DRILL MOUNTS: Lab puts together or Opticians?

[mervinek]

But if an optician/employee could do pretty much everything else BUT rimless, I'd be more than OK with that.

Nope. Not me. In this office we only have 1 optician at a time. I'm the main optician and the others fill in when I am off or at lunch. To have a patient wait for someone else to return from vacation or to send their glasses away is not acceptable. If we sell drill mounts, we need to be able to mount and adjust them while the patient waits, especially in an office that does not have a lab. We too have profited from Lenscrafters not being able to adjust silhouettes. When someone comes in here and we can adjust them, we end up retaining them as patients. Win.

[obxeyeguy]

...

[Craig]

So if they elect not to wait, how long after the lenses arrive before they will get edged for the regular price?

They normally get them done quicker if we don't have to call them to set up an appointment. They would drop them off and we would have them ready the next day if they did not want to pay the $35. WE have to wait for the lenses to come in and be verified.

[Ryan.P.]

I agree that charging $35 for edge while wait is normal. When we sale the frames the first time we normally charge a drill fee bundle in to the price of the frame. I generally look at the time it's gonna take me to do the job and charge accordingly. Last week I had one of those antique 14 K gold octagon frames in my store. The patient had no demos in the job. Just a picture of his dad. He wanted the job to look like his dad's in the picture. In my area everyone sends specialty jobs like this too me or they just don't do them. Being this job takes me 3 times longer I charged the patient a extra $125.00 to do the job. The patient was very happy to pay the fee because he knew that there was a lot more work and time involved. I think getting payed for your time is ok. I mean the doctor has to pay For my time, so shouldn't that charge carry down to the patient. My lab charges me extra for any kind of speciality jobs. But if you have a good patient that needs something like this done I will do it for free Since we have made plenty off that patient in the past. I think when you classify what you do as specialty and they see you are the only one around who does it. It helps make those new customers come back over and over agin. The pricing is left up to the lab manager (me)!since the lab manager will probably be the only one who knows the amount of time a job will take

[Dr. Bill Stacy]

I'm trying to root out of my practice those things that I've been doing for free. The busier I get the more urgent this seems. Working for nothing on some items seems wrong, never mind the feely good kudos you get when you do it. I would rather get more money than more kudos, and the kudos will come so long as the patient is getting a value for their dollar. I am now enforcing a $50 charge to put lenses in a frame not obtained from me, and that goes directly to the bottom line, since I also will take no responsibility for any problem with the frame or the discomfort it might cause the patient.

As far as a charge for while you wait mounting, edging or drilling, I can't justify charging more for the exact same service if the patient waits than if they come back later. Of course I cannot accommodate such a service if the finishing optician is unavailable at the time.

[Ryan.P.]

I inspect each and every pt. own frame ( POF). This way I can inform the pt. that if this frames breaks or anything happens to it a week from now. That they will be out for new frames and lens. The exspecally catches the ears of the progressive wears. I can usually talk them into buying a new frame. However there are those people who refuse to give up there old frames. So when they will not give up there old frames I have the optican give them a paper that we made. It says Duty to Warn real big at the top and it is just a waiver. Is says we will not be responsible.
I think charging a fee for doing a drill mount while a pt is waiting is ok. If you have the capabilities to cut&edge&drill&mount while the pt. waits for 20 min. if you doing all these steps that quick it probably means you have a edger like ME-1200 or something equivalent too that or a great Lab tech that requires a nice salary. These edger cost us so much more for that technology to do drill mount. I feel it's ok to charge pt for premium edging. Before I got my ME-1200. We payed Oakley for premium edging and shelf cuts. If patient want to re-lens there drill mounts I personally take a picture of the lens with my ICE-1200 blocker. It will plot all the current holes and I will save that data under pt. name till there lens comes in. Then I cut it soon as it comes in. All I have to do is assemble it. But I almost think that technology could be charged for. In our office we charge pt for drilling in the price of the frame. So if they don't get a new frame should we charge a drill fee. I think so. I guess I need too look into that myself. Thanks

[Dr. Bill Stacy]

A few years ago I stopped adding the drill charge to the frame and have been adding it to the lens where I think it belongs. I have a Santinelli Lex setup with drill and we also add a polish edge fee in there because most seem to want it on drilled and nylor. Those who don't want to pay for it get a satin finish and save 24-30 bucks. My finishing optician is my son who is part time because he is in college full time with hopes to get into optometry school. So it's unusual for us to do a drill while pt waits right now. I can run lenses, but choose to not do drills myself as they take more skill and time than I personally can afford. Some insurance companies allow the drill/polish fees as lens extras, some don't. For those that don't I suppose we could just add it to the frame charge like I used to.

