The Value in Free

By A. D. Forth

If the best things in life are free, then why do people seem to value only what they pay for? We continue to pollute the air we breathe, the water we drink and the soil we sow. Aren’t these basic life necessities the best of all that is free? Shouldn’t they be valued above all else? Instead, we focus on our cars, our homes and our investments. If the environment is regarded as worthless because it is free, then how are free services perceived?

There seems to be a fee for everything these days. From banking to utilities to transportation — the list is endless. One might wonder if a service is rendered at all. There’s both a cable hook-up and disconnection fee. You pay for your new tires and for the disposal of your old ones. There’s even a fee for 911!  We’re so used to paying service fees, we don’t even notice them anymore. We certainly don’t bother to question them either. So what about professional service fees?

What makes a service fee professional? Should it matter whether you’re a mechanic or an architect? Whether you sell a product or provide a service? Plumbers have no more of a problem charging for their services than lawyers. Is a plumbing emergency any more critical than one of vision? Both dentists and dental hygienists collect professional fees. Is dental health more important than eye health? Pharmacists charge both for the drugs that they dispense and for the professional service that they provide. Aren’t opticians simply optical pharmacists?

How are these professionals perceived by the public? Most people know the difference between dentists and hygienists, lawyers and paralegals, plumbers and mechanics. And most people are used to paying fees for these services, whether they question them or not. Do these professions simply market themselves better, or do they value themselves more? Perhaps it is both.

Opticians often charge a fitting fee for contact lenses, but not for eyeglasses. Do contact lenses require more or just different skills? Fees for frame repairs and adjustments are usually sporadic and quickly waved with the slightest protest or prospective sale. What are the design, preparation, fitting and repair of optical appliances perceived as? Are these not our professional services? Should they not come with professional fees? What are we demonstrating to our clients by giving them away for free? Remember that people seem to value only what they pay for and that free equals worthless. Are optometric dispensaries perceived this way?

Some optometrists seem to have learned a lot from opticians. Not in terms of collaboration, unfortunately, but rather competition. Retail optometric stores are on the rise everywhere. More and more doctors of optometry are selling eyeglasses to their patients. Will medical doctors soon follow suit by selling drugs either directly or indirectly? How would pharmacists react? Could patients become as confused about medical care as they are about eye care? Are conflicts of interest no longer a threat to the public? How will they trust the future quality and integrity of eye health providers?

Opticians could learn a lot from optometrists. Perhaps our politics have blinded us to our own success. Optometric salespeople are often mistaken for opticians. They are perceived to be skilled as we are skilled. But we’ve all done free adjustments and repairs for our neighbourhood optometrist’s offices. So what do optometric dispensaries have that optical dispensaries don’t? The answer is surprisingly simple. It is more powerful than a united professional association. It is more valuable than any knowledge or skill. They may not have opticians, but optometrists charge dispensing fees.

An optician should be just as valued as any dentist, lawyer or pharmacist. The difference between an optometric salesperson and an optician should be crystal clear to the public. Corporate retail exploitation should never hinder the profession of opticianry. We need to rise up and value ourselves by charging for our professional services; not instead of but in addition to our professional products; not necessarily large fees, but consistent fees. Fees that would demand the recognition and respect that we have always deserved — fees that would promote value for an undervalued profession. Pride is priceless — there is no value in free.