Thanks for wasting my time

[Perry]

40 to 60K in my area.

[jediron1]

whats the going rate for dispensing opticians in the states?

If your lucky 35 - 40k in this area! ;)

[jediron1]

Jediron1 is right. Most Docs don't get it, but then again most employees don't either! It seems the majority of Docs do have a revolving door because they don't understand that a really good Optician is the best asset a practice has. On the flip side though, only a few really good Opticians exist in ,for example the DFW area, and hundreds of Docs are trying to fill positions. I wish there was a way to match up the practices willing to pay 45k + for a good Optician with Opticians who were truely qualified and professional.

Ditto that!

[chrome surfer]

I wish there was a way to match up the practices willing to pay 45k + for a good Optician with Opticians who were truely qualified and professional.

This thread has made me giggle and I can acknowledge what some are saying. It is hard to find a good doc to work for/with.
I have worked with some opticians making changes and passing things off they shouldn't and other who are not ABO with better ethics.
How would you define a good optician who is truely qualified and professional?

[Perry]

I think a professional Optician should have a strong sense of ethical responsibility to their patients and their employer first and foremost. Second they will have a good understanding of the financial side of our industry and not make the type of buying, pricing, inventory control mistakes that most opticians do.

A qualified Optician will be very capable of solving the majority of trouble with glasses complaints without involving the doctor. Have a practical working knowledge of optics and how material, base curve, lens style choices are going to effect the patient before the order is started. Of course, be great at frame selection and a wizard with all lab equipment surface and finish work including difficult drill jobs.

Put both of these together and you'll have a real Optician.

[chrome surfer]

Of course, be great at frame selection and a wizard with all lab equipment surface and finish work including difficult drill jobs.

Put both of these together and you'll have a real Optician.

This is my next challenge I have not trained in the lab but everything else not a problem!:p

[Perry]

Yvette - when you start your lab training keep in mind that there are so many different brands of machines out today that you don't want to worry about learning a specific models operation. Focus on learning the concepts of prism, thickness, power and lap tool selection in surface. Decentration, hand edging, edge polish and drill work in finish.

If you ever have a question feel free to email me and I'll try to help. If you ever get to Dallas Fort Worth area I can pair you up for a day with a master lab optician in a local wholesale lab I own part of. perry@ivisionltd.com

[Fezz]

I think a professional Optician should have a strong sense of ethical responsibility to their patients and their employer first and foremost. Second they will have a good understanding of the financial side of our industry and not make the type of buying, pricing, inventory control mistakes that most opticians do.

A qualified Optician will be very capable of solving the majority of trouble with glasses complaints without involving the doctor. Have a practical working knowledge of optics and how material, base curve, lens style choices are going to effect the patient before the order is started. Of course, be great at frame selection and a wizard with all lab equipment surface and finish work including difficult drill jobs.

Put both of these together and you'll have a real Optician.

Great post Perry! I would add that a knack for dealing with people. Maybe it is more psychology than anything else?

[jediron1]

Great post Perry! I would add that a knack for dealing with people. Maybe it is more psychology than anything else?

I once had an old time optician tell me " if you haven't found out by know you will that most people we see are all nuts" I said you mean their psychologically challenged he no "their nuts". He was my boss at the time so I dropped It.
But as years go on I m slowing coming around to his thinking " their nuts"
:bbg:

[Serrata]

Most sad and I feel for your situation.

$15 hour was the going rate more than 20 years ago. Unfortunately, a sign of the times. Just like outsourcing and everything else, Companies and owners are pennywise and pound foolish by offering low salaries and hiring and utilizing non-license people with no experience to fill RX's (which is often scary for the patient- not to mention the loss in revenue breakages and redos.

