Lab Irratitions

**chip anderson** · 05-01-2007, 09:34 AM

This thread is to state some things that Irriatitions in the hope that some of them are listening. In my case these will often lead me to use another distributor just to avoid the hassle.

1) Failure to confirm fax or E. mail orders.
2) Refusal to put the patients name on confirmations or sometimes on shipping copies of orders. It's a real pain to have to retrace through orders placed to match specs.
3)Consultants that are always so busy or "away from thier desks."
4) Fighting ones way through automated answering sytems to locate the right person.
5) Being put on hold in general, especially if one has to listen to commercials before reaching a human voice.
6) Jobs that arrive so dirty that one must clean before inspection
7) Failure to notify us when the job is going to be delayed for whatever reason. Failure to notify us how long the delay "Back-Order" will take.
8) Having to use a lengthy complicated order form created just for this lab. Especially for those of us that use many labs, just finding the correct line or a series of terms created just for this outfit is a pain in the behind.
A damn spherical lens is a damn spherical lens, one does not need different trade name so this lab can sound "special."

Let Us hear your little pet peeves.

Chip:angry:

**AutumN** · 05-01-2007, 12:03 PM

My biggest peeve... waiting 'til the cows come home on credits!! I understand it takes some time. But 2+months--c'mon. And this isn't just warranty work, we're talking lab boo boos as well. Especially when you make me lose my discount if I pay 2 minutes late!

**Lee H** · 05-01-2007, 01:03 PM

Two sides to every story...just for fun:

#1 leaving off pd.s, seg heights, or axis'

#1.5 ordering a -8.00 in a 60 eye and 20 bridge and a 59 pd and sending it back saying the edges are too thick

#2 leaving off material

#3 leaving off bifocal style on a multifocal

#4 not returning calls made from the lab to get missing information then complaining when the job is delayed

#5 ordering a lens style that is not available in a certain material or vice versa

#6 sending in a frame without the patient name or account number

#7 sending back a lens under scratch warranty that was just received yesterday

#8 promising a patient a rimless, arc in two days and trying to get the lab to "rush" it thru

#9 forgetting to send a frame to the lab and saying you sent it....the lab personnel look everywhere possible to find the missing frame only to find that it was never sent in

#10 and the top pet peeve is not paying your lab bill and sticking it to the lab.......

Not to create any wars but it is interesting to see both sides and the pet peeves each has with the other......

I am sure if each side would spend a day in the others shoes there would be a new found respect for one another!

**Chris Ryser** · 05-01-2007, 01:12 PM

Originally Posted by chip anderson

.
3)Consultants that are always so busy or "away from thier desks."
4) Fighting ones way through automated answering sytems to locate the right person.

Love them guy's that have the phone on private and the answering system kicks in.

You leave the message fro them to call you.

They will call you 2 hours later when you are out to the bank.

When you come back you have their message and call them and the voice mail is back on.

Can take 2 days to talk to somebody.

I have refused to put a mail box system in my office and we answer in person unless we are closed. I started to refuse to do business with suppliers that can not answer the phone.

**DragonLensmanWV** · 05-01-2007, 01:20 PM

Sending glass lenses "finished" to you with zero pin bevel and stars everywhere.

**cocoisland58** · 05-01-2007, 02:19 PM

If any of these were the lab I used, I would be quitting it tomorrow. You have got to be kidding. I must have been quite spoiled all these years. The only problems I get are from the VSP lab and it wasn't always so, just recently. I have already found a new VSP lab that seems to do quality work.

**nsg** · 05-01-2007, 03:12 PM

thank you lee h. not to mention the time and people involved trying to track these things down and get answers.how about high minus polar inzyl frame and then wonder what the "light" is on the temporal side or why the temples now are wider than when we rec'd them?or split dist pd and no pd for near on ft? or two pd's for sv and woner why we have to ask? 39 years makes me more synacal than i need to be

**chip anderson** · 05-01-2007, 03:54 PM

Lee,
I must confess that I am one of the worst about leaving off P.D.'s, seg.ht, bifocal type, etc.
But one of my main most lab peeves is when the lab takes four days to call me about problems like this.

Chip

**Barry Santini** · 05-01-2007, 03:56 PM

Originally Posted by nsg

39 years makes me more synacal than i need to be

Yes,....me too!

