Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for Eye Care Professionals

Go ahead, ask me anything. I'm an open book!

Seriously, if you are using Abby -- ABB Optical's FREE Online Contact Lens Ordering Platform -- and have questions, you've come to the right place.

If you can't find an answer to what you're looking for, please feel free to email an Abby Advisor!

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FAQs for Eye Care Professionals (ECP) Ordering Contact Lenses on Abby

The Benefits of Abby

What makes Abby different from other contact lens ordering platforms?

Powered by ABB Optical, Abby is the only platform of its kind that’s free for both patients and providers, while providing a stress-free contact lens ordering experience from all major manufacturers.

Abby handles it all, all in one place — easy ordering, free delivery, helpful reminders and tracking, and no-hassle returns.

Does Abby offer free shipping to patients?

Yes, Abby offers free standard shipping on all contact lens purchases shipped directly to the patient—with no minimum box requirement.

Shipping upgrades are also available, at a cost, for faster delivery!

What products do you carry?

Abby carries all contact lenses from every major contact lens manufacturer.

In a nutshell, if it goes on your eye, we have it. Some made to order lenses are not available to order on helloabby.com

Does working with Abby really save time?

Yep, it really does! Abby’s mission is to make life easier for eye care professionals and their patients by taking the guesswork out of the equation and, in turn, saving time.

By using only one platform for contact lens ordering, no matter the brand, time is gained to focus on what’s most important: providing eye care to patients.

Will my patients in my Secure Patient Directory be moved to Abby?

Patients with a complete profile (first name, last name, email address, and a valid Rx) will be moved over to Abby.

Once your Abby account is ready, you will need to enter in an address/phone number and invite your patients to join Abby.

Can patients add their own Rx?
No, at this present time, your patients cannot add their own Rx.
 
If you have a patient with an outside Rx, you will need to review, approve and enter that patient into Abby.
 
Is it complicated for patients to place orders?

Not at all! The patient will only need to enter three things: box quantities, shipping address, and credit card information.

Prescription information will be controlled securely by the practice, taking out any guesswork for the patient.

What emails/text messages does my patients get?

Because Abby is a virtual extension of your practice, her sole goal for any communications to your patients is to help your office staff by providing real time updated information about your patient's orders.

Communications via email/SMS (if opted in) will include the status of their orders and reminders when it's time to reorder.

If you don't have the product in stock, will ABBY recommend another product?

No, ABBY will not switch products under any circumstances.

Any changes to a patient's prescription must be done by the prescribing doctor.

Patients asking for alternatives will be directed back to their doctors office for assistance.

What happens when a product is not available or not in stock?

When you become an Abby practice, you now have the ability to access the inventory across all of our distribution centers.

If the product is not available out of your assigned distribution facility,

Abby will search across our entire network to locate the product for your patient.

That means faster delivery and more importantly.. happier patients.

Are manufacturer rebates available on Abby?

Orders placed on helloabby.com qualify for manufacturer rebates.

We are currently working with various manufacturers to make it easier for patients to submit these rebates on helloabby.com.

For now, you will need to continue to provide those valuable rebates to patients when they are at your office.

Are private labels available on Abby?

Yes, private labels are available to order on helloabby.com

If I sign up for Abby and shift all my business to direct to patient, will I have to pay a shipping and handling charge on my diagnostic orders?

The short answer is yes, you will have to pay for shipping on your diagnostic orders.

BUT, it is important to know that once you are using Abby to ship direct to your patients, they immediately experience the benefit of FREE shipping, right to their door.

So, you will immediately see the cost savings on all your Rx direct to patient orders, as well as the financial and time-saving benefits of not having to manage ship to office orders, fielding phone calls from patients on their orders, dealing with returns, etc.

Additionally, we have found that Eye Care Practitioners who bring Abby on board have greatly increased their capture rates for contact lens reorders… that previously would have been filled by a competitor.

So the long answer is yes, BUT, these benefits should far outweigh your diagnostic shipping and handling fees. 

Can practices add a helloabby.com link to their website?

Yes, in fact, this is recommended. However, only the patients that are already registered with Abby will be able to login.  All others will need to contact the practice to register. Of course, the practice can (and should) register any patient at their next visit.

Setting Up Abby

Remember, if you ever need help, email help@helloabby.com

I’m having trouble logging in, what should I do?

Please make sure you are using the email address that your practice provided at the time of sign up.

Click on forgot my password in order to reset your password.

To see a short video tutorial, click here.

