11 Things Your Optician Wish You Knew!

[Hayde]

You know those 'news' clickbait ads from which there's no escape? Why so-and-so isn't cast in movies anymore. President X yadda yadda homeowners... You won't believe what [...] looks like now! One weird trick to... These template 'headlines' get so excessively recycled that it's bemusing.

Here's one the world needs that's been on my mind: "11 Things Your Optician Wish You Knew!"

(11 is completely arbitrary and I won't keep count. But maybe one of the associations will cough of some dough and whittle down a good list to passively plug us brick n morters someday. Maybe not, but no reason we can't dream...)

Make a slide for a cheesy clickbait slideshow!

[Hayde]

...Can't Make Worse!

So you're a handy DIYer. You don't want to make the drive to the optical. " Eyeglass repair can't be THAT hard. I'll just fix it myself!"

The truth is:

You're turning a problem that may be repairable into one's that's not.

That string that broke is an easy fix for they eyewear professional who knows what s/he's doing...until you goop up the frame trying to glue the lens back in. There are little holes in that frame for the plastic lining to attach that you just crusted with an adhesive that may not come out.

Even if it wasn't a half-rim frame, that glue stuck in the lens bevel may prevent the lens from fitting in its frame again. (Your lenses are the prescription for your eyes and the frames are the pill bottle. Superglue on your frame is like putting a hole in that pill bottle...the prescription just won't stay in it anymore!)

Be patient and don't make a problem worse than it has to be! Take your eyewear to back to the optical so they can get you seeing again. They may make it look easy, but trust us...don't learn the hard way that it really isn't for those without the experience doing it!

[can you guess what I had come in for a repair yesterday? Scotch tape was holding the lens in, and that's exactly how it left because the frame was too far gooped for me to do anything for it.]

[Uilleann]

1. While your optician may be able to assist in billing insurance, we aren't all knowing wizards. Well...most of us aren't anyway. Don't know what, or IF, your "insurance" actually covers "free" glasses...give them a call. Yourself. And when they refuse to pay for your "free" stuff 100%, again, please call THEM to explain why THEY'RE wrong.

[Robert Martellaro]

We can cause asthenopia (fatigue, pain in or around the eyes, blurred vision, headaches, occasional double vision, etc.) even when the prescription is filled exactly as written by the eye doctor, and that there are many different ways to do so.

[Prentice Pro 9000]

Here's one:

People wish that opticians actually knew what they were talking about instead of "word-souping" people when they ask a question that you don't know how to answer. I've cringed so hard at the things I've overheard in my short time doing this.

[Hayde]

lol Despite being a notorious word souper on the boards, Jaketull, I agree completely. (I'm pretty scripted & brief with patients for any given point.) But that's for a different thread since this list is what Opticians wish customers/patients knew! Got one for the that direction--What you would have an internet surfer read on a slideshow of what we Opticians wish they knew?

Uilleann & Robert, those are great! Keep 'em coming, everybody!

[Uilleann]

2. PD matters on BOTH ends of the transaction and lens manufacture. Doubly so if your SRx is anything above plano, OU. So does OC and seg. And also frame fit. It's critically important. It all matters, you great internet shopping spoon! (That last bit was just what my mind says every time a client tries to extol the virtues of purchasing their -11.50 PALS on the interwebs!)

[Quince]

Oooh all good ones so far!

How about:

You are not special because you have an astigmatism. 90% of the Rx I get have them, but somehow the general populous got it in their heads that it is unique and completely changes the procedure for buying glasses.

Also, your life story is not necessary when purchasing a new pair of glasses.

[Uilleann]

3. "Warranties". They do NOT cover your stupidity, your ignorance, your carelessness, or your ego.

Ever.

IF a warranty exists, it is solely for the purpose of covering any potential defect in material or workmanship of the original product. NOT because you wanted to see if your lenses could withstand the full power of a flamethrower.

[DanLiv]

You are not special because you have an astigmatism. 90% of the Rx I get have them, but somehow the general populous got it in their heads that it is unique and completely changes the procedure for buying glasses.

LOL yes, neither when you have a stigmatism, nor when you have two stigmatisms.

[Hayde]

LOL yes, neither when you have a stigmatism, nor when you have two stigmatisms.

LOL I love that one. (I remember having to have that explained to me when I was 8-10.)

[Hayde]

Surprisingly many people who think they may want to try contact lenses for the first time don't bring it up until after their eye exam is over! They bring their eyeglass prescription to an optical and say, "I want to order contact lenses!"

Your optician is not an eye doctor, and can't use an eyeglass prescription to sell you contact lenses.

