A screw, a nose pad, a snapped arm
The door opens every few minutes on a Saturday. A patient's glasses have a loose hinge. Another needs new nose pads. A third has sat on their frames and snapped an arm, and the frame is from a supplier that needs a part ordered. The dispensing optician fixes what they can on the spot, often without charge, and writes the snapped arm on a sticky note with the patient's number.
A week later the patient rings. Nobody can find the note. The part was ordered, or maybe it was not. The glasses are in a small bag somewhere behind the counter.
Why repairs go unrecorded
- Most repairs are quick, so recording them feels like more work than the repair.
- Free adjustments are not entered in the practice system because there is no sale.
- Parts orders are placed with suppliers by phone or email, outside the practice system.
- Glasses left for repair are stored without a clear label or location.
- Charges for repairs and replacement parts vary, and are applied inconsistently.
What that costs
| Issue | Effect |
|---|---|
| Parts orders on sticky notes | Orders forgotten, patients chasing |
| Glasses left without a record | Time spent searching, risk of loss |
| No record of free adjustments | No idea how much counter time goes on them |
| Inconsistent charging | Patients treated differently for the same repair |
| NHS repair claims | Evidence not captured at the time |
Repairs are also one of the most frequent reasons people walk into an opticians outside a test. Handling them well is a chance to impress; handling them badly sends people to the practice down the road next time.
How we build the repair log
- A repair screen on the counter tablet or PC takes a few taps: patient, glasses description, what was done or what is needed, charge if any.
- Free adjustments are logged with one tap, so the practice sees how much of this work it does.
- When a part is needed, the order is logged with the supplier, part and expected date, and the glasses get a numbered bag and a storage location.
- Overdue parts prompt a chase to the supplier.
- When the part arrives and the repair is done, the patient receives a message that their glasses are ready.
- Your repair charges are held as a simple price list, so the same repair costs the same whoever is on the counter.
- Where a repair falls under an NHS scheme, the evidence your process requires is captured at the time and linked to the claim.
The log links to the patient in your practice management system where it can, so the repair history sits with the patient's record.
At the counter afterwards
Repairs still take seconds, and recording them takes a few seconds more. Parts orders are tracked like any other job. Glasses left for repair are always findable. Patients are told when their repair is ready rather than having to ring. And the owner can see how much counter time goes on repairs and adjustments, which is useful when thinking about staffing on busy days or whether to charge for some work.
The numbered bag and shelf location sound trivial, but they remove one of the most stressful moments at the counter: a patient waiting while two members of staff search drawers for a pair of glasses left a fortnight ago. When the repair screen says bag fourteen, shelf B, the hand-over takes seconds.
Could this help your practice?
- Parts orders for repairs are recorded on sticky notes or in a notebook.
- Glasses left for repair are hard to find.
- Free adjustments are not recorded anywhere.
- Repair charges vary depending on who is on the counter.
- Patients ring to ask whether their repair is ready.