If you are still having trouble logging into your account, please reach out to an Abby Customer Success Team Member utilizing our chat feature for assistance.

How do I register a patient?

Registering patients is as easy as 1, 2. 3.

All you need to do is:

  1. Click on Add a new Patient
  2. Enter the patients Rx
  3. Enter shipping information

...and you are done!

Click on this short video tutorial to learn more.

I just signed up a patient to use Abby. When will their registration email arrive?

Abby gets to work very quickly. Your patient will receive the registration email within a few seconds.

If the email does not come right away, please ask the patient to check their Spam or filtered folders.

If a patient signs up for Abby, but forgets their log in, can they easily reset it?

Yes, a patient can click “forgot password” and they will be sent an automatic link to reset their username and/or password. But that link does expire, your patients should be on the lookout for an Abby email, once they have requested a new password.

My patients were automatically set up when my accounts were migrated over to Abby. How will these patients receive their email invites to create their accounts in Abby?

Great question! Simply login to your Abby ECP account. Scroll down the homepage and look for the ‘You have new patients’ message.

Click the ‘Send emails’ button to invite all of your patients to create their accounts.

One click and you’re done!

Each account will receive an email inviting them to create their patient accounts in Abby.

How do I set my retail pricing?

You have full control over what prices you charge on helloabby.com.

You can easily set your pricing by a margin $ or percent, or by inputting whatever price best fits your retail strategy.

We also offer information from our Digital Price Monitor for reference.

For a more in depth tutorials on how to set pricing, see videos below:

How to Use the Custom Pricing Feature

How to Use the Quick Catalog Pricing Feature

How do I set my retail pricing across all my locations?

You have full control over what prices you charge on helloabby.com.

On the pricing screen, the footer of the screen indicates which location you are managing pricing.  

If you would like to change the location or select all locations to set your retail pricing, simply select "Reset" and Abby will ask if you would like to continue.  Select "Yes, Edit Location". You will then be given the option to select all the locations you would like to make retail pricing changes. Select all locations to set consistent pricing across all your locations. Select individual locations to make changes based on individual locations. 

Can I change my email address?

Yes. Go to Manage Account, scroll down to Your Details and click on change email.

Type in your new email and type in your new email again to confirm.

Can an email address be used to create more than one profile?

The same email address cannot be used to create more than 1 profile.

A unique email address is required for each login.

However, one login can have multiple prescriptions assigned to their account.

How do I create a staff login?
Please utilize our Abby chat feature to request the creation of your staff logins.
 
How do I delete a staff login?

Please utilize our Abby chat feature to request the deletion of your staff logins.

How long does it take from registering a patient, to them receiving an email invite from Abby?

It takes seconds for the registration to reach the email inbox of a patient.

If the patient does not need a profile set up because it transferred from previous email input, how does the patient receive an email invite from Abby?

They will have a button on the home page, after logging on, to help them send mass invites.

 

 

If an account assigns a different email address for each staff member ordering, will each staff member have visibility into all orders placed on the account?

Yes, they will have visibility to all orders placed on the account.

Order Management

How do I place an order on helloabby.com?

Just like registering a patient, placing an order is as easy as 1, 2, 3.

  1. Verify your patient’s prescription and shipping address
  2. Enter the number of boxes
  3. Hit submit!

That’s it!

For a short video of how to place an order, click here.

If you are using Abby to charge your patient’s credit card, then input their credit card information upon the time of checkout.

For a short video on how to place credit card orders, click here.

How do I add a Credit Card to a Patient's Profile?
  1. First, search and select an existing patient's profile.
  2. Then, start a patient order.
  3.  If there is already a credit card on the patient profile, choose that preferred card.
  4. If not, click "Use a different" card, and a new window will open up for you to enter the patient's new credit card information.
  5. Place the Order using the patient's preferred credit card.
  6.  See success screen

Please know that Abby does NOT store the actual credit card. The Card info goes through a secure validation process via Cyber Source, which provides a token, storing the last 4 digits of the patient’s credit card.

For a short video of how to add or edit a patient's credit card, click here.

How are orders shipped?

All orders, regardless of the number of boxes ordered, receive free shipping.

Patients and your practice can upgrade shipping at an additional cost.

All orders are shipped via UPS Mail Innovations with a tracking number for easy reference.

Can I easily see the status of an order, with shipping and tracking information?

Yes, the Order Status Dashboard will indicate the following statuses:

  1. Processing
  2. Shipped
  3. Delayed Delivery
  4. Or cancelled.

It will also provide you with a tracking number.

