“I needed a pair of glasses for work,” a first responder wrote. “The staff was so attentive and willing to help during these trying times — even opening their doors during off-hours. Thank you for the perfect pair of glasses!”
In most states, Pearle Vision has been deemed an essential business during the pandemic for good reason. Everyone — including those who are providing essential services themselves — need to be able to see clearly while they are working.
As a brand built on Dr. Stanley Pearle’s commitment to “Take care of the people,” Pearle Vision EyeCare Centers have continued to care for their patients under difficult circumstances. Most Pearle Vision locations are open for critical or urgent care appointments, such as pain, loss of vision or the repair or replacement of lost or broken glasses. Many EyeCare Centers are offering special early hours reserved for elderly and vulnerable patients.1
To help its licensed owners get through this period, Pearle Vision has taken steps such as:
- Deferred payments.
- A new contact lens e-commerce platform to allow licensed owners to continue to sell contacts even when patients cannot visit their local EyeCare Center.
- Shared resources such as webinars on the CARES Act, Small Business Association loans and more.
- Guidance on heightened protocols to already-stringent cleaning and sanitization procedures, social distancing and more.
Even as they deal with the challenges of a national crisis, Pearle Vision doctors, licensed owners and team members on the front lines are earning praise from patients for going “above and beyond” to take care of the people:
One man brought in the broken glasses of his wife, a nurse, and was grateful to find an optical store open. “You’re my last hope,” he said, adding that she needed the glasses for work.
A patient who is a director at a local nursing home called her neighborhood Pearle Vision to ask if they would replace the screws on two pairs of residents’ glasses. She tossed baggies of sterilized glasses to the optician, who quickly fixed the glasses and tossed them back. “If it were my mom or dad’s glasses, I would want someone to help them,” he said.
A nurse who saw flashes of light and spots to the right of her eye was quickly seen by the doctor at her neighborhood EyeCare Center. “I’m relieved that I am okay and can return to work. I received excellent care.”
The healthcare industry, including the optical industry, is sustainable for the same reasons it is essential. The need for eye exams and corrective lenses does not waver as the economy ebbs and flows. Additionally, as people age, vision care becomes more critical and they are more likely to require glasses or contact lenses, and the U.S. Census Bureau estimates that there will be 84 million Americans aged 65 or older by 2050.
“We provide a service that customers and patients want and need, even during a health crisis and economic downturn,” said Alex Wilkes, general manager of Pearle Vision. “And we have the added bonus of being able to help patients see better and live fuller lives, which is very rewarding.”
1 Eye exams available at the independent doctor of optometry at or next to Pearle Vision. Doctors in some states are employed by Pearle Vision.