Your eye doctor has to conduct a special exam of your eyes, often including letting you wear (one, two, or sometimes more) pair(s) of trial lenses for a few days. This is a piece of plastic on your eye for hours every day, after all...they have to be very sure contacts will work for you before prescribing them! You won't be the one to determine the brand or cost of your contact lenses. Even if your doctor gives you some input or a couple of choices, the decision is up to him or her because they're taking some responsibility for the health of your eyes in contacts as well as the quality of your vision.

So if you bring your eyeglass prescription to your optician asking for contact lenses, he or she has no choice but to send you back to your doctor for a contact lens prescription!

[Blue]

We know, beyond all reasonable doubt, that your jacked up frame didn't "just come out of the case" like that. You sat on them, stepped on them, had Auntie Louise sit on them, or any one of a thousand other things happen to them. It's okay. You don't have to give us some story about how you just went to bed and put them in the case and that somehow, during the night, when no one was around, your frame just crumpled upon itself. Just hand us the frame, ask kindly if we can help, and don't get angry if we can't.

[lensmanmd]

Once upon a time when I worked on the other side of the glass, a patient asked if I would refill the medicine in her glasses. When I told her that she would need to see an OD for a new prescription she just stared at me. Then, she said that she was able to see fine with them a few years ago, but the medicine ran out. Couldn't I just take them in the back and refill it? HA! Almost as good as the next one

Back in the days of the Jerry Curl, we had a patient come in to insist that we pay for his dry cleaning. Why, we asked? The medicine leaked out of these glasses and stained my shirt, he said. We paid for the dry cleaning and sent him on his way. Sometimes it is better not to argue with ignorance. Good riddance.

[AngeHamm]

No one in your optician's office ever used the words "scratch-proof" or "unbreakable."

[GrahamEye]

Because this forum is read by opticians and patients, here are some of the "What your optician wishes you knew" thoughts: (some will be repeats of what has been previously posted)

1) We are not your insurance company. While we can file your insurance and pull up benefits, if we are in network, we ARE NOT your insurance provider nor their customer service line. If you don't know what your vision insurance plan is, don't know what the plan covers, or if you are eligible for your benefits--PLEASE CALL that insurance company--or even contact your HR department/work benefit coordinator to help you. If you are a current patient and your office has "the info in their computer" does not mean it is an easy pull up of that info. If you are a new patient to an office, inform yourself with what your plan details might be before coming in.

1A)- Please bring your insurance cards with you. New or old patient. Just because "nothing has changed" to you doesn't mean nothing has changed and you might be painting yourself into corner for a bill or a higher copay.

1B)- If your insurance company tells you "free exam" or "free glasses"--TAKE WITH A GRAIN OF SALT until you see the full plan written out and understand what is "free". Differing factors will come in to play if your exam will be covered or might change to a medical copay. The "Free" glasses might be the bottom dollar frames and single vision lens in basic plastic. Not the premium options you want in your glasses.

2)-Not all frames and lenses are the same. True, name brands and which office/business you purchase glasses from will affect the price of a frame or lens option. You don't have to spend more for the name brand to get good quality. However your $10 online glasses/bargain bin optical may not be made with that same quality. You don't compare vending machine meals to Burger King or Chilis or Ruth Chris or any combination back and forth. They all have differences in the quality and price for their food. The same comparison can be made with frames and lenses.

3)-PD's - Opticians know that online stores make this the "be all end all" number that is necessary with your RX. However, have you seen any online location tell you that your PD number could change? Those 18 years and younger (and correct me if I am wrong on the ages or this info), their skulls are still forming and that can have an effect upon the PD measurement. If you grab a PD for your 14 year old, two years down the road that number could increase. How much? That depends on the individual. There are those who are sensitive to the .5 to 1mm change in their PD and could make the RX they are wearing in their glasses uncomfortable.

4)-Repairs. PLEASE bring to your local optician or optical shop first before trying self repairs. A screw, nosepad, a re-string for a semi-rimless, or a nut and bolt or bushing for a drill mount is easier to replace when super glue, locktight, or welding hasn't been attempted first. Additionally, what might possibly be a warranty defect could turn into a non warranty purchase if your self repair damages the frame further.

5)-We can say "No" but will tell you why. You may not like it, but an Optician that truly knows what they are doing will be upfront and honest with you by saying "No" to certain request and they will follow up with the "why". You have a high minus RX (IE -7.00) and want a wrap sunglasses? You wear progressives but want a frame that is physically small as possible? Your thirty year old vintage frame you bought off of ebay/etsy/handed down to you through your family and you want your new RX mounted in the frame? All of these questions could result in a "no" from an optician for various reasons from personal experience to knowledge of what will or won't work. Listen to the "why" before getting upset.

