That is my question! What do you do? I miss my lab coat, but a lot of places don't want you to wear them on the sales floor anymore because it's not fashionable, especially the higher end places. What's the consensus? Should we or shouldn't we? Does it make us look too medical and not fashionable? Or does it give us a look of importance like we might know what we speak of??LOL!:cheers:
It should never leave the lab, it's very passe on the floor and puts you back to 1980.
If you like it or not, we are in sales. Not saying we should lie or deceit people (I will say that we shouldn't). So we do need to look professional.
It is of course called a "lab coat" for a reason. It is to protect your clothing in a lab. On the sales floor(though the pockets were mighty handy)it is out of place. As are jammies, er I mean scrubs.
So, how do I make a convincing argument to my bosses to drop the jammies for the new office we are opening next year? I am trying to get them to allow shirt and tie on the sales floor, but they are worried that it will detract from the "medical" look of the office and that no one will be able to tell who works there.Originally Posted by cocoisland58
It is hard to sell $600 fashion frames wearing pj's. I think a shirt and tie is appropriate (no jacket, hopefully)
If they wear a name tag, it won't be hard to tell...
. I want my security blanket back!!
Our dress code states that we have to wear them all the time. I personally don't like to wear mine because it's too blooming hot. But I must admit that I have had several patients tell me they like to see us in lab coats because it looks more professional.
You must work for MDs. They are always the last to embrace the fact that out front(ssshhh)it's retail baby. The best argument is just what you have stated. No jammies, no nutty professor coat. The way they will tell who works there(do they think your clientel is dense?)is that the staff will be wearing tasteful attire, fashionable eyewear, and nametags. Have the staff come in wearing the tasteful attire, take a picture. Have them add the lab coat, take a picture. See the difference? Now the jammie picture. Frumpy? You bet.
So I have never seen a High end optical shop where the staff wears Lab coats until recently. Granted, they are more tailored and embroidered and look more like "jackets", but they are bright white and just a tad shorter than a Traditional Lab coat.
The staff did wear professional attire, and I think the OD wanted a more medical look, but I think they were selling Cartier in that shop. So something must be working.
If anything, get tailored jackets in black and do not wash them so they won't fade to a dark purplish color. Get them embroidered with the Company and Employee name.
Just my 2 cents
For me, I think lab coats are lame. If you all want to dress alike and look like a team,there are better options. I'd prefer to see all the guys in one color polo type shirt and the gals in another coordinating color. Or you could have them all the same if you don't want to worry about discriminating! Shirts could be embroidered with company logo. For me... I wear nice patterned shirts and docker type pants. I threw away the ties and blazers years ago! Those ties can be a work hazard when working around equipment.
No, Coats, Our Ophthalmolgy practice just put the optical staff in scubs, till recent I,ve dreesed perfessional, I do not see a difference in my sales because I wear my scubs, I can still keep it individual with my hair and jewelery, I kinda like it, I wasn't sure at first, but I like how it's going to save me money on clothing, and there comfortable, yes like PJ's just I'm walking around like Florida's flooding because the darn pants have schrunk. One of my Doc's suggested ruffles on the bottom, "yeh right"
Trust me...it doesn't.
If you put a saddle on a cow, it still looks like a cow.
Ophthalmic Optician, Society to Advance Opticianry
It's a cash, cow, saddle that bad boy up and ride him all the way to the bank YEE HAWWW...
:cheers::cheers:
Lab coats are an image and one that is gay, period. True professionalism that patients/customers will remember long after is excellent service and personable staff, not that 1980 white blazer with your name embroidered on it.
My optical sales staff recently requested went from scrubs to very nice dressy clothing. They said they are selling fashion and they wanted to look fashionable. It's all attractive :) females on the floor and it was their idea. Sales were great in March, which is the only month I've tried it so far. We'll see if it helps as we go along.
I've know OMD's who wouldn't wear the traditional white jacket in the office because they felt it frightend children. Of course most of us are not frightened an might be put more at ease by a pretty girl (OMD's seem to hire nothing else at least to meet the public) in pajamas.
Chip
Who can argue with that???:bbg:
Are there men in PJ's also, or only females? I would pay to see that!
Remember that doing "sales" in the prescriber's office is not really selling as the customer is a "captive" they are there because the doctor told them to go there and they don't want to take a chance on "making the doctor mad." If they actually left the office and came to your store they would be concidered "sales."
All the "selling" in the doctor's office is trying to make the customer conviced the he needs the latest, greatest most expensive you offer.
Chip
You realize that these are ill fitting, wrinkly,fugly jammies, not lingerie right?
Just wear it. Other than the other Optician (he wears casual stuff, but still a shirt and tie) I'm the only one in the office who doesn't wear scrubs. The patients have ABSOLUTELY no problem telling that I work there. Besides, if your office is running correctly, YOU should be approaching them, not the other way around. Just sit down with the docs and give it to them straight. The scrubs aren't fooling anyone. They're not making people think the office is more medical. If they want to have higher end fashion frames, you have to dress fashionably.
Edit:
That's actually quite offensive to people who work in doctors' offices. Atleast it is to this one.
Last edited by AdmiralKnight; 05-01-2008 at 10:04 PM.
Do these jammies have the no slip feet attached?
My entire staff is NAKED under their clothes.
Ophthalmic Optician, Society to Advance Opticianry
That would be sooo cool!
I'd skip the butt flap though.
ETA: I recall having to wear scrubs at one Dr's office. They were solid dark purple. I felt like a grape, a figureless grape. We often joked abut being the missing Fruit of the Loom people.
Last edited by FullCircle; 05-02-2008 at 06:08 AM.
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