PS
How does Steve make the stars change colors under his name like that. Pretty cool!
PS
How does Steve make the stars change colors under his name like that. Pretty cool!
It's a Webmaster secret! :DOriginally posted by Alan W:
PS
How does Steve make the stars change colors under his name like that. Pretty cool!
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OptiBoard Administrator
Hello Homer,
I think you misinterpreted what a "Benchman" is or was (since there aren't too many left anymore. The term came from the work area that an Optician worked at which was usually a modified jewelers table. In a small confined area the "Benchman" could do ANYTHING to a pair of glasses that needed doing (and knew how to do it all) from simple screw replacements, to soldering, to adjusting (also drilling glass, faceting, and other custom work as needed. Even some jewelry repair) They also made some of their own lenses.
A Benchman knows all the nuts and bolts of eyewear, and can accomplish any task given to them, not just peening over the ends of screws ;-) The bottom line "If at first you don't succeed, let the Benchman do it." :-)
Take care,
Darris C.
PS. I've got a little time today so I'm going to expound on why I think the way I do as to the future of Opticianry. Stay tuned.
Darris, I have the same understanding as you and Alan, I just didn't state as eloquently as ya'll. With one small exception; there used to be a great difference between the surfaceroom and the benchroom - I was thinking of the latter.
My original point was to agree with you that that all opticians should be trained in benchwork (if not surfacing first) before becoming the "optician" who was able to do the fitting and measuring "out front". The "optician" out front paid his/her dues at the bench and that is one important facet of what makes him / her good out front - selling/informing, designing/measuring and dispensing/fitting.
Hello Homer,
No problem here, I wasn't sure what era you were from in your definition of "Benchman." Many that hear the term think it's someone that just sits in the back and does whatever they're told to do when handed the frame. Or the "Repair Guy" that never really has any contact with the outside world :-)
Thanks for responding and take care.
Darris C.
OK
The real definition of benchman is . . .
The Dodgers on the first base line,
The Yankees on the third base line,
and the guy who keeps the long table-looking-things that they sit on nice and clean . . .
is a benchman!
Sabe Usted?
Ya know, he's right too!
Hola Alan,
Yo sabe.
Dario Chavez
Darris
Haw'r ya doin, mah friend?
(Texan talk, folks!)
Finished killin rats?
(More Texan talk, folks)
Some good reading, and did times change ?????????????????????
I've my AS degree from FL where they actually value the education. I was in MI for a while and worked in a place where they just hire just anyone of the street (ex: one of my co-worker was a waitress) who could sell glasses. My degree / certifications had no value. Now, i'm in tx.. since i work in a hospital setting, it's little more valued. Still there are some Opticians (obviously they're called 'optician' even if they dont have the certifications). There are some that are hired who were doing other jobs..b4. I think there should me more stricter standards in OPTICIANRY profession as a whole.
It's sad that u spend 2 yrs of school and spend alot of money and got your certifications, but still not valued enough !!
You're not kidding. A walk down memory lane, and a reminder of how seemingly huge issues are nothing compared to what's on the horizon! (It still doesn't help to worry about any of it)Originally Posted by Chris Ryser
Ophthalmic Optician, Society to Advance Opticianry
Anybody see the Bears game?
Just a note: If there are any independent opticians that have been negatively affected by being excluded from 3rd party plans, I'd like to invite you to join me and others to address the problem,and work towards correcting the problem.
If you plan on being in Vegas for VEW, and would like to join us, drop me a PM, and I'll fill you in on the details. Yes, we will have a short "BS" session, but we are looking for people that REALLY want to get involved, and instead of talking - doing.
I can 't think of too many issues that have affected opticianry more than 3rd party plans, and our exclusion from them. Drop me a PM, and let's make something happen!