[Ryan.P.]

Like how you do things Dr. S. My big issue is in a practice with 12 sales" OPTICANS" it's hard to get everyone to get on board. Change is hard around here. But it's gonna be a topic at our next Thursday office meeting

[Dr. Bill Stacy]

Yeah I had a colleague of mine (same year in optometry school, back in the '60s), whom I never could convince to charge a fee for refitting/re-prescribing contacts in addition to the routine eye exam fee. He died a year or so ago without having ever been able to make the change.

Good luck at that meeting.

[smallworld]

A lot of the problem these days, is a good Lab tech can make for a lazy staff of opticians. I for years always did what was asked if me. When I realized one day I couldn't take vacation time because who would help all these people. I quit doing everything and if someone wants a drill mount put together. I'll do it as long as they stay and watch me. I have my girls in training everyday. If you are worried about scratched on drill mounts. What I do is I trained my girls to use scotch tape on the job anywhere it could get scratched or even the slip disk films. DONT ENABLE LAZY OPTICANS!!

I know lab guys LOVE getting dragged out of the lab to help do frame selections when opticians are on vacation too!!! Especially when you are in the middle of cutting jobs piled to the ceiling and then you get the nice little lady who takes two hours to pick her frames. I'm all for cross training- wouldn't want LAZY employees period. It's nice when everyone can help each other out.

[mervinek]

A few years ago I stopped adding the drill charge to the frame and have been adding it to the lens where I think it belongs.

+1

[CME4SPECS]

It's always interesting to see how others do things. We all have our ways that work for us.

[Chris Ryser]

Those who don't want to pay for it get a satin finish and save 24-30 bucks.

There are now products available that polish the edge chemically, in a few seconds application and cost's a few cents to do. Check "Polycarbonate Edge Polish" right on top of Google listing..

[Ryan.P.]

I know lab guys LOVE getting dragged out of the lab to help do frame selections when opticians are on vacation too!!! Especially when you are in the middle of cutting jobs piled to the ceiling and then you get the nice little lady who takes two hours to pick her frames. I'm all for cross training- wouldn't want LAZY employees period. It's nice when everyone can help each other out.

om all for cross training too. But if you have been in optical for a long time. Then you know there are opticans who can get the job done. And then there are opticans who know how to do the job right. I tell the salesmanager that we need more "A" type personalities on our staff. We have a few that can sale glasses very well. But when it comes to everything else they can't quite hit the mark. So here is a question for everyone. How do you find the good opticans that are out there. Where do you post other than optiboard of course? Any advise will be appericated

[Chris Ryser]

Find some of your good employees and have them trained by paying them a personality course. If they pass and understand it, you will never be sorry.

I have done it a long time ago.

check it out at: ===========>
http://www.dalecarnegie.com

[SeaU2020]

I'm the only optician in an office without a lab. I put them together almost every day. For customer service reasons it is great to have as many people properly trained to do this as possible. At another job I was the only one willing to do it. The other opticians would make the patients wait and sent it to a remote lab for remounting. Drove me crazy!

[Dave E]

I'm the only optician in an office without a lab. I put them together almost every day. For customer service reasons it is great to have as many people properly trained to do this as possible. At another job I was the only one willing to do it. The other opticians would make the patients wait and sent it to a remote lab for remounting. Drove me crazy!

That happens where I work I put them back together its not that hard you just need a little time to do it.

[Chris Ryser]

Vision- Ease Lens, Inc. TECHNICAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT

TECHNICAL TIP

POLYCARBONATE LENS DRILLING FOR RIMLESS MOUNTS
D EDGING:
• Edge lens to desired shape and size.
• Safety bevel both sides of lens after rimless edging procedures.
• Edge polishing and tinting should be done prior to drilling.
• Drill lenses prior to anti-reflection coating.

