When it comes time to decide which optical lab you'll be working with, dispensing expert Leona Meditz suggests you consider the following factors:

• Ophthalmologic patient needs
. Is the lab well-equipped to meet your specific needs? A given lab may not be familiar with the special needs of an ophthalmology practice. For example, a lab may boast of same-day turnaround. But if you fit mostly +2.25 diopter adds in 7X28 trifocals (a common lens for M.D. practices), and the lab doesn't stock this lens, you might wait 10 days for the lab to get the lens from its supplier. On the other hand, the owner or lab manager may choose to stock more of these lenses if he knows he'll have your business.
• Pricing
. After examining lots of lab price lists over the years, I've found that the range of price differences among labs stays within 5%. This is for a standard mix of single vision, bifocal, progressive and trifocal lenses. Therefore, finding the cheapest price won't make much difference in your actual bill.
Instead, quantity discounts are the key to cutting costs without compromising quality. You can get quantity discounts if you only work with one or two labs, because you can give them all of your business � and they'll reward you for it. In fact, ophthalmology practices are gold mines for labs because of the high number of bifocal lenses they buy. (Labs don't make as much money on single vision lenses.)
Of the three O's, M.D.s usually pay their bills on time and aren't as concerned about price. You can use this as leverage to secure a quantity discount; just guarantee that the bill will be paid by the 10th of the month. Also, check prices based on the mix of lenses used in your office. If you want to work with a lab because it gives faster service or is more accurate, but the lab charges 20% more than its competitor for a lens you fit every day, ask for special pricing on that product.
• Extra services.
When the lab managers know they must bid the work, they'll be more creative about offering extra services. When negotiating, I always include lab-sponsored quarterly continuing education for opticians, and lab participation in health fairs or trunk shows.
Once the labs have submitted bids, accept two of them. If you have a main lab and a main lab "wanna-be," you'll be able to keep both of them on their toes. For example, the speed of lab service will be affected when the lab's machines need to be serviced. If one lab takes too long processing a job, you can cancel it and get it from the other lab without more delays.
Also, balance the mix of services so the labs have different niches. For example, you might choose a lab specializing in a progressive lens brand that the other lab doesn't carry. This gives you access to more brands.