A pretty silly question

[NikkiB]

So I made a pretty absent minded mistake the other day with a patient. She came in to get ,,,new glasses before going to college-in Canada-which is pretty far from D.C. Well I didn't realize until after we received the lenses that I managed to leave the PAL measurement off of the paperwork. Needless to say I'm very embarrassed I made such a huge mistake & I feel awful that this girls glasses are late. So the only solution that I came up with is to mail her the frames, have an optician up there take the measurement, have her mail them back in a prepaid box, make them and then mail them back again. This is going to take a lot of time & a lot of money for postage-which I think my manager & dr will be furious about among other things. Basically out of all of this my coworker mentioned a "formula" to figure out her measurement without her being present. I vaguely remember hearing about that years ago but I don't remember any details really. Is there a formula I can use? I just want to have as much info & an additional solution before I talk to my manager. Sorry for such a long story but I appreciate any advice anyone has!

[rbaker]

Give the RX to the customer and she can get them in Canada. Why put your pecuniary interests ahead of the customers welfare, eh!

[NikkiB]

Give the RX to the customer and she can get them in Canada. Why put your pecuniary interests ahead of the customers welfare, eh!

If it were my choice I would do just that, but I don't have the privelage for working for someone who would also come to that conclusion in a rational manner.

[Johns]

Give the RX to the customer and she can get them in Canada. Why put your pecuniary interests ahead of the customers welfare, eh!

How is that putting monetary interests ahead of the customer??? The customer has committed, a small error made, and it can be easily fixed. (Would you send the customer down the street if they had a slightly better price...in the customer's interest?)

There is an easy solution...

[rbaker]

it can be easily fixed.

This is easy ? ? ? "mail her the frames, have an optician up there take the measurement, have her mail them back in a prepaid box, make them and then mail them back again."

[Judy Canty]

Sounds easy to me. A little time-consuming, but if the patient is cool with it, what's the problem?

[Barry Santini]

Admit error. Ask client her desire. Give alternatives. Respect their choice.

B

[pseudonym]

Assuming her doc is local to you, call or visit the office. Tell the optician there what you did (and we've ALL done this or worse.) They have the patient's pd on file. Hopefully they'll give it to you as a professional courtesy.

[Judy Canty]

Won't help with the seg ht.

[pseudonym]

Won't help with the seg ht.

New Year Resolution: Stop Skimming.

Nikki, if you have her old glasses, you can measure the B and the old fitting ht, then subtract or add as needed to fit the new frame ht assuming they are different.

Without the old glasses, you can try putting the height at whatever the minimum fitting ht is, and count on the 2 or 3 mm you have for adjustment. With today's small B frames, you may get away with it. Virtually every 29 B frame ends up fitting at 17mm in our best selling PAL.

[obxeyeguy]

Admit error. Ask client her desire. Give alternatives. Respect their choice.

B

I"ll go with Barry on this one.

New Year Resolution: Stop Skimming.

Nikki, if you have her old glasses, you can measure the B and the old fitting ht, then subtract or add as needed to fit the new frame ht assuming they are different.

Without the old glasses, you can try putting the height at whatever the minimum fitting ht is, and count on the 2 or 3 mm you have for adjustment. With today's small B frames, you may get away with it. Virtually every 29 B frame ends up fitting at 17mm in our best selling PAL.

Seriously, GUESS?? That really separates us from the on liners, eh?

[Johns]

This is easy ? ? ? "mail her the frames, have an optician up there take the measurement, have her mail them back in a prepaid box, make them and then mail them back again."

Yes, extremely easy.

1. Buy a second frame.
2. Send the first one to the patient and have her go to an optician for a measurement, and have the optician contact you.
3. Have the optician relay the measurements to you, make the lenses and ship them, completed in the second frame, to the optician to dispense.
4. Tell the optician that he/she can keep the second frame for their problems.

Fewer steps than making a pizza...which is also pretty easy.

[pseudonym]

Buy a second frame is the part that would stop me from taking that route. If Nikki is lucky enough to have sold this person her previous pair, the answer is in the records. Get the B and do the math.

To avoid a refund, I'll use the minimum seg ht only on a 29 or 30 B frame. Which is MOST of them. It's not guessing, it's poking and hoping.

@obxeyeguy I work in a class establishment compared to online.

[Mick]

Yes, extremely easy.

