Adustments at the dispensing table?

[optical24/7]

A few comments on the thread on despensing tables made me wonder how many here make repairs and adjustments at their dispensing tables? I've never made a repair or adjustment in front of a patient. I wouldn't want them to see what we opticians need to do to fix their frames. ( like grabbing nylon plyers and bending the heck out of their endpieces! :bbg:)

[cocoisland58]

I will sometimes bring my nosepad pliers to the table if I can see ahead of time it will be a challenging adjustment. Many times I just use my hands and fingers anyway so should I stand up, turn around, adjust, and present it back to the patient like a slight of hand trick? If I know it's going to involve some extreme cranking because it's badly bent, I go over to my tool area. Many times the patient follows me anyway because they are curious.

[Andrew Weiss]

I trained under my father in his OD office. He dispensed all his glasses in his second exam room, and the tools were right there. So I learned to adjust the patient's glasses with the patient there. To this day, I keep a relatively complete set of tools at the dispensing table, although the heater unit is in the lab.

I think it has to do with how I was trained to fit. I start with the front of the frame and work my way backwards, do one thing at a time and put the glasses back on the patient to see how my "one thing" changed the fit; then I go on to the next. I'll have the glasses on and off the patient several times; to have to walk from the dispensing table into the lab and back for each of these tweaks would be a pain and take a whole lot of extra time.

However, there are some things I won't do in front of a patient: change nosepads, restring a nylor, realign a frame that's been stepped on or otherwise mangled. I agree that most patients would wince if they saw what we do there. :D

[Judy Canty]

I was never comfortable making repairs and adjustments in front of the patient, even though it was required at some places I've worked. If I'm gonna have to do something that will make me swear or something said patient will try at home, I'd rather do it in private.

[cash1]

i too learned from my father!! he would do light adj. at the table if it was a big time bend he took it in the lab. i do the same!:bbg:

[Barry Santini]

every day...24/7.

Never a problem...if fact, they think I have *magic* hands...

(little do they know)....

Barry

[MarcE]

every day...24/7.

Never a problem...if fact, they think I have *magic* hands...

(little do they know)....

Barry

I have to agree with Barry and most of the others. If it needs a tool, I won't do it in front of a pt. But I don't need or use many tools, so most adjustments are done in front of patients. Tools are good if you want to damage a frame quickly. Better feel with my hands.

The dr however, will turn her back to the pt and adjust so they can't see. She doesn't want them to think they can do it. I don't agree, though.

[optical24/7]

Like many here, I too learned from a parent. When I said I never made an adjustment on a patient in front of them, I was talking about using tools. Sure, I tweak a nose pad or temple on the spot sometimes, I would never adjust pano or end peices in front of them though.

It's like, a week ago, I had a patient with a Swarovski drill mount that had end peices of what apeared to be made of angle iron. The temples were too wide and I needed to bend in the end peices...It took all 200 lbs. of me, with nylon plyers leaning into it to move it the fraction it needed! ( I swear, if you had the money, you could lay an unmoveable foundation for a house on their end pieces!! :bbg:)

As mentioned by others, I make most adjustments by hand. But with a tool, it's always in the lab for me. I worry most about 3 things... The patient might think they can do it...They may start looking for some "telltail" place you mared their frame...but the biggest reason...If their frame EVER breaks, like even 5 years from now, it will be.." It broke because of that optician who bent the heck out of it!" ...Been there, done that, got the t-shirt...

:cheers:

[Scott R]

I will finish the last few tweaks at the dispensing table. The major twisting, bending and hammering takes place in the lab.

[Jubilee]

I do the majority of adjustments at the table. I will even do many repairs up front as well. I have no problem letting the patient see what I am doing to their frame. If any of them question or look concerned, I will explain what I am doing. Often I will wrap a soft cloth around the frame before using pliers to help decrease the chance of marring the frame.

Of course, I learned doing adjustments this way, and in my small office, it allows me the ability to interact with other patients that may be waiting or walking in. I hate hearing the door jingle and I am in the back....

Cassandra