What is your typical working day like?

[sam hamadani]

When I originally started this thread as “what is your typical working day like?” I thought it will get very little attention and only a few people will respond to it. But, see how many people responded with open hearts and not to mention private messages from some folks who don’t want to post or mention their names. I call it "the friendship thread" because I made many friends through this thread. So please feel free to post your autographs on this thread, especially who haven’t. I believe this thread is the most precious treasure of this board because it touches our lives.

What is your typical working day like?
I have been away from the OptiBoard for such a long time that I can no longer recall who is who. So please introduce yourself by your name, city, state or country you live or work and what do you do?(all of these questions are not mandatory)

What is your typical working day like is the main question.
Please be generous in explaining how you spend your day? You might say:
All day in the lab
Customer Service
Planning
Fit contact Lenses
Examine eyes
Wear all hats everyday, etc.
Sam Hamadani
[B]What is your typical working day like?

[sam hamadani]

Please introduce yourself by your name, city, state or country you live or work out of and what do you do for living? (All of these questions are not mandatory, however it 'll. be highly appreciated)

[Pete Hanlin]

Welcome back, Sam! :bbg:

Pete Hanlin
Tallahassee, FL USA

Practice Director for 3 Optometrists

I spend the day visiting reps :( , handling staffing matters , filling in where needed :hammer: , and creating memos and other paperwork :finger: ! Oh, I also get to occasionally see patients and work in the lab !

So, what have you been up to Sam?!?

Pete

[Texas Ranger]

[COLOR=firebrick]Sam, Al in the Republic of Texas, have an independent shop, in business for 25 years, my two sons work with me, really great! do finish lab work only since most rx orders are for crizal ar lenses. Do you knows old friends Norm Marquis and Pat Langone there in Mass.? Again, good to see you back.

[Vicki]

:) My name is Vicki...myself and my husband have an independent optical boutique in Myrtle Beach, SC. Right now we are the only people in the shop so we wear many hats on a daily basis. We do finishing work only here too, most folks don't mind a 2-3 turn around time. We do stock SV lenses and luckily the wholesale lab we use is here locally so when we do need quicker than 2-3 days they will do rush jobs. Scott does most of the finishing work while I do most of the dispensing and contact lenses. We have a large inventory of plano sunglasses and we both work with those. It is great being able to work together and complimenting each other with our own strengths and weaknesses.

[mikev]

Hi Sam-My name is Mike. I run optical operations for an Optometric
group in Hattiesburg, MS. My day consists of anything and everything that needs to be done. We have a finishing lab only.

[harry a saake]

:cheers: SAM, Where have you been old buddy, great to see you back. I am still in N. C. in the same old shop doing the same old thing, mostly selling and dispensing. Harry A. Saake L.D.O.

[Vicki]

Harry, do you know anyone in the Charlotte area? My husband and I both worked for some offices there in Charlotte. The Eye Care Clinic and SouthPark Optical.

Vicki

[Jackie L]

Hi Sam, Jackie Lincoln here.

I was Jackie O'Keefe until I married on April 21 of this year.
I was living in Maine until I married on April 21 of this year.
I had been working for over 20 years in an indpendent optical store until I married on April 21 of this year.
I now am living in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Soon I will step out of our new love nest and search for a job.
Did I mention that I married on April 21 of this year?

Jackie L

[Texas Ranger]

Well, Jackie, It's nice to see that the honeymoon iz over! I'm sure you're enjoyin the Va. weather. We're all really happy for your marriage! Take as much time as you can to get back to work. You'll be a great asset to some shop. Al.

[Steve Machol]

Hi, my name is Steve and I'm an OptiBoardaholic. I wake up in the morning and immediately go to my computer to check email and look at the latest postings on the Board. I then take a quick break to make myself a mocha, then jump back on the computer to find out the latest happenings with the bulletin board software that runs OptiBoard. By the time I'm done with this there's more email and postings to check.

When I get caught up with these I then put a little work into the design of the board and other behind the scences maintenance. I also post job ads and resumes for people on the Optical Help Wanted Page. I then........

Geez, I need to get a life!!!

[stephanie]

Hi Sam!! My name is Stephanie. I work in MD office now that I am out of "that chain". My day consists of taking pts histories, VA's, ocular pressures, refraction(haven't quite mastered that one yet) assisting the doctors in the exam room, using slit lamp to eval pt's angles, sometimes help in the dispensary, teaching pt's to use and care for cls. And all day listening to the same elderly people say "is it N??" ME: no Mrs. Jones it is a number..."is it R???" ME: No Mrs. Jones it is a number...ahhhhh!!!! Most of my poor people are so sick though you just can't get aggravated at them. Mostly I just feel very sorry for them. Of course sometimes you really feel like you could use a very strong narcotic when you are done!! LOL!! I have a very good job and I really enjoy what I do for a living.

