting 2010 Updates for 2010-05-06

  • WM employee discount for associates in VCs is so competetive that it begs the question why is there even vision insurance? #WMHW2010 #
  • Of 77 clinics in WM, most are afilliated with a local hospital or healthcare system. My ? is does WM care if panel excludes ODs? #WMHW2010 #
  • Why aren't all VC managers opticians? Good question. We'll probably work towards that while still respecting those who aren't. #WMHW2010 #
Tags: , ,

Walmart Health & Wellness Meeting 2010 Updates for 2010-05-05

David Langford, O.D. on May 5th, 2010 under Optoblog, Tweets •  Comments Off on Walmart Health & Wellness Meeting 2010 Updates for 2010-05-05

  • Breakfast was a really long line, but I still got my waffle. Good thing about WM conf is tons of food. #WMHW2010 #
  • WM wants to be the leader in providing affordable healthcare to EVERY American. #WMHW2010 #
  • Save money. Live better. is not just a tag line. It's a summary of a Sam Walton quote and an obligation to our customers. #WMHW2010 #
  • 2500 vision centers in USA. 3700 pharmacies. 77 Clinics. 3 labs in USA, 2 in Mexico. #WMHW2010 #
  • Top V.C.s yearly gross 1.2 to 1.8 Meeelion dollars. #WMHW2010 #
  • IF we're supposed to get adv. Insruments and EMR, then we need a floor plan to accomodate it. #WMHW2010 #
  • Staff training in talent, spoptical skills needs to step up. not just sales training. #WMHW2010 #
  • 38 /58 /88 priced glasses are here to stay. There will be a back to school rollback for a daily contact brand. #WMHW2010 #
Tags: , ,

Walmart Health & Wellness Meeting 2010 Updates for 2010-05-04

David Langford, O.D. on May 4th, 2010 under Optoblog, Tweets •  Comments Off on Walmart Health & Wellness Meeting 2010 Updates for 2010-05-04

  • Eating mexican food at WM optical lab's multipurpose room in Fayetteville. #WMHW2010 #
  • The WM lab in Fayetteville is huge. I think they converted an old supercenter building. Over 10000 orders a day! #WMHW2010 #
  • I just spoke with Dr. MA #WMHW2010 #
  • I just met Dr. Mark Travis, former big wig at WM HQ and now a VP at 1800CONTACTS. He says anytime you want a tour in Draper, UT it can … #
  • Check out 1800CONACTS new drama commercial on YouTube. #WMHW2010 #
  • I think doctors and insurance/.gov needs an open, honest discusion re exam fee for ins. vs private pay. it does cost us more to bill in … #
  • Billing ins. Overhead is more than pvt pay but not double. we should be allowed to charge a little more to ins. #WMHW2010 #
Tags: , ,

Walmart Health & Wellness Meeting 2010 Updates for 2010-05-04

David Langford, O.D. on May 4th, 2010 under Optoblog, Tweets •  Comments Off on Walmart Health & Wellness Meeting 2010 Updates for 2010-05-04

  • Eating mexican food at WM optical lab's multipurpose room in Fayetteville. #WMHW2010 #
  • The WM lab in Fayetteville is huge. I think they converted an old supercenter building. Over 10000 orders a day! #WMHW2010 #
  • I just spoke with Dr. Mark Travis. He’ll give you a tour of 1800Contacts when you’re in the SLC area. #WMHW2010 #
  • I just met Dr. Mark Travis, former big wig at WM HQ and now a VP at 1800CONTACTS. He says anytime you want a tour in Draper, UT it can … #
  • Check out 1800CONACTS new drama commercial on YouTube. #WMHW2010 #
  • I think doctors and insurance/.gov needs an open, honest discusion re exam fee for ins. vs private pay. it does cost us more to bill in … #
  • Billing ins. Overhead is more than pvt pay but not double. we should be allowed to charge a little more to ins. #WMHW2010 #
Tags: , ,

Walmart Health & Wellness Meeting 2010 Updates for 2010-04-29

David Langford, O.D. on April 29th, 2010 under Optoblog, Tweets •  Comments Off on Walmart Health & Wellness Meeting 2010 Updates for 2010-04-29

  • I won't be taking my laptop to Bentonville, so I'll Tweet from my phone and port it to this blog. #WMHW2010 David Langford #
Tags: , ,