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Thread: opticians today vs opticians in the past

  1. #51
    Ophthalmic Optician
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    Quote Originally Posted by Speed View Post
    Biggest difference is opticians today are employees, of the past were owners.
    My wife had four uncles that were opticians. The three that were employees all retired to Miami, Fl. The one that owned his own business died a lonely, penniless, alcoholic.

    I now realize why my father in law was less than thrilled when his daughter announced she was marrying an optician!
    Ophthalmic Optician, Society to Advance Opticianry

  2. #52
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    Quote Originally Posted by sharpstick777 View Post
    Fezz, It would compete with my chain of "Hot Gl-Assess" Stores where all the Opticians wear lingerie...
    Of course, all the men would have to wear the lingerie too....

    Waxing, anyone?

  3. #53
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    There are good young opticians and bad old ones.

    My apprentice is in his 30s. I often see him at lunch time with his head buried in an optical text during his break. When I am going over something with him he wants to know the why, not just the what. I have more confidence in him than I do in several licensed opticians I've worked with. Some of the posters on this thread have met him.

    I was at a Professional Opticians of Florida CE event over the past weekend to promote the Society to Advance Opticianry (shameless plug, check us out). I was pressed into duty as a proctor for some of the classes. Professor Ed August was giving an interesting presentation on the differences between good quality and poor quality frames. As I was passing out the CE slips, I saw a 55-60 year old woman doodling. Ed could have announced she had won the lottery and she would not have heard it. When I passed them out for the next class an hour later I saw her doodle had grown to a full page work of art. This lady is clearly just biding her time waiting on her social security to kick in and couldn't care less about learning something that might make her a better optician.

    Most, older and younger, were paying attention, taking notes and a few asked questions. It all comes down to whether you give a crap or not.

  4. #54
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    Quote Originally Posted by Johns View Post
    My wife had four uncles that were opticians. The three that were employees all retired to Miami, Fl. The one that owned his own business died a lonely, penniless, alcoholic.

    I now realize why my father in law was less than thrilled when his daughter announced she was marrying an optician!

    For sure, not as much stress as an employee. Especially during the trend towards vanishing independants.

  5. #55
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    Quote Originally Posted by Johns View Post
    My wife had four uncles that were opticians. The three that were employees all retired to Miami, Fl. The one that owned his own business died a lonely, penniless, alcoholic.

    I now realize why my father in law was less than thrilled when his daughter announced she was marrying an optician!
    Ha ha, Did the three work for their brother or brother in law?

  6. #56
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    No the three worked for one of the largest optical labs in Ohio (at the time), the other had a small shop that was busy, but his heart was bigger than his shop, and his customers always seemed to need a break more than he did.
    Ophthalmic Optician, Society to Advance Opticianry

  7. #57
    Optimentor Diane's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by gmc View Post
    There are good young opticians and bad old ones.

    My apprentice is in his 30s. I often see him at lunch time with his head buried in an optical text during his break. When I am going over something with him he wants to know the why, not just the what. I have more confidence in him than I do in several licensed opticians I've worked with. Some of the posters on this thread have met him.

    I was at a Professional Opticians of Florida CE event over the past weekend to promote the Society to Advance Opticianry (shameless plug, check us out). I was pressed into duty as a proctor for some of the classes. Professor Ed August was giving an interesting presentation on the differences between good quality and poor quality frames. As I was passing out the CE slips, I saw a 55-60 year old woman doodling. Ed could have announced she had won the lottery and she would not have heard it. When I passed them out for the next class an hour later I saw her doodle had grown to a full page work of art. This lady is clearly just biding her time waiting on her social security to kick in and couldn't care less about learning something that might make her a better optician.

    Most, older and younger, were paying attention, taking notes and a few asked questions. It all comes down to whether you give a crap or not.
    Gary,

    I applaud you and your apprentice. I appreciate someone who wants to make a difference. Your apprentice will make a difference as have you.

    Diane
    Anything worth doing is worth doing well.