1. Buy a second frame.
2. Send the first one to the patient and have her go to an optician for a measurement, and have the optician contact you.
3. Have the optician relay the measurements to you, make the lenses and ship them, completed in the second frame, to the optician to dispense.
4. Tell the optician that he/she can keep the second frame for their problems.

Fewer steps than making a pizza...which is also pretty easy.

I agree with Johns, letting the optician in Canada have a frame for their effort is a fair trade-off for their time. Otherwise you are asking another professional to do part of your work with no compensation.

[Ironhorse]

I agree with Barry!!!

[Mick]

Yes, certainly the customers wishes need to be met. But if the customer was OK with the dual optical shop experience then, offer the frame to the measuring/fitting shop.

[Uncle Fester]

Mail the frame to her. Have her hold a cd up to the base of her pupil...

On second thought-- What Barry said.

Forgive yourself. It happens.

[nicksims]

Buying a second frame as a gift for the optician who determines seg ht, while nice, seems excessive. What about finding an optician close to where she'll be in Canada- one that carries the same frame? They can take the measurement for you. I think most of has have made mistakes and would provide such a courtesy to another optician. Set up the appt that is convenient for that optician and the patient.

[Barry Santini]

Buying a second frame as a gift for the optician who determines seg ht, while nice, seems excessive.

You sir, obviously pay what I pay for frames. We both don't pay what JOHNS pays!

B

[nicksims]

You sir, obviously pay what I pay for frames. We both don't pay what JOHNS pays!

B

[Johns]

Buying a second frame as a gift for the optician who determines seg ht, while nice, seems excessive.

You sir, obviously pay what I pay for frames. We both don't pay what JOHNS pays!

B

Even in you pay the exorbitant prices the ODs pay, it's a heck of a lot cheaper than giving a refund.

[marktheeyeguy]

I must admit. Some great ideas here. This is what I have found to be successful 100% of the time. Put the frames on a female co worker that is similar. Draw a line on the lower lid and add three millimeters to your measureme. I would rather the measurement a millimeter or two low than two high. I would never ship frames or admit I left a measurement off. Just handle it. If they have any problems I am sure optician there can determine it to be to high or low and adjust pads or remake under warrranty. I hope this helps you! ;)

[Johns]

I must admit. Some great ideas here. This is what I have found to be successful 100% of the time. Put the frames on a female co worker that is similar. Draw a line on the lower lid and add three millimeters to your measureme. I would rather the measurement a millimeter or two low than two high. I would never ship frames or admit I left a measurement off. Just handle it. If they have any problems I am sure optician there can determine it to be to high or low and adjust pads or remake under warrranty. I hope this helps you! ;)

Either that or find a dartboard.

[obxeyeguy]

I must admit. Some great ideas here. This is what I have found to be successful 100% of the time. Put the frames on a female co worker that is similar. Draw a line on the lower lid and add three millimeters to your measureme. I would rather the measurement a millimeter or two low than two high. I would never ship frames or admit I left a measurement off. Just handle it. If they have any problems I am sure optician there can determine it to be to high or low and adjust pads or remake under warrranty. I hope this helps you! ;)

First off, I don't have a female co-worker that matches all my patients, and I'm not sure I would want them. Second, are you really serious on never admitting a mistake? I did just that today, when edging a pair of lenses the seg ht. fell below my threshold for the "B", and I called the patient to re-take the measurement. My error, and yes, it was an error. He was impressed that I did this upon explaining, and I saved an expensive pair of lenses. Oh yeah, I did't get that expensive warranty that has become our safety net as poor opticians, and willing to guess.

Raise a 29mm "B" 2mm and you may totally ruin the look of the frame. Measure precise, cut once, be a professional, or find that dartboard Johns refers to.

[Diopterman]

I must admit. Some great ideas here. This is what I have found to be successful 100% of the time. Put the frames on a female co worker that is similar. Draw a line on the lower lid and add three millimeters to your measureme. I would rather the measurement a millimeter or two low than two high. I would never ship frames or admit I left a measurement off. Just handle it. If they have any problems I am sure optician there can determine it to be to high or low and adjust pads or remake under warrranty. I hope this helps you! ;)

I see how your plan is working for you!

http://www.bbb.org/northwestern-florida/business-reviews/optical-goods-service-and-repair/tegenkamp-optical-superstores-in-pensacola-fl-8000037