Brand new

**Romial** · 05-26-2007, 01:43 AM

Heya everyone. I'm starting my 2nd day on the job tomorrow(well I guess today since it's past midnight) working at an optical store inside a mall. I know next to nothing about optical things and the business and I will go into the training they have(which is 3 weeks long) on the 4th. Until then I'm supposed to shadow people and learn from them. My first day was last saturday and basically shadowed too and learned how to the pre-doc tests such as the 'puff' test and the farmhouse test and that such. Sorry, I don't know the specific names for these things, but I will in time. :)

Just wanted to introduce myself to everyone here and possibly even do a journal type thing to keep everyone updated on my progress. Who knows, it might bring back some memories for some people or some of you may just enjoy reading it or even ignoring it, lol. I'm all up for friendly advice or tips that people may have, whether just starting out tips or when I've been doing it for a a couple weeks or longer too.

But overall, my first day I really enjoyed it and I'm a good salesman and been in retail for quite a few years so know how to work with customers(patients?) really well. And I hope to become one of the better, if not best people in the store in time. :)

**Chris Ryser** · 05-26-2007, 04:23 AM

Originally Posted by Romial

And I hope to become one of the better, if not best people in the store in time. :)

Welcome to the Optiboard. Your post sounds very refreshing and you are at the right place on this forum to learn some good things to help you along in your career.

Just one little bit of advice.............you will never know all the optical details in 4 weeks. It takes much longer to become an expert.

So keep us posted, ask some questions............it will be interesting to learn about your ecpiriences.

**specs4you** · 05-26-2007, 05:28 AM

Welcome and good luck. This profession is addicting tho you may not get rich by it that is for sure. Lots of work learning the nomenclature etc.
Will take way more than 4 weeks so be patient with yourself.

**OPTIDONN** · 05-26-2007, 08:40 AM

Good to see someone from the Chicago area!!

**GOS_Queen** · 05-26-2007, 08:46 AM

Welcome and best of luck on your journey :cheers:

**For-Life** · 05-26-2007, 09:13 AM

I think it is great that you have taken upon yourself to find a place like this to help your learning.

You'll do very well.

**DrNeyecare** · 05-26-2007, 10:13 AM

Welcome.
:cheers:

**chip anderson** · 05-26-2007, 10:25 AM

O.K. I'll bite, what's a farmhouse test?

**ziggy** · 05-26-2007, 10:36 AM

Welcome and good luck. One of the biggest challenges that you will have is seperating out the company BS from true optical principals. If you have any questions PLEASE ask.

**glassynotassy** · 05-26-2007, 04:38 PM

Originally Posted by chip anderson

O.K. I'll bite, what's a farmhouse test?

I'm guessing Romial is referring to the image in the auto refractor.

BTW -- Welcome Romial!

**Romial** · 05-26-2007, 09:45 PM

Yep, I think that's what the farmhouse test is, the auto refractor. It's one of the OD techs' machines. :)

And today was pretty uneventful and pretty gosh darn slow. So slow it was scary and we're in a busy mall too. The store I was training at last saturday literraly had 10x as much business while I was there then we did. And the sad thing is that I'm not joking either, lol.
And plus we don't have a doc yet. Why, I dunno. But the store just opened yesterday for the first day and we/they are hoping to get a doc in for tuesday.
But for most of the day, I was just putting on new price tags on a bunch of different frames to go along with one of our promo's right now. And I did do some bit of learning about progressive lenses. Such as which lenses can fit which frames and which frames are too small for the lenses they want and such.
Doing the dot test on their glasses when you have them look at your nose and mark the demo lenses with a marker and measuring it with the ruler to determine if it would work or not. That's the extent of what i've learned. I don't wanna go too fast and be overloaded with too much information to learn.
But I go back in tomorrow for another good days work and who knows what they'll have me doing tomorrow.
So if anyone had anything simple or anything at all about progressive lenses to add on to my already very limited knowledge about them, feel free and I will welcome any and all of it. :)