D MANUAL LAYOUT:

• Mark horizontal axis/ 180-degree line on each lens with a water-soluble pen; duplicate pattern axis line if no prescription axis is applicable. ·
• With a felt-tip pen, carefully place a dot at each drilling location on the lens front and verify correct positioning.
• Location should be double- checked for accuracy to +/.0.5mm.

D DRILLING:

• Polycarbonate cuts best with a sharp burr operated at low speed and minimal to moderate pressure. Twist style drills, cutting less aggressively, often leave subsurface damage.
• Place lens with front towards drill bit and slowly operate drill through lens; back drill bit out of hole often to remove cutting debris that will increase heat damage.
• Be sure to chamfer around the hole when finished drilling. (Much like safety beveling after edging)
• Note that excessive pressures and speed create damaging heat, which may create eventual fractures.
• An extra precautionary step to avoid fractures would be to place a drop of OMS Drillseal into the hole. Distribute the Drillseal evenly with a toothpick. This will seal the hole and it dries instantly. Please note the dropper may gel if left in the bottle.

D CLEAN UP:

• Cleaning should be done prior to mounting with warm soapy water with a clean water rinse.
• Wiping should be minimized to avoid abrasion from cutting debris.

D MOUNTING:

• Assemble lenses with appropriate hardware, minimizing excess tension.
• Frames should be fully aligned and formed to lens prior to final assembly.
• Excess stress on assembled eyewear may eventually create fractures. Use of plastic bushings is recommended.

D INSPECTION:

• Mounted lenses should be inspected for excess stress, correct positioning, and alignment.




For any additional technical questions, call the toll-free Technical Services Hotline: {877) 528-9576
You can also send messages to Technical Services via e-mail: techservices@vi sion..ease.com

[Johns]

We have a few that can sale glasses very well. But when it comes to everything else they can't quite hit the mark.

I guess this would be an issue if you were a smaller shop, and had a lot of lag time between patients. If I have an optician who is a good fitter, hit's the measurements, and can present the products well, then I don't want them in the lab! I'm losing money if they are in the lab assembling, and one of the the "B" types is on the floor. Part of being a good manager is getting the right people in the right place at the right time. I don't lament the fact that some are deficient in some aspects, but I focus on what they do best, and get the most out of them.

[AngeHamm]

Part of being a good manager is getting the right people in the right place at the right time. I don't lament the fact that some are deficient in some aspects, but I focus on what they do best, and get the most out of them.

That's Strengths Finder thinking! There are certain competencies that are naturally essential across the board, but you get a lot more out of people and your business by playing to your associates' natural strengths rather than focusing overly on deficiencies. This is the black hole of insisting that your entire staff be fully cross-trained; sure, you need people to be able to fill in in a pinch, but expecting your introverted ophthalmic tech to be as good a salesperson as your optician, and the reverse, is a recipe for mediocrity across the board.

[rbaker]

I guess this would be an issue if you were a smaller shop, and had a lot of lag time between patients. If I have an optician who is a good fitter, hit's the measurements, and can present the products well, then I don't want them in the lab! I'm losing money if they are in the lab assembling, and one of the the "B" types is on the floor. Part of being a good manager is getting the right people in the right place at the right time. I don't lament the fact that some are deficient in some aspects, but I focus on what they do best, and get the most out of them.

You will find reinforcement of this in the writings of W. Edwards Deming specifically his "14 Points of Management" listed below.

1. Create constancy of purpose toward improvement of product and service, with the aim to become competitive and to stay in business, and to provide jobs.

2. Adopt the new philosophy. We are in a new economic age. Western management must awaken to the challenge, must learn their responsibilities, and take on leadership for change.

3. Cease dependence on inspection to achieve quality. Eliminate the need for inspection on a mass basis by building quality into the product in the first place.

4. End the practice of awarding business on the basis of price tag. Instead, minimize total cost. Move toward a single supplier for any one item, on a long-term relationship of loyalty and trust.