To learn how to see the history of an order, click this short video.

Please reach out to an Abby Customer Success Team Member utilizing our chat feature for further assistance.

Can the practice change the shipping cost to the patient?

No, any specific shipping costs are fixed and cannot be changed.

Are patients notified when their order is shipped?

Yes! Patients will receive email and/or SMS notifications when their order is being processed and when their order has shipped.

They can also access tracking information from their patient profile.

Are patients sent re-order reminders if a practice fulfills an Abby order from its own inventory?

Yes, regardless of how Abby orders are dispensed, either through ABB stock, or from a Practice’s own inventory, Abby will send out patient reorder reminders.

Can patients receive order status updates via text message?

Yes, new Abby Patients must first 'opt-in' to receive text messages. When they are registering for the first time, and after creating their password, they will be presented with a NEW notification screen where they can turn on Text Notifications.

Existing Abby Patients must also 'opt-in' to receive text messages. For them, the must 

  1. The patient must go to their profile and go to the 'Manage Account' tab.
  2. When they are in their profile, add their mobile # and click the button to 'opt-in' to "Order Status"

If at any time the patient no longer wishes to receive text messages, they merely need to reply "Stop" to the text.

They can also go back into the profile and "unclick" the Order Status button to stop receiving order status updates via text.

Can patients reorder reminders via text message?

Yes, new Abby Patients must first 'opt-in' to receive text messages in order to receive reorder reminders via text.

When they are registering for the first time, and after creating their password, they will be presented with a NEW notification screen where they can turn on Text Notifications.

Existing Abby Patients must also 'opt-in' to receive text messages. For them, the must 

  1. The patient must go to their profile and go to the 'Manage Account' tab.
  2. When they are in their profile, add their mobile # and click the button to 'opt-in' to "Reorder Reminders"

If at any time the patient no longer wishes to receive text messages, they merely need to reply "Stop" to the text.

They can also go back into the profile and "unclick" the 'Reorder Reminder' button to stop receiving order status updates via text.

Are Practices notified when a patient is sent a reorder reminder?
Yes, Abby will make sure the practice is notified every time a patient receives a reorder reminder.
Does Abby send annual exam reminder emails to patients to schedule an appointment?

Sorry, not yet, but we are working on it! We are hoping to launch the exam reminder with patient management systems integrations in early 2023.

Can you apply the insurance allowance before an annual supply discount is applied for a patient order?

Insurance allowance will need to be applied after annual supply discounts for compliance purposes.

Can a practice change the email address of a patient registered in Abby?

Sorry, but the only one who can change the email address of a patient, is that patient him/herself.

How can a patient opt out of future emails or communications from Abby?

Patients can choose to opt out of communications by going to helloabby.com, manage account, profile, notifications, and uncheck all the boxes for communication. 

Is inventory status available on helloabby.com?

Inventory status is not available for view at launch.

Don't worry, this is on our radar to provide on helloabby.com sometime in 2023!

Can I see ETA dates for orders on delayed delivery?

Accounts can log into abboptical.com and see ETA dates on the Track an Order page.

Patients inquiring about ETA dates can reach out to the Abby customer success team for assistance.

Does the Order Status Dashboard have "Live" data?

No, Abby synchronizes every night. So that means any orders the previous day will automatically show up the next day in your Order Status Dashboard.

Can you export the data from the Order Status Dashboard?

Yes, you can easily export the data in excel or CSV files, by clicking the three dots (…) at the top right of the table you are reviewing.

Once you hit export, it will be automatically stored in your browser, and can be found in your DOWNLOADS folder or DEFAULT FOLDER.

How can a practice reconcile Abby patient orders with the ABB optical statement?

Practices using Abby should watch this short video to learn how to choose, export, and analyze data to reconcile your Abby patient orders with their ABB Optical Statement. This video will show how and where to access the data, as well as how to utilize the data with a specific EHR billing system, in order to reconcile Abby orders.

 

Does Abby offer Free trials to patients?

No, Abby does not offer Free trials at this time. This is something we may offer when we incorporate ship-to-office orders.

How is sales tax determined for Abby contact lens sales?

Sales tax is charged according to the patient’s shipping address, regardless of where the order was placed.

Any order shipped to a state that taxes the sales of optical products will incur a sales tax. ABB is obligated to abide by state and local tax laws.

How is tax calculated on Abby orders?

Abby tax is assessed/calculated after discount and before insurance.

