Why don't labs call?

[rdcoach5]

If your lab doesn't call,You are using the wrong lab !

[uncut]

Why I appreciate our customer service staff:

1. My first job in optical was at New City (when they were in downtown Norfolk), taking orders over the phone...no fax, no computer...just the phone.
2. They get yelled at every day and still come in to work and do an incredibly good job.

So here's to good CS reps every where! Thanks for not telling us how you really feel. Thanks for coming in everyday and doing the very best job that you can.

Applause, applause.....well said.........I couldn't find the "cheers" smiley!!!!

[Judy Canty]

It's probably a good thing that CS reps don't have a place to vent about their customers like we do here! Now that would be something to read!

[Speed]

:angry:

I requested a 3.25 base curve OU on a progressive with AR. First time I received the jab no AR and wrong base curve. I re-ordered the job. I got it back today.... WRONG BASE CURVE. I called to find out why I got a 4.5 BC and the response....
Lab:"The lens only comes in a 2 and a 4"
me:"Why didn't I get a phone call to make the choice"
Lab: "That Rx only comes in a 4 BC"
me: "Why didn't someone call me to tell me?"
Lab: "People who choose this lens normally don't like to change to a different lens"

HOW DO YOU KNOW WHAT I WANT TO DO! Only Google knows that much about me!

I called them back and said, "I will be sending you these lenses for a full credit."
Lab: Would you like us to remake these lenses for you?
Me: No, your services will no longer be needed for this job. Please note on my account to call me every time something isn't what I specify.

I don't know if I will be sending them anymore orders....

Just wondering, why you specified the BC and why a 3.25. ??

[chip anderson]

Appearently the person in charge of write-up of jobs is the low man on the totum pole in todays labs. I often find that "Special instructions" like size reduction of a three piece are not read. Maybe the person can't read. I find that shape changes are often not paid attention to. Words like "Rush" or "Must have by" have little meaning. Often when labs do call for information it's four days after they recieved the job, maybe a committe has to see it and decide how to phrase the question. Tinting the awful looking white edge on a large high minus sunglass seems to not in the relm of lab capability.
Changing the bevel angle on the posterior of high minus lens to keep the lens from flaring the frame isn't noticed. Appearently the frames are supposed to flare out after lens mounting. Often the nose pads are bent out an left there to mount the lens. Doesn't matter that the frame is thick wide and damn near impossible to bend back in without removing and hand modifiying the lens.
High plus lenses with very thick edges nasally are not hand beveled to allow for any nose pad adjustment.
Notes like: Non-adapt remake or clinical error, or lab error remake are always over-looked.

Where are all the good bench men and inspectors today?>

Chip

[optical24/7]

Chip, we all left wholesale and went into retail for better pay!

[Plausible]

Chip, we all left wholesale and went into retail for better pay!

Ha, Ha, Ha, now this is a good one!!!

[Wkndbum]

Where are all the good bench men and inspectors today?>

Chip

Customer Service :)

[gatorbait]

Just wondering, why you specified the BC and why a 3.25. ??

The patient was currently wearing a 3.25 and the doctor wanted to continue using current BC. I am a big fan of letting the lab calculate the BC but when the OD wants something. She gets it. I normally insist later that the lab does a great job at choosing what will work for the patient but I don't argue...

[sharpstick777]

Know your base curves before you request something impossible. Labs hate it when people request impossible things, they expect Opticians to know better.

For example, last week we received and order for a +9.00 OU reader, grooved rimless sq frame, CR-39 (non-asph), with the note to "Front Bevel" from a liscensed Optican here in Washington. The only phone call we could make in all honesty was "You are a moron", so we made them as requested without any phone call. Yea, they looked hideous. With BC requests the usual lab policy is to fill it with the next closest BC since so many lenses come in unusual BC's now (some manufactures I know use off-the-wall BC's to prevent counterfiets).

[sharpstick777]

As a side note, I never recommend surfacing a lens in a BC outside the manufacturer's suggested range as way to improve vision (wrap frames with wrap compensation would be my only exception for cosmetic reasons). Best Form base curves require every Rx to have its own base curve for optimal vision (for example, a -2.25 should be on a different BC than a -2.50). With multifocals we can't make blanks in micro-base curves like we can with SV, so they usually fall into simple ranges of .5, 2,4,6,8 (or variations there of). What that means is that only 5 Rx's are perfect in multifocals, the rest are compromised. When we exceed the manufactures suggested range we are moving a compromosed lens even farther from Best Form base curve, and increasing patients distortion.

[Audiyoda]

The patient was currently wearing a 3.25 and the doctor wanted to continue using current BC. I am a big fan of letting the lab calculate the BC but when the OD wants something. She gets it. I normally insist later that the lab does a great job at choosing what will work for the patient but I don't argue...

Time to sit down with the OD and let her know the benefits of allowing you and your lab to make those choices. That is what the practice pays you for, right?

Honestly it's a cop-out when a OD/OMD says to keep using the same FBC. I mean really, that Rx has no business being on that BC. Surface reflections (even with AR) and compromised optics are just two reasons.