5. Improve constantly and forever the system of production and service, to improve quality and productivity, and thus constantly decrease costs.

6. Institute training on the job.

7. Institute leadership (see Point 12 and Ch. 8). The aim of supervision should be to help people and machines and gadgets to do a better job. Supervision of management is in need of overhaul, as well as supervision of production workers.

8. Drive out fear, so that everyone may work effectively for the company (see Ch. 3).

9. Break down barriers between departments. People in research, design, sales, and production must work as a team, to foresee problems of production and in use that may be encountered with the product or service.

10. Eliminate slogans, exhortations, and targets for the work force asking for zero defects and new levels of productivity. Such exhortations only create adversarial relationships, as the bulk of the causes of low quality and low productivity belong to the system and thus lie beyond the power of the work force.

Eliminate work standards (quotas) on the factory floor. Substitute leadership.

Eliminate management by objective. Eliminate management by numbers, numerical goals. Substitute leadership.

11. Remove barriers that rob the hourly worker of his right to pride of workmanship. The responsibility of supervisors must be changed from sheer numbers to quality.

12. Remove barriers that rob people in management and in engineering of their right to pride of workmanship. This means, inter alia, abolishment of the annual or merit rating and of management by objective (see Ch. 3).

13. Institute a vigorous program of education and self-improvement.

14. Put everybody in the company to work to accomplish the transformation. The transformation is everybody's job.

[Johns]

rbaker, I wouldn't disagree with any of the above, especially #4 , 6, and #11. This past year, I took the seemingly insignificant step of issuing business cards to everyone on the staff; from receptionists (they are now "office administrators", as they do SO much more that greet people), to the delivery guy, to the part-time girl who comes in after school. One of the employees just held the card in her hand, and got teary eyed. 80% of the staff had never had a business card, as they were given only to the opticians and management.

You wouldn't believe the attitude change among all the offices. I not only gave them cards, but also make it a point to include everyone (to a point) in the decision making. The results of empowering people is unbelievable.

In regards to the thread, I can see both sides, as it is also empowering to be as skilled as possible, and not have to rely on someone else to pick up the slack. That is why I mentioned that the size of the office/staff does have some bearing on the issue.

[rbaker]

rbaker, I wouldn't disagree with any of the above, especially #4 , 6, and #11. This past year, I took the seemingly insignificant step of issuing business cards to everyone on the staff; from receptionists (they are now "office administrators", as they do SO much more that greet people), to the delivery guy, to the part-time girl who comes in after school. One of the employees just held the card in her hand, and got teary eyed. 80% of the staff had never had a business card, as they were given only to the opticians and management.

You wouldn't believe the attitude change among all the offices. I not only gave them cards, but also make it a point to include everyone (to a point) in the decision making. The results of empowering people is unbelievable.

In regards to the thread, I can see both sides, as it is also empowering to be as skilled as possible, and not have to rely on someone else to pick up the slack. That is why I mentioned that the size of the office/staff does have some bearing on the issue.

Deming firmly believed that the employee wants to excel at their job and that it was up to the business management process to provide them with all the tools that they needed to achieve that goal. Nearly all problems that a business experiences are caused by the business process and not the employees.

[Tallboy]

That's ok Doc. Smartphone and other technologies will make the grunt work of refraction a non-human endeavor

B

How certain are you of this and when do you see it making my business partner the OD obsolete? I think its a bit like saying hover cars are around the corner.

[framewrap]

I agree, in that it would be something I would have the lab do. One error and there goes any profit, besides our opticians are far too busy seeing patients to bother with lab work.

Our opticians, while having the knowledge to put together a drill mount, do not have the skill or practice to do a good job of it.
Our lab tech does a good job but the doctor is saying it's an optician job.
Generally speaking, I would have to say putting together a drill mount falls under the lab domain. My opticians don't have the time and end up scratching the lenses due to not having the experience of doing it often. Again, I know that sounds lame and please don't judge me but I have to figure out how to get doctor out of our dispensary. Putting drill mounts together is a skill, isn't it? You need to have done it a lot to end up without scratches (pressure mounts).
Thoughts please???[/QUOTE]