  8. #58
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    Appenticeship is an out-dated, and completeloy inadequate method of "professional" training, and has long sense been eliminated by EVERY OTHER allied health field. When will we do the same? We MUST have some kind of formal educationl component combined with hands-on clinical skills to ever improve. The average Optician has a very limited understanding of optics, and as Dr. Ferguson mentioned above, cannot even determine the width of a flat-tp seg on licensing exams he administers. While I greatly respect the old masters, but they are long gone. I will say that I am certain Diane and Gary will at least provide their "students" with a good, solid background, but unfortunately that is not typically the case. It is now nothing more than cheap labor. The reason we still allow it is because most of the leadership of the field did not go to a formal school, and so if is good enough for them it must be good enough for all. That kind of ignorance is why we got to where we are today, and that is a sad state of affairs. This post will now sir up the masses, but I continue to do that to make people aware of just how far behind we are in comparison to Dental Hygenists, Nurses, and everyone else! "Opticians" today have no idea what they do not know, because all they have been exposed to is what their sponsor could teach them. We must do better, and I remain confused why we continue to sit idly by and do nothing to improve our lot.

  9. #59
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    Quote Originally Posted by optilady1 View Post
    Of course, all the men would have to wear the lingerie too....

    Waxing, anyone?
    Did I leave my web cam on? Are you watching me? I have moved passed the 6 pack though, I am now sporting a keg.

  10. #60
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    In 1992 I made a speech at the OAA Leadership Conference where I proposed that the “apprenticeship” program used by opticianry be abolished and replaced with a system based on formal education. The resolution was written and adopted by the OAA later that year. To the best of my knowledge, it has never been implemented.

    Now, twenty years later, professional ignorance and mediocrity remains the rule for our field while all others around us advance. As Dr. McDonald points out, we are being hopelessly outdistanced by all other fields.

    Roy

  11. #61
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    Quote Originally Posted by Speed View Post

    Biggest difference is opticians today are employees, of the past were owners.


    Speed......................How right you are, you hit the nail on the head.

    I have had several businesses over the years and either was or became the owner, but not by sitting on my rear end. Plus you have to be better, know more and work harder than any of your staff.

    However I got to give it to the young generation that they are not much different from us at the same age and expirience. I used to be a hot head too and not always agreed with the older generation, not on technical matters but the organizational ones.

  12. #62
    Master OptiBoarder OptiBoard Silver Supporter Barry Santini's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Roy R. Ferguson View Post
    In 1992 I made a speech at the OAA Leadership Conference where I proposed that the “apprenticeship” program used by opticianry be abolished and replaced with a system based on formal education. The resolution was written and adopted by the OAA later that year. To the best of my knowledge, it has never been implemented.

    Now, twenty years later, professional ignorance and mediocrity remains the rule for our field while all others around us advance. As Dr. McDonald points out, we are being hopelessly outdistanced by all other fields.

    Roy
    L, E, VSP, LMNOP and everyone else...wouldn't have their workforce any other way.

    B

  13. #63
    Master OptiBoarder RIMLESS's Avatar
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    Todays generation of Opticians have way cooler tattoos.
    90% of everything is crap...except for crap, because crap is 100% crap

  14. #64
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    Quote Originally Posted by RIMLESS View Post
    Todays generation of Opticians have way cooler tattoos.

    Totally. THat should be a new thread. The Tats of Optiboard.

  15. #65
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    Quote Originally Posted by optilady1 View Post
    Totally. THat should be a new thread. The Tats of Optiboard.
    Can I buy a vowel and change it with the one in bold?
    Wesley S. Scott, MBA, MIS, ABOM, NCLE-AC, LDO - SC & GA

    “As our circle of knowledge expands, so does the circumference of darkness surrounding it.” -Albert Einstein

  16. #66
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    Quote Originally Posted by Wes View Post
    Can I buy a vowel and change it with the one in bold?
    Sigh. Boys. you are all the same.

  17. #67
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    Quote Originally Posted by optilady1 View Post
    Sigh. Boys. you are all the same.
    The tots of Optiboard! What were you thinking, pervy? Click image for larger version. 