6)-Echoing AngeHamm's post - "No one in your optician's office ever used the words "scratch-proof" or "unbreakable."

[becc971]

No one in your optician's office ever used the words "scratch-proof" or "unbreakable."

1,000,000timesYES!!!!

[Quince]

No one in your optician's office ever used the words "scratch-proof" or "unbreakable."

^ LOVE this.


*Understanding TIME is important. Whenever someone tells me how old their glasses are, I add two years.

*Just because there is a 1 HOUR sign, does not mean you can have anything and everything in that time frame.


Going off of what Blue said- When you dig your glasses out from the bottom of your purse don't expect sympathy for scratched lenses and a crooked frame.

[Uilleann]

4. Phone call at 5:28 PM on a Friday evening:

Pt: "I'm on my way! I'm only 15 minutes away and HAVE to pick up my plano colored contacts! They've been there for a while (six months) and I just have to have them."

Us: "Ma'am, the office closes at 5:30, but will be in again tomorrow morning at 8:30. You're welcome to stop by then, and we'll be happy to assist you."

Pt: (flipping out uncontrollably) "YOU HAVE TO WAIT FOR ME! I PAY YOUR PAYCHECK!"

Us: "Sorry. I have a funeral to attend. Again, we're very happy to help you first thing tomorrow."

Pt: (continues to flip out) "I AM TELLING YOU TO WAIT!"

Us: *click* (leaves office at 5:40) (Arrives to work next morning to a nasty note stating pt was there at 5:25 PM and that the "horrible employee" closed early to leave for some 'party' or something, and how they'll never come back!!)

Us: Win.

To sum up pts - we're humans, with full lives too. Don't be.....'Rogers'.

[Uilleann]

5. When your pt show up to their contact lens check appointment...WITHOUT YOUR CONTACTS...



Amazingly it's supremely difficult to assess your lenses when they're in a case, miles away from our office, and not resting comfortably on your corneas. You remember right? Where they were designed to go in the first place? Genius.

[Hayde]

LOL it's funny how I have to have conversations with CL customers that you would never have with Spec customers (and vice versa.) They're truly different breeds.

[Prentice Pro 9000]

I wish people knew that Luxottica is decent quality, but for the price they charge, it's not worth it.

[Hayde]

(...but you really are being rude when you ask us for your PD measurement.)

Yes, we know why you're asking. There's only one possible reason for you to ask for it. You're going to use our services for free so you can then buy glasses online!

So when you do this, you're kind of announcing that you think our services are, quite literally, worthless.

Some of us are even nice enough to oblige anyway. Some may charge you, others will just hold out hope you'll return when you discover that some things are too good to be true.

Still, some of us won't take your PD even if you offered to pay us, and here's why:

When it turns out you don't like your mail-order glasses using a measurement we did for you, you can't be sure what's at fault. Whatever fee you're offering us for your measurement, it's not worth being suspected as the scapegoat for a product we're not endorsing--nor even making for you.

The one selling and "fitting" (cough cough) your eyewear should be the one taking responsibility for your accurate measurements. When you buy your glasses from us, then that's us! If your online vendor can't do the same, maybe that should tell you something?

We get wanting to save money. Competition is a good thing for any industry. Even if you don't trust us to tell you ordering your glasses online has consequences for the quality of product, service, and your vision, maybe you'll even be one of the lucky ones for whom it works out for a while. ...Just remember, it's a little unseemly to expect us to turn around and use our expertise to help you facilitate a sale for a competitor. (Like...who raised you?)

[drstewart74]

I could read this all day...

[Uilleann]

6. STOP overwearing your lenses. Period. Just DON'T. The medical bills, and pain/discomfort/risk of permanent vision loss just ain't worth the hassle of cleaning them properly every night, and throwing them out when you're told. Trust us - you honestly NEVER want to be told by your doc that your corneas "literally look just like hamburger". It has a way of taking the gas right out of your day.

In addition, "cleaning" your CLs in your mouth is NOT SANITARY or in any way OK. EVER. So for the love of Judas STOP IT ALREADY. It's amazing that your first four visits for recurrent infections, K ulcers, and perpetual discomfort weren't enough to wake you up. But hey - your doc only went through 8 years of school to sell you that line of garbage about the health of your eyes - what would they possibly know anyway right? They're YOUR eyes after all. And you've "never had a problem before"...so why would you ever have a problem now? And really, cadaver corneas stitched onto your eyes are all the rage with the kids these days anyway. Sure, you know better than your doctor. Go nuts!