Its just that *lab* people today...are...well,...*lab* people.

Limited training
Limited knowledge
...and a willingness to *not* listen to me (and my suggestions) 'cause they have to also listen to the customers who have all the bad habits the lab people have listed above.

There are some really, fine lab people....just not enough to go around.

The ol' comeback used to be "..what da ya want for $*.00/pr lenses?"

Well, last time I looked, my job invoicing was regularly getting in the range of $***.00+ a job. And yes, at these prices...I expect alot!

My two cents... what's yours?

Barry

**Mr_Mitchell** · 05-01-2007, 04:08 PM

Just wanted to say that I put dirty frames in the ultrasonic cleaner before I send them to the lab, also I change gross/filthy nosepads. It's not so much that I'm a nice guy, it's more that I figure the lab won't hate me that way and I might get better treatment.

**nsg** · 05-01-2007, 04:17 PM

limited traing? who? 39 years state lic abo ohhhhhh you mean the "order takers". yes you are right. most time we cn get the job thru surfacing with out any pd. but when it comes time for edging thats when we need them. also sometimes lenses have to be special ordered and even with over night-at guess who's expense- the lens manuf. may not be puoring that week. when you call -no before you call sit down and breath. it will help all of us.

**Optowoman** · 05-01-2007, 04:49 PM

This is in reply to Autumn re: credits taking awhile. About 20 years ago I worked for a wholesale lab, when credits were to be issued I was told to hold onto them. If the Drs. office never called to ask about them I was told to toss them. I find the labs I work with to be reputable in regards to credits but always watch..........you never know.

**gemstone** · 05-01-2007, 04:59 PM

We always made sure to issue credits before the statements were printed. What I hated was calling the idiots to suggest they not groove an executive (Looks like crap) or groove a polarized (like trying to delaminate it.) Now I just make them. They complain about the executive, I say , you ordered it dummy. I spent 30 years trying to train idiots. I used to think I was getting somewhere. They just keep coming.

**Jedi** · 05-01-2007, 06:38 PM

Originally Posted by chip anderson

2) Refusal to put the patients name on confirmations or sometimes on shipping copies of orders. It's a real pain to have to retrace through orders placed to match specs.

I completely agree with all your points Chip, but I don't think the vendors have a choice on this one as far as privacy laws go.

**chip anderson** · 05-01-2007, 07:32 PM

On names on invoices, shipping copies. Sure they do. One Optical goods hand spectacle Rx have been exempted from privacy laws . Two 90% of my vendors put patient names or at least last names on everything, including my monthly statement. The other 10% refuse and try to tell me they are too big and they are committed to thier present system. B.S.

Chip

**karen** · 05-02-2007, 08:41 AM

Originally Posted by Barry Santini

...and a willingness to *not* listen to me (and my suggestions) 'cause they have to also listen to the customers who have all the bad habits the lab people have listed above.

There are some really, fine lab people....just not enough to go around.

There is your answer Chip. Every once in awhile I have to go into the lab to help answer phones because of customer service trainings/vacation and can I tell you that we get some of the most idiotic orders, questions and "opticians". Unfortunately, it ruins it for the rest of you who know what the heck you are doing.

I have been in both pairs of shoes now and it sure is an eye opener.....

**fvc2020** · 05-03-2007, 08:13 AM

I have lab grips too, but I have to address the comment about why optician fuss about receiving splayed temples on zyl sunnies. Give me a break. We have this problem on and off during the year, and most of the time the lenses were shoved into the frame(too big) Just yesterday I had this happen. My optician brought me a job, Senegetti sunnies good pd, rx light, and she goes "chris the frame looks screwy." Sure enough the lenses were almost 2 mm too big. How do I know this for sure w/o my c sizer, the lab sent us back the demos. If I had wanted for whatever reason to remount them, they would have fallen out.

So please lab guys and girls use your edger and hand wheel when needed, don't heat and shove, and then life would be better.

christina

**Bill West** · 05-03-2007, 09:17 AM

When you have slack people ordering and slack people filling the orders guess what, lots of careless errors. I had an employee who could sell and fit glasses great but almost always left something out when ordering, say leave out transitions or order st 28 instead of progressive. Turns out drugs had burned out part of his brain, what's your excuse?:hammer:

**Slug** · 05-03-2007, 09:21 AM

If your lab surfaces lenses before a frame arrives, many do to decrease turn-time (we do not unless asked), and you do not note on the order submitted that it is a wrap frame, the lenses that are started may be too flat to keep the wrap intact (depending on Rx of course). This results in spoilage for the lab, delays for you, or maybe it slips out (Spread Temples). All are a no win situation! I encourage you to use your special instructions to communicate these types of needs on the frame to follow orders to help your lab start the job right in the first place.