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    I don't have any tats...
    Wesley S. Scott, MBA, MIS, ABOM, NCLE-AC, LDO - SC & GA

    “As our circle of knowledge expands, so does the circumference of darkness surrounding it.” -Albert Einstein

  18. #68
    OptiWizard Pogu's Avatar
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    Yesterday I would have said I've had a hard time finding old school opticians willing to share their acquired knowledge ( in person I mean, Optiboard is a huge exception to that and thank ya'll very much!) But, then today a guy we refer to for solder repairs came in and asked if I wanted to learn!

    I'm glad this thread mellowed out, the beginning remided me of a local band, ******* Parade.

  19. #69
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    Quote Originally Posted by Wes View Post
    The tots of Optiboard! What were you thinking, pervy? Click image for larger version. 

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    I don't have any tats...
    Yeah well, I wouldn't be ablet to show any of mine anyways. Wouldn't wanna make anybody blush.

  20. #70
    ABOM Wes's Avatar
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    So how would opticians of the past deal with the proliferation of onliners and their proscribed theft of services?
    Wesley S. Scott, MBA, MIS, ABOM, NCLE-AC, LDO - SC & GA

    “As our circle of knowledge expands, so does the circumference of darkness surrounding it.” -Albert Einstein

  21. #71
    Manuf. Lens Surface Treatments
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    Redhot Jumper Did work in Europe for many years.........................

    Quote Originally Posted by Wes View Post

    So how would opticians of the past deal with the proliferation of onliners and their proscribed theft of services?

    In my young days as an optician in Europe, we had a very similar expierience when the discounters started out and they got a good fight on their hands by the established optical retail industry.

    Discount opticians all set themselves up on the second floor of a commercial building where they paid a cheap rent and the overhead was much lower. So you could recognice them already by their location.

    The established B&M store owners in every town got together and formed a local association, decided who where their regular suppliers for frames, lenses, labs and accessories. Then these companies would be contacted by letter, signed by all the owners that they would be cut off by all of them as suppliers them if they would sell to the discounter opticians.

    A friend of my father, in Kiel Germany, (President of the German Optical Master Association) opened a branch office in another location on the second floor of a fancy commercial building, a regular store that had nothing to do with discounted optics.
    As soon a he opened he got cut off by the major suppliers who followed the general agreement and he had to fight them with all his means.
    Until the case was resolved he used to tell his customers " would you like a ZEISS lens or something better".

    The system worked for at least 25 years until it got discontinued. However I don't think that anything close to it could work on this continent, there is too much chaos too even try anything close.

  22. #72
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    Quote Originally Posted by PhiTrace View Post
    I would put my hard skills up against yours any day, you pick the events. I may not beat you in everything but I'll probably beat you in most since I am a current practicing optician.
    Brag Brag Brag and Brag....I'll put my money on Chris.
    90% of everything is crap...except for crap, because crap is 100% crap

  23. #73
    ABOM Wes's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by RIMLESS View Post
    Brag Brag Brag and Brag....I'll put my money on Chris.
    Man, if we could actually set that up, I'd wager on the other guy just to see what'd happen!
    Wesley S. Scott, MBA, MIS, ABOM, NCLE-AC, LDO - SC & GA

    “As our circle of knowledge expands, so does the circumference of darkness surrounding it.” -Albert Einstein

  24. #74
    Master OptiBoarder RIMLESS's Avatar
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    It's on. Do we give them time to train and bone up? Perhaps a tag team?
    How about Iron Opticians USA
    90% of everything is crap...except for crap, because crap is 100% crap

  25. #75
    ABOM Wes's Avatar
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    Realistically, Chris gets to pick the events, right? That was the offer. That would mean he'd have to pick them immediately, so that he wouldn't have time to bone up, while the other guy didn't. Then they pick a neutral location, say the ABO-NCLE conference in DC this Nov, and if lab equipment is needed, we can finagle a way to get the use of one. For my part, I think I'd be making some easy money.
    Wesley S. Scott, MBA, MIS, ABOM, NCLE-AC, LDO - SC & GA

    “As our circle of knowledge expands, so does the circumference of darkness surrounding it.” -Albert Einstein

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