Brian
LCRC

I answered an ad on Craigslist for an optician. The ad read, upscale boutique, no mall hours, great pay etc. I go and talk to the doc and they are open until 7, every Saturday until 5, that's just one Sunday short of mall hours Sir...... Then they offer no benefits. This is a big office, their are two offices that carry on the most expensieve frames, one Gold and Wood was $1700. Then he told me the highest payed optician was paid $15 an hour. Are you kidding????????? Needless to say I didn't take the job. I was making $15 an hour w/benefits 10 years ago. I am certified with 16 years of experience. It's just frustrating when I waste my time and their's on a useless interview. Is there any professional way to ask these questions before an interview?????? Just to save us both the time and trouble.

Thanks,
hotrod:drop:

[Serrata]

Most sad and I feel for your situation.

$15 hour was the going rate more than 20 years ago. Unfortunately, a sign of the times. Just like outsourcing and everything else, Companies and owners are pennywise and pound foolish by offering low salaries and hiring and utilizing non-license people with no experience to fill RX's (which is often scary for the patient- not to mention the loss in revenue breakages and redos. :hammer:

Brian
LCRC

[jediron1]

Most sad and I feel for your situation.

$15 hour was the going rate more than 20 years ago. Unfortunately, a sign of the times. Just like outsourcing and everything else, Companies and owners are pennywise and pound foolish by offering low salaries and hiring and utilizing non-license people with no experience to fill RX's (which is often scary for the patient- not to mention the loss in revenue breakages and redos. :hammer:

Brian
LCRC

This happens all too often and even if your in a licensed state like me your state government really does nothing to thrawt the influx of unlicensed people in our field. Doctors you thing would want to have the most qualified but instead lean toward the least costly even though they see no problem in spending three quarters of a mil for a laser, but skimp on help, go figure! :hammer:

[Serrata]

This happens all too often and even if your in a licensed state like me your state government really does nothing to thrawt the influx of unlicensed people in our field. Doctors you thing would want to have the most qualified but instead lean toward the least costly even though they see no problem in spending three quarters of a mil for a laser, but skimp on help, go figure! :hammer:

Or .... Spend mucho dinaro buying cheap digital lensometers and pupilometers that fall apart in short order even when the company stuilll has good seviceable dial type instruments to use , Our cost of living increases in salary in action.

Thanks for the reply Jediron,

Sincerely,
Brian
LCRC

[jediron1]

Or .... Spend mucho dinaro buying cheap digital lensometers and pupilometers that fall apart in short order even when the company stuilll has good seviceable dial type instruments to use , Our cost of living increases in salary in action.

Thanks for the reply Jediron,

Sincerely,
Brian
LCRC

Ya that happens too but I find most DOC's are just cheap in paying help. They would rather hire a receptionist and tell them to fit glasses. On another thread an office manager wrote that the DOC put her in charge of the optical department even though she knew squat about the optical side. But she was office manager and know ran the optical so the DOC saves a pay check but looses a business. Go figure! :hammer:

[DocInChina]

This happens all too often and even if your in a licensed state like me your state government really does nothing to thrawt the influx of unlicensed people in our field. Doctors you thing would want to have the most qualified but instead lean toward the least costly even though they see no problem in spending three quarters of a mil for a laser, but skimp on help, go figure! :hammer:

Unfortunately many doctors do not understand the other side of their field and think technology can replace knowledge. Having worked with opticians with no skills to ones that were highly skilled and knowledgeable I can say I would never accept a low price, low skilled optician. The benefits to the patients, the practice and the doctors are enormous. The most enjoyable periods in my career were when I worked with great opticians.

Benefits to the patient:

1) Proper choice of lenses and eyewear
2) Proper fit of lenses and eyewear
3) Able to understand their individual requirements
4) Able to problem solve or anticipate possible problems

Benefits to Doctor:
1) Allows the doctor to concentrate on direct patient care rather than switch gears to solve problems that could have likely been avoided or solved by another.
2) Gives the doctor a knowledgeable person to discuss lens and eyewear options for patients.
3) Lowers stress by eliminating handling eyewear problems.

Benefits to Practice:
1) Happy patients = successful practice= more revenue

[optical24/7]

Brovo Doc!!!