Have a great day!
Steph

[Suzy W]

Hi Sam. I'm Suzy and work for an independent OD. Our office is in a fairly small farming community, so everyone gets to wear lots of hats in the office. During a normal day I dispense, adjust, repair, frame style, order (cl's and spec's) , verify, etc, etc. LOL
It's a small, busy office where I first came into the optical world.
I like being in a small office and town. I am really getting a chance to know my patients. And they are kind enough to come back and tell me where I have gone wrong with their glasses.

Suzy..... from somewhere on the oregon/idaho border

[Joann Raytar]

Hi Sam:

I'm Joann from Bridgeport, CT and I have been working for an independent OD for the last three months. Before that I had worked for a large chain and an independent optician for awhile.

I guess I am currently wearing many hats. I do almost all of the finish lab work in our small lab. I also sell, fit and dispense. Although we have folks whose main jobs are to place frame/lens orders and handle insurance issues, sometimes when its busy or they aren't in for the day I get my hands into that. Customer service kind of goes hand in hand with all of the above.

[chip anderson]

Make Artificial Eyes, Fit Contact Lenses, Dispense Glasses and put up with whatever the patients/customers dish out.

Chip Anderson
Jackson, Ms.

And Sam while we are at it, where are you from? We notice that your optiboard signature doesn't say.:bbg:

[Specs]

I have my own independant optical on SW Florida gulf coast. I have the services of an O.D. that comes in from an Ophthalmology group a few days a week. I have a pretty complete finishing lab. I too where many hats during the course of a day. I opened the practice from scratch in 1984. I love to fish and I live in the right place to be doing it.

[sam hamadani]

Yes Al: I know them Norm Marquis and Pat Langone there in Mass and I know you too. While I was in your domain I mean in the Republic of Texas I could have visited you but my son kept on saying we don’t want to interrupt or bother some one at his business. In fact I really wanted him (my son Peter) to meet with Darris and Chad in Saint Antonio to learn some body building skills from them.
Anyway please tell me more your business and the street address of your business as well.
See ya on line sometime
Sam Hamadani

[sam hamadani]

Pete:
You are a very busy man. Please keep up the good work.
Oh I felt tired so I took my son Peter with me we drove throughout the country. It was fun. America is very beautiful country.
God Bless
Sam

[sam hamadani]

Vicki:
You both are very determined people God bless you both and the business. What is your business name by the way
Sam Hamadani

[ashish]

Hi .
I am Ashish. i have my own practice in New Delhi. I do dispensing myself along with 2 salesmen. refraction and contact lenses is my own job, while for lab work I have two workmen. We have a shall in house lab for finishing Rx lenses in glass. As for plactic we source it from outside labs which give as same day service

[Corey Nicholls]

Sam,

My name is Corey Nicholls.

I am from Canberra, Australia (Canberra is the capital city of Australia). That is a little fib, I actually live in a little town next door to Canberra by the name of Queanbeyan.

I am a qualified Optical Mechanic, and Optical Dispenser. I have been in the industry for 14 years working in both lens surfacing and retail.

At the moment I work as an Optical Dispenser for three optometrists in Canberra. I dispense, edge and fit spectacles in two practices (not both at once).

Good to have you back on board sam!

Corey.:bbg:

[PAkev]

Hi Sam,

My name is Kevin and I am from Northeastern Pennsylvania. I wear two hats on a daily basis. I have been operating a mobile optical service for the past 7 years and currently am contracted to service 24 nursing facilities with comprehensive vision programs. I am also managing owner of an optical shop in an opthalmology practice which I opened almost a year ago. We are a very busy and small family oriented practice who know our clients by name. I am assisted by my wife who does a lot of our paperwork and my father who does a lot of our lab work. I've been in the industry since graduating college in 1986 and have put my time in with a national chain and local ophthalmology group before going solo in 1994.

Kevin

[sam hamadani]

Originally posted by mikev
Hi Sam-My name is Mike. I run optical operations for an Optometric
group in Hattiesburg, MS. My day consists of anything and everything that needs to be done. We have a finishing lab only.

Nice to meet you Mike
Mikev is this a Ukrainian name?
I have lots of Ukrainian friends
Thanks
Sam

[Joann Raytar]

Hi Sam:

It has been so long since you have visited OptiBoard, you have to fill all of us in too. I see you took some time to do some traveling. What have you been up to as far as work?

[sam hamadani]

Originally posted by Pete Hanlin
Welcome back, Sam! :bbg:

Pete Hanlin
Tallahassee, FL USA

Practice Director for 3 Optometrists

I spend the day visiting reps :( , handling staffing matters , filling in where needed :hammer: , and creating memos and other paperwork :finger: ! Oh, I also get to occasionally see patients and work in the lab !

So, what have you been up to Sam?!?

Pete

Pete:
Until Yesterday I didn’t know how to reply to a post so I was replying as a new post. If you scroll this page a little bit down you may find my reply to this post.
Sam