In other words, discounts are not taxable, but insurance allowance is taxable. That means tax amounts decrease after the discount is entered.

The tax amount remains the same after the insurance allowance is entered (when there is no discount).

Which states are required to collect sales tax on contact lenses ordered on Helloabby.com?

Currently there are 15 states that require sales tax collection, the states are the following:  

  • Alabama 
  • Arkansas 
  • Hawaii
  • Illinois
  • Kentucky
  • Louisiana
  • Michigan
  • Missouri
  • Nebraska
  • Nevada
  • New Mexico
  • Oklahoma
  • South Carolina
  • Tennessee
  • Utah 

We also recommend that you consult with your tax professional for all clarifying questions and concerns.

Where can I go to ask questions about taxes on orders?

The sales tax is charged according to the ship-to destination regardless of where the order was placed. 

You may reach out to taxdept@abboptical.com for all tax related questions.

Is Abby integrated with our PM System?

Abby is always learning new things to make ordering for you and your patients easier.

Our integrations team is actively working with multiple PM systems and as those connections are finalized we will be sure to let you know.

In the meantime, by putting Abby in place today you can start effectively communicating to patients who are due to reorder and capturing contact lens sales that might otherwise go elsewhere.

Does Abby collect patient signatures for the Contact Lens Rule acknowledgement?

Abby’s responsibility to the ECP is to fulfill direct-to-patient contact lens orders with ease and help them effectively communicate with patients that are due to reorder. 

While every patient who has registered for Abby does have access to their exam and order history, collecting patient signatures on practice documents such as the Contact Lens Rule should remain as part of the in-office processes and procedures.

When an account gets their ABBY check at the end of the month will it have patient names on it so accounts can reconcile the payment to ensure ABB has paid them correctly?

Practices using Abby should utilize use the Product Details Report and filter on the Order Type (see below). 

They should then filter based on what statement they are looking at.  Please note that profit is only generated on orders that have shipped; make sure that you pay attention to ABB’s month end date.  Also, please note that the CC fee does not show up on the report.

  • PatientOrders – Orders that the patient placed (ABB collects the funds and then provides the profit to the ECP)
  • ShiptoPatient – orders that the ECP placed (billed to the ECP through the ABB monthly statement)
How are returns processed through Abby?

If a patient places the order through Abby with their credit card and then returns the product, ABB will process credit for the product back to their credit card and then process the profit as a negative charge on the Abby practice statement the following month.

If an office places the order through Abby (collects payment offline) and then the patient returns the product, ABB will process credit for the product back to the office and then process the profit as a negative charge on the practice statement the following month.

Performance Dashboard

Remember, if you ever need help, email help@helloabby.com

What is the purpose of the Performance Dashboard?
This great analytic tool will help you to see a graphical presentation of your practice, with respect to profit margin, gross revenue, total sales, and more.
  • Understand your patients’ purchase behavior, not just of what contact lenses they order, but when they reorder
  • Get insights into your top contact lens products, and see how discounts and rebates affect your bottom line
  • See how your practice, or practices if you have more than one, are doing, compared to prior years, months, or even weeks!

Click here see a video overview of the performance dashboard.

I have multiple practices. Can I see them all at once when using the Performance Dashboard?

If you have multiple locations, you will need to log in with that location’s specific username and password.  But in the near future, you'll be able to select multiple locations, or even all locations at one time!

Can a practice easily see contact lens reorder/recapture rates broken down by order type? (e.g., Practice vs. Patient orders).

Yes, you can track, compare and analyze orders placed by the practice, or by the patient. 

Just as an FYI, orders are broken down by these 3 types in the Performance Dashboard:

Ship to Patient are orders your practice placed on helloabby.com to ship directly to your patients

Patient Orders are orders, and/or re-orders, that your patients placed on helloabby.com

Inventory Orders are patient orders your practice inputted on helloabby.com and dispensed the product from your existing in office inventory so your patients can place their future contact lens reorder through you! 

How do I see revenue by my favorite products?

If you have turned on Custom Pricing, and put in custom pricing for certain products, you will be able to see your revenue by favorite products. 

However, favorite products are limited to only the Custom Pricing Module, so if you are using a Suggested percentage or dollar amount increase pricing strategy, you will not be able to add favorite products.

Just make sure that Custom Pricing turned on so you can favorite your top products.  

How do I add products to my “Favorites”?