Ophthalmic Optician, Society to Advance Opticianry
That is so true it seems that the only people who get glasses on a regular basis ( every 1 to 2 years) are those with 3rd party plans...otherwise you wait 3 to 6 years to see clients again. At that rate you have to net $400 a pair in order to stay afloat or have volume coming out the whazoo! Just curious what are the reasons that they won't let independants on 3rd party? Would it really produce too much competition for the ODs on the panel?
Did they win a gold medal?
Hi all,
I just started in this industry a little over a year ago, brought in to manage the practice. I started my optician apprenticeship through our state and plan to get my license at the end of this 3 year program. We have an Optical Technician who has worked here for 10 years with the same job duties as the LDO we have on staff, but she doesn't feel getting a license is relevant to her job. She's not involved in contact lenses at all and we don't have any lab equipment except an edger which doesn't get used very often. She thinks the topics, techniques and materials for the optician apprenticeship and on the test are outdated and will not help her better perform her job.
Any thoughts on how to respond? I'm not sure if she has a point or not, so it's hard to know how to respond!
Thanks,
Caitlin
I can't tell you how to respond, but I think your staff member has made it clear how she feels about education and furthering her own skills. If that's what you want on your team, great. If it's not...
Wow, even the poster claimed to not know if the staff member was right or not about the validity of the content. The question was about apprenticeship not education.
Caitlin,
Maybe the staff member is right, just the statement above gives me an idea of what she expects from any experience in this feild and apparently jumping through hoops for a piece of paper is not valuable to her. Your staff members end goal is an honarable one, if it doesn't help her perform her job better than she is correct why waste her time and effort on it.
I have recently free'd myself of the ABO and NCLE shackles, I just stopped paying for recertification and stopped paying for CEC's. To my knowledge none of the knowledge has leaked out of my head yet, but I am diligently watching and will let you know if that happens.
Hi PhiTrace! I'm curious have you taken down your expired ABO and NCLE certificates?
I never put them up. And it was the more advanced versions of those simple tests for what it's worth. I also don't put up my school diplomas, high school or college. No point, if there was an organization that recognized quality I may consider putting up something but none of my clients so far have recognized any of the certifications.
I might be crazy here, but I don't think the organizations that put on the tests advertise them as worth anything, well that's not entirely true I see ads in trade magazines telling me how important and valuable they are to have and to keep.
tx11,
Just a question not pointed directly at you just using "you" in the loose sense as an example. "If I was a better optician that you and then let my ABO and NCLE expire and yours was current, would you now be a better optician than me?" A second question which stems directly from your respose to my post, had I have had the certifications on the wall and not taken them down, would I be wrong when the expiration date is on the certification. I can still say I was ABO and NCLE certified at one point. Then the third but last question, do they dispatch the ABO police to come make sure I take down the certifications?
The ABO is hot air, they are just now looking into computerizing the test after how many years of suggestions and frustrations, your welcome. Yes, it's people that look beyond the face value of it that can hold them accountable. Maybe not me personally but if more people decided untill they listen to my suggestions and make this test representative of the things I want from this industry they'll just keep chuggin along. This post is going to illicite a response so let me say I don't really care about the ABO positively or negatively and when the time comes the thing has more value I'll take the test again and still be up a few dollars for saving on the re-certification money over the years.
Now for the age old question. Should one be compensated for the time one spends getting and education or for one produces on the job?
Chip
"Sweep the floor in the back room."
But I'm a college graduate!
"O.K. I'll show you how."
Produces on the job, the education will more than likely get a higher wage initially since the employer will make a higher bid to secure the opportunity to see you in action but ultimately it's the action the employer is interested in. Sometimes it's in the marketing as well, there are many practices that will gloat about having the most educated and experienced staff in the industry. So sometimes the paper is worth more than the knuckle head it's attached to.
I have a college education...and it had NOTHING to do with optics......a college education is a fine thing, but at some point you have to be able to prove you can do the job to earn the money!!!!!!
"Coimhéad fearg fhear na foighde"
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