The major chains

[GAgal]

I understand why a lot of people do not like the major chains within our field. They are large, a lot of times overbearing because of their size, and they may cause changes in the field that many may not like or be ready for. You may not like their policies, products or politics, and that is great. I believe that if you don't like a company's actions, then that needs to be expressed in order for change to occur. If gross misconduct is occuring, something needs to be said and I support anybody's right to say what they believe. However, and this is not directed at anybody in particular, I have noticed a lot of criticism of the people that work for those chains and I believe that it is unfair.

In our field, I believe that knowledge and service is a personal thing. It is the personal responsibilty of the ECP to better themselves and those around them, through education (not just CEs), experience, and discussion. When people come into my dispensary they get the best possible service and knowledge because that is what I provide, not because it is company policy. I also ensure that I train those around me because I think that it is what is best for the good of my profession and my patient. I believe that this is true for many of us here, or we would not be a part of the wonderful community of Optiboard. If we are here, we are here to learn from each other, in order to better ourselves, regardless of where we work. It does not matter if we are an opthamologist in a hospital, an optometrist that is part of a specialty contact lens practice, a self employeed optician, a sales rep for Essilor or a LDO that works for Walmart.

There is good and bad in every situation. There is good and bad in every company. I have learned something valuable from every type of place that I have worked that I use everyday. If your fellow professional doesn't know or understand something, regardless of where they work, it usually because he or she hasn't been taught. Education and understanding of each other is the only way that I believe our profession is going to survive. So please, remember that just because someone works for a corporation that you don't like, it doesn't mean that they are a bad or incompetent professional.

Just my thoughts and I hope that I haven't offended anyone :D

[Wes]

You are correct. I've made similar statements on here myself. Chances are, if you're on optiboard then you're neither apathetic nor incompetent.Wes

[opticianbart]

Well said, I command you to post more often.

[Chris Ryser]

So please, remember that just because someone works for a corporation that you don't like, it doesn't mean that they are a bad or incompetent professional.

Just my thoughts and I hope that I haven't offended anyone

However there some we disagree with.............and they might own their own store or work for a corporation. I don't think we discriminate corporation employees from independents , if they state the facts.

If we all agree that the frame is red, there is no discussion, but if one insists that the frame is another color, we have a discussion and that is why we go on OptiBoard. It is either to proove a point or to enjoy the discussion.

I don't think that who you work for is important and not the deciding factor, showing if your good or incompetent.

[Borysko]

If a company doesn't enforce standards and practices that result in better patient care, a good optician working for said company should be actively seeking other work. I see nothing wrong with working for a "bad" company when you have to, but voluntarily deciding to stick with a company that's bad for patients and bad for opticians isn't, in my opinion, the best choice. It's virtually impossible for a lone, non-executive employee to make any kind of meaningful change at these places even though he or she has the best of intentions.
I've worked for what are probably the two most hated companies on Optiboard, and in both cases I learned what I could and moved on as quickly as possible. Having now worked for independently-owned opticals, I would NEVER go back to ANY corporate chain unless I simply couldn't find another optical job that paid what I need to make.

[cocoisland58]

To be honest I often feel sorry for the employees of the large chains. I know a few of these people, they are intelligent and competent but find themselves due to the economy working where they can find a job. The problem with one of the chains (at least around here) is that they are asked to lie to their customers and patients. It's really ok to tell your prospective customer that you are unable to purchase a particular product (and offer them a decent alternative) instead of telling them that it either doesn't exist, is no longer made or is of such an inferior quality that you wouldn't think of carrying it. In came a customer this afternoon who was soon pleased as punch to find that Magic Clip frames are not off the market. Hmmmm, and this from the little Lux store down the road. What you have done (and thank you by the way it was a great sale) is make your office look either devious or stupid neither of which is good for business.

[chip anderson]

That may just be an optical trait. I have had dozens of employees over the years. It seems that whenever I sent one out to the hardware store, or fabric store, or crafts shop they were always gone for hours and came back with the wrong thing and some sort of story. Often "they don't make that, or that brand anymore."
Kind of like: " The haaad a breakage." How did they break poly or trivex? Just an old excuse left over from the glass era. But a lie none the less.

Chip

[BMH]

I agree as with the original post 100%. I have worked chains and private practice. The job you do and the approach you take to this industry is mostly connected to your desire to be the best you can. You want to get better or learn more? There are great books about this industry. Knowledge doesn't just fall off trees. Desire it, seek it, get it!! I also feel most of us joined Optiboard on a quest for knowledge. If you've found friends along the way then thats one of life's bonuses.

As far as chain stores, I know Opticains that have left private practice and moved to chains and found it more organized and less stressful. After all if something goes wrong you blame home office or some corporate flunky, empathize with the patient and you still come out like the good guy. In the chain environment I found it was easier to give full attention to the "customer" without thinking about the daily optical duties. No reps to meet with, frames come in priced and ready to sell, no lab work to be done, no worring about the best lab to use or lenses to sell. Clock in- Sell glasses- Clock out. There are many Opticians out there living this life.

Call me crazy but I missed all of that. The hum-drum day to day of the chain ultimatly drove me nuts. I found the lack of control did not agree with me. I thrive on the optical insanity. The chain was easier but it wasn't me.

[Borysko]

I agree 100% with BMH. And no, I don't need a reason.