:cheers::cheers:

[Fezz]

Unfortunately many doctors do not understand the other side of their field and think technology can replace knowledge. Having worked with opticians with no skills to ones that were highly skilled and knowledgeable I can say I would never accept a low price, low skilled optician. The benefits to the patients, the practice and the doctors are enormous. The most enjoyable periods in my career were when I worked with great opticians.

Benefits to the patient:

1) Proper choice of lenses and eyewear
2) Proper fit of lenses and eyewear
3) Able to understand their individual requirements
4) Able to problem solve or anticipate possible problems

Benefits to Doctor:
1) Allows the doctor to concentrate on direct patient care rather than switch gears to solve problems that could have likely been avoided or solved by another.
2) Gives the doctor a knowledgeable person to discuss lens and eyewear options for patients.
3) Lowers stress by eliminating handling eyewear problems.

Benefits to Practice:
1) Happy patients = successful practice= more revenue

:cheers::cheers:

[jediron1]

Unfortunately many doctors do not understand the other side of their field and think technology can replace knowledge. Having worked with opticians with no skills to ones that were highly skilled and knowledgeable I can say I would never accept a low price, low skilled optician. The benefits to the patients, the practice and the doctors are enormous. The most enjoyable periods in my career were when I worked with great opticians.

Benefits to the patient:

1) Proper choice of lenses and eyewear
2) Proper fit of lenses and eyewear
3) Able to understand their individual requirements
4) Able to problem solve or anticipate possible problems

Benefits to Doctor:
1) Allows the doctor to concentrate on direct patient care rather than switch gears to solve problems that could have likely been avoided or solved by another.
2) Gives the doctor a knowledgeable person to discuss lens and eyewear options for patients.
3) Lowers stress by eliminating handling eyewear problems.

Benefits to Practice:
1) Happy patients = successful practicee= more revenue

Now DOC only if you could come back and train some of these brain dead DOC's we might have something.
And what would happen to the practice:

Benefits to Practice:
1) Happy patients = successful practicee= more revenue
I second the BROVOS :cheers:

[HarryChiling]

Unfortunately many doctors do not understand the other side of their field and think technology can replace knowledge. Having worked with opticians with no skills to ones that were highly skilled and knowledgeable I can say I would never accept a low price, low skilled optician. The benefits to the patients, the practice and the doctors are enormous. The most enjoyable periods in my career were when I worked with great opticians.

Benefits to the patient:

1) Proper choice of lenses and eyewear
2) Proper fit of lenses and eyewear
3) Able to understand their individual requirements
4) Able to problem solve or anticipate possible problems

Benefits to Doctor:
1) Allows the doctor to concentrate on direct patient care rather than switch gears to solve problems that could have likely been avoided or solved by another.
2) Gives the doctor a knowledgeable person to discuss lens and eyewear options for patients.
3) Lowers stress by eliminating handling eyewear problems.

Benefits to Practice:
1) Happy patients = successful practice= more revenue

And there you have it the Cadillac of doctors. :cheers::bbg:

[jediron1]

As a recruiter, in the eye industry as well as practicing as an optician, it saddens me to read that experience.

we have found that working with expensive products takes the best sales person as well as the best optician to fill and fit the customer and stress that to our clients as well.

we represent many high end clients, and in our interview with the client needs we stress buying the best person that they can, given it will pay off in the long run.

did this practice have an incentive program that complimented, the base pay?

another thought, if they do have an incentive program, what can you expect in payments per month based on the average performance of others working there...

if you would like any more tips or ideas, feel free to contact us at i matters, everyone here is in the eye industry for many years and have our number one goal, support our industry!
866.412.4115 www.imatters.net

I don't know where you recruit but here it does not work that way. To try to ask if they have an incentive program is basically unheard of in the interview process around here. The performance program is another one not done around here. So even though your ideas are good I have never in my 35 years run across any body who was involved with an incentive or performance programs and doctors as soon as you mention anything about money you are shown the door.

just my thoughts