Optician and optometrist: bookings, store and stock

An optician's shop is two businesses that go hand in hand. The optometrist's time is limited and has to be filled in the calendar. On the shelves are hundreds of frames and thousands of lens packs. When these are in different systems, the till knows nothing about a customer's previous visit and the online shop doesn't know what's left in the store.

Short answer: an optician gains more from one system than an ordinary shop, because one customer's visit brings together a service, goods and a long customer relationship. An eye test can be booked online, goods move by barcode and the return-visit invitation goes out at the right time.

A typical week and its troubles

• The phone interrupts service. One customer is trying on frames, another calls wanting an eye test.
• An empty slot. A customer forgot their test and the optometrist is left waiting.
• Lens pack stock. The same product, but dozens of strengths. The sale of the last pack doesn't reach the online store.
• Remembering old customers. It's time for a customer who bought glasses two years ago to come back, but nobody remembers to tell them.

Eye tests and services

In the NUNDINAE bookings module, the customer chooses a service, an optometrist and a free time. Each service has its own duration and buffer time, and each specialist can have their own price. You make bookings that come in by phone on the customer's behalf, and the confirmation goes out straight away.

For a longer test or a contact lens fitting, you can ask for a prepayment. A reminder goes out by email or SMS, so there are fewer no-show clients.

Return visit. You set an interval for the service. If the customer hasn't booked a new time after that and has given consent, they get a reminder. I wrote more in appointment reminders.

Goods: variants and barcodes

An optician's stock is a complicated group of goods in terms of variants:

• Frames: model, colour and size. Each option has its own SKU, EAN, price, stock level and images.
• Lenses: strength, curvature and pack size. "Add several at once" creates the combinations itself.
• Care products: solutions, cases and cloths, which are also sold online.

A supplier's box is scanned in with a barcode scanner and the goods are on sale online straight away. At the till, a beep takes the item out of stock. When something is running low, you see it on the dashboard and can put together an order sheet by brand. More in inventory management with a barcode scanner.

Honestly: tracking of batches and shelf life doesn't exist at the moment. If you have to keep records of lens batches or expiry dates, this needs going through together before you choose.

Client card

You can add your own fields to the client card, such as last test, preferred lens type or a note. Data that may relate to the customer's health is encrypted in the database and opening a card goes into the audit log. Consent for health data is marked on the card.

The requirements for prescriptions and clinical documentation depend on what service you provide. NUNDINAE is not a health information system. If this applies to your activity, that data stays in the appropriate system. See more in booking system for clinics and private practices.

POS and invoice

The service and purchased goods go on the visit's invoice together. Payment can be by card, cash, gift card or several methods at once. The invoice can be emailed with company details. At the end of the day there's a summary by payment method.

Online store

Customers often look for lenses and care products online. The shop has variants, campaigns, discount codes and bundle deals, such as a frame and lens solution with a cloth as a gift. Payments go through Montonio and delivery is to a parcel locker or by courier.

The shop assistant can only recommend products currently in stock. For a health question it recommends seeing a specialist.

Frequently asked questions

Can several shops go in one system?

NUNDINAE is built on the principle of one installation per business. If you have several shops, each with its own stock, you and I should talk through first whether it fits.

Is there a subscription for contact lenses?

There's no ready-made subscription module. A repeat purchase can be reminded through automated messages.

Can I bring over my existing online store?

Yes, products and variants come across. See how data migration works.

Let's look at your shop

Write to me about how many shops and optometrists you have and what software you use now. Order NUNDINAE or ask for a demo.