[Jubilee]

Not to derail this thread by any means.. cause I agree with you guys 100% and got my start in a chain..

However, I have been away for a few days.. and Borysko is making sense and has had his English skills increase a thousand fold? Gee.. I need some of whatever he had!!

[donovanbaldwin]

In our field, I believe that knowledge and service is a personal thing. It is the personal responsibilty of the ECP to better themselves and those around them, through education (not just CEs), experience, and discussion. When people come into my dispensary they get the best possible service and knowledge because that is what I provide, not because it is company policy... It does not matter if we are an opthamologist in a hospital, an optometrist that is part of a specialty contact lens practice, a self employeed optician, a sales rep for Essilor or a LDO that works for Walmart.

If I could have hand-picked my employer when I was looking, I would have. However, only one offered to hire "me", and I wanted to get back to doing things for people...and getting paid for it. "Me" is the kind of person outlined above, and, if I eventually find that "company policy" is not for "me", then I will begin my graceful, honorable, and mature departure. However, in the meantime and until I DO learn that they are part of the evil empire, I will continue to do my best to be a good employee and "earn" the paycheck they offer for my services.

I was just going to end it there, but the entire practice of condemning the "big boys" grates on me a little.

Several years ago, I was a trainer for a huge national company. From my first day in the industry, in fact even before I entered it, I kept hearing all kinds of bad things about this company, and I heard them from many quarters, including those who had been in the industry for years.

I worked for them a few years, and could never find a single instance that matched the claims that had been made against them, yet, when I told people who I was working for, THEY told me all kinds of bad stuff about the company.

Eventually, I became an in-house trainer and was told what I was to REALLY teach newcomers to the company and the industry, and what my stance was to be on certain problems and situations. Surprisingly, the inside company line was exactly what was presented to the publc. I was to be sure that people got the best training, were taught how to operate safely, and that they understood that they had a voice in the decision making process and should speak up for what was right and proper.

After a few years with what I thought was a great company, I was given the task of assisting recently-hired experienced professionals with their transition to the company. Every two weeks, I faced a new bunch of people who were certain that they had reached the bottom rung of the ladder. Again and again, by the end of the three-day long orientation class, most were telling me how wrong they had been about us.

One person in particular sticks in my mind. As the group was leaving, he walked up to me and said, "I can't apologize to the owner of the company, so I'll apologize to you."

"For what?"

"Well, I've been in this business for 30 years, and when I first started, I heard all the bad things people were saying about XXXXX, and I just assumed they were true. I've been repeating them for those 30 years, and I just now learned I was wrong."

Some companies do bad things. Sometimes, good companies do bad things. Sometimes people who work for good companies do bad things. Sometimes, people just don't know what they are talking about. Sometimes they do.

Get the facts first, and, if they are the facts, then take your stand, but don't just take potshots because you think there is something in the bushes. People get hurt that way.

Still on my first cup of coffee. Hope this makes as much sense to me in two hours as it does now.

Have a great day.

Don

[Johns]

I was just going to end it there, but the entire practice of condemning the "big boys" grates on me a little...



...I worked for them a few years, and could never find a single instance that matched the claims that had been made against them, yet, when I told people who I was working for, THEY told me all kinds of bad stuff about the company.

Don,

Nice post. Speaking as a sometimes "basher", I think that some of it comes from jealousy at not having the resources they do, and also that they came up with an idea that we didn't. Not a good reason...just an honest one.

As far as the claims made against them, it's never the company, but the people of the company. You won't find it written in a manual to "hire the least trained people, allow them to treat customers badly, then cut their hours down to part time. However, one of your statements sizes up why they sometimes have the reputation they do: "However, only one offered to hire "me"

Often, (of course, not always), the chains end up hiring people that can't find employment elsewhere. There is often a reason they can't find employment elsewhere.

[donovanbaldwin]

Often, (of course, not always), the chains end up hiring people that can't find employment elsewhere. There is often a reason they can't find employment elsewhere.

I was one of those people. My business went bust, and I went broke...and deep in debt. I had to get a job at 62. I wound up selling furniture and unloading trucks. My wife found us a great job to do together managing a luxury retirement community, but then, after I had quit the job I had, she became to ill to continue and we both had to quit. I could not find another job anywhere near as good as the one I had previously had where we lived, so I delivered pizzas for a while.

I had been an optical lab manger 11 years ago, so I dusted off that and held it under some noses. Most turned up.

One major chain offered me a chance. I used to be a dispensing optician and optical lab manager. I also was a degreed accountant and retired military. They were the only ones interested, and I'm grateful.

At age 64, I'm a lab rat for the second time in my life, but I'll get back up somehow with the help of the big chain, and the manager, that took a chance.

Life's that way sometimes.

Have a great day and don't ever give up. I will.

Don

[Leo Hadley Jr]

I worked for a major chain years ago and my store was awesome!!!
Its not hard to be picky and hire the right people who want to move ahead in their careers. I dont care how old they are, or how much experience they had, I only required a brain and a drive to succeed.

[DragonLensmanWV]

I worked for a major chain years ago and my store was awesome!!!
Its not hard to be picky and hire the right people who want to move ahead in their careers. I dont care how old they are, or how much experience they had, I only required a brain and a drive to succeed.

Darn it! I'm disqualified again!!:cheers:

[JerryR]

That was a great post. What you said was accurate, to the point, and needed to be said. You nailed it. Bricks and mortar do not make the Optician.