Go to Custom Pricing and click “Edit pricing”. Scroll down to Custom Pricing to load all of your products. To see the products you already have already favorited, click the heart icon. To edit any one of your favorited products, click the EXPAND+ tab.

To add more favorites, un-select the favorite (heart) icon, and find the brand you are looking to Add to your favorites. Simply click the heart for that product and it will be automatically added as a favorite product.

Can you export the data from the Performance Dashboard?

Yes, you can easily export the data in excel or CSV files, by clicking the three dots (…) at the top right of the table you are reviewing.

Can I easily see what my patient ordered, and when they are scheduled to re-order?

Yes, with the Performance Dashboard, you can easily understand your patients’ purchase behavior, not just of what contact lenses they order, but when they reordered.

Can I get insights into my top contact lens products, and see how discounts and rebates affect my bottom line?

Yes, with the performance dashboard, you can look at your top 5 products, bottom 5 products, top 5 favorited products, and bottom 5 favorited products, and get insights at a glance.

You can also sort and export the data for in-depth analysis and comparison.

Can I compare time periods, like week-over week, or month-over month, to see which products are contributing to my gross revenue?

Yes, you can easily compare time periods, as well as types of products, # of boxes ordered, modalities and other data by simply changing the comparison periods within the Performance Dashboard.

You can also sort and export the data for in-depth analysis and comparison.

Getting Started with Abby

Remember, if you ever need help with getting more information, or setting up your Business Associate Agreement (BAA), email the Abby Advisor at AbbyAdvisor@Abboptical.com.

How can I join Abby?

We are so happy you feel Abby is a perfect fit for your practice! Before Abby can be added to your practice, you will need to have an ABB account.

The Credit Application is available on https://abboptical.com/join-abb.

Once your account is set up, you can visit https://www.helloabby.com/doctors and select ‘Sign Up Now’ option.

Once all of the necessary information is provided, I will get started on setting you up and you can expect to hear from me within 1-2 business days!

Great things are ahead!

I’d like to learn more about Abby where should I go?

A great place to start is to reach out to your ABB Optical Group account manager or submit a Learn More request on www.helloabby.com/about

If you are new to ABB, no worries! Please reach out to an Abby Advisor at abbyadvisor@abboptical.com, and they can give you a quick a demo or answer any questions you have about Abby!

I’m new to ABB, but I’d love to bring Abby onboard to my practice. What should I do?

We are so happy you feel Abby is a perfect fit for your practice! Before Abby can be added to your practice, you will need to have an ABB account.

The Credit Application is available on https://abboptical.com/join-abb.

Once your account is set up, you can visit https://www.helloabby.com/doctors and select ‘Sign Up Now’ option.

Once all of the necessary information is provided, I will get started on setting you up! Great things are ahead!

I've been a customer of ABB for years and have never signed a Business Associate Agreement. Why am I being asked to sign this document now?

BAAs have been a mandatory requirement under HIPAA since 2013.

HIPAA requires covered entities and business associates to enter into contracts (i.e., BAA) with their business associates to ensure that the business associates will appropriately safeguard protected health information.

Therefore, we are providing our ECPs with this document to assist them in achieving and maintaining compliance with the HIPAA Privacy Rule.

Will I need to sign a BAA every year?

No! BAAs will only be updated when there is a significant change to the Privacy Rule which impacts the requirements or obligations of the BAA.

Can I use my own company's BAA?

Yes, but the BAA will need to be reviewed by our Director of Compliance & Privacy Officer prior to approval.

Please email any external BAAs directly to lnorris@abboptical.com and allow 2-3 business days for review, comment and/or approval.

I am receiving multiple DocuSign BAA documents, even though I have already completed and returned the BAA. How do I make these stop?
I apologize for that error, you can either email the sender of the DocuSign directly to notify them of this error or void the DocuSign directly with the statement BAA already submitted.
 
Is Abby Integrated with any Patient Management System?

Yes, Abby is currently integrated with the following PM systems.

Eyefinity and Crystal logos

If you are an existing Abby user and are also using either CrystalPM or Eyefinity practice management systems, and would like to initiate integration with Abby, please fill out this form, and an Abby Team Member will reach out to you.

Please know that we are actively working on integrating Abby with multiple PM systems. So, if you are NOT using Crystal PM or Eyefinity, please fill out this form and indicate the particular PM System you are using at your practice.

I have another question that isn’t answered here, where should I go?

Intriguing. Can’t wait to hear the question!

Please reach out to an Abby Customer Success Team Member utilizing our chat feature for assistance.