**chip anderson** · 05-03-2007, 09:38 AM

10: Does your lab pull the nose pads in to mount lenses and not return them to the origional position.
11: On high minus jobs and high plus jobs leave the nasal part of lens too thick without relief for nose pad adjustment. It's a pain to dismount and hand trim. And one is up that lonesome creek if the job happens to be glass (a material sometimes used for opthalmic leneses for you newbies).

**karen** · 05-04-2007, 08:51 AM

Originally Posted by chip anderson

10: Does your lab pull the nose pads in to mount lenses and not return them to the origional position.
11: On high minus jobs and high plus jobs leave the nasal part of lens too thick without relief for nose pad adjustment. It's a pain to dismount and hand trim. And one is up that lonesome creek if the job happens to be glass (a material sometimes used for opthalmic leneses for you newbies).

Chip, you are smart enough to match the frame pd to the patients pd (or get it close) to minimize thickness but lots of other opticians aren't and then can't figure out why the nasal edge is so freaking thick and they can't move the nose pads....for every thing we do that drives YOU crazy I can come up with something that drives US crazy too....

**chip anderson** · 05-04-2007, 11:33 AM

Karen: Even with correct frame P.D. you just can't get a thin edge on things that over -12.00. Some children with very high plus lenses and wide heads can't be accomodated with "correct frame P.D." not to exempt he fact that the patient is the customer, if he insists on an incorrect frame against my advise, I am going to let him have it. However even in this circumstance, It's, my duty to make him as comfortable as possible.
No reason why the lab can't see this and help with the problem.

Chip

**DragonLensmanWV** · 05-04-2007, 11:53 AM

Originally Posted by karen

Chip, you are smart enough to match the frame pd to the patients pd (or get it close) to minimize thickness but lots of other opticians aren't and then can't figure out why the nasal edge is so freaking thick and they can't move the nose pads....for every thing we do that drives YOU crazy I can come up with something that drives US crazy too....

Not only that, but if you have a PD the same as the frame PD, you will have thicker nasal edges. In a high minus, you want the PD a bit narrower than the frame to minimize the nasal thickness. Of course that thickens the temporal edge, but as a high myope, I'd rather have that than have the nasal edges rubbing on my brows. Of course, my head has grown wider and my PD has widened over the years until it's over 70 now. Good for my lenses!
Can't wait until I get my new ICE-Tech lenses.

**karen** · 05-04-2007, 07:59 PM

Originally Posted by chip anderson

Karen: Even with correct frame P.D. you just can't get a thin edge on things that over -12.00. Some children with very high plus lenses and wide heads can't be accomodated with "correct frame P.D." not to exempt he fact that the patient is the customer, if he insists on an incorrect frame against my advise, I am going to let him have it. However even in this circumstance, It's, my duty to make him as comfortable as possible.
No reason why the lab can't see this and help with the problem.

Chip

I agree and we do our best but then when we call the account and suggest to slightly alter the PD to get it thinner (which we have done successfully in certain powers for YEARS-always with the accounts permission of course) and they won't even consider it what else would you like us to do.....I mean we surfaced it as thin as we could and we specialize in low vision so a -12 is nothing new to us (you should know that we make the most beautiful plus lenses) but if the patient picks a big old eyesize there isn't much more we CAN do, right?

Unless you are crabby to the girls on the phone and maybe they don't want to help you?????- Not that you are ever crabby...we all know I would consider you for my 5th husband if I ever needed one. :D

**Happylady** · 05-04-2007, 09:42 PM

Originally Posted by chip anderson

Karen: Even with correct frame P.D. you just can't get a thin edge on things that over -12.00.
Chip

We did the most beautiful -12.50 I have ever seen. I can't remember the pd, but it was in a 43 eye roundish plastic frame and there was hardly any lens showing. The material was 1.67. It was lovely. :)