Oh what to do?

**C-10** · 02-10-2007, 11:00 AM

What to do? Had a lady call me she wants to know if I can make her a new pair of lenses. She wants the lenses put into her frame. Here the catch she is wearing a Ten year old frames that needs to have oversize lenses she has a gradient tint in them that has too duplicated exactly. She will supply colour a sample. According to her she went some place else and they couldn’t get the colour right. She does not want a new frame because her present frame is like a piece of jewelry. She is looking for something new but cannot find anything as nice as she is wearing. I told her that I would have to see the eyewear first before I would know if I can help her. So what should I do get rid of her or go out of my way to see if I can produce her lenses

**Framebender** · 02-10-2007, 11:12 AM

for turning business away. I would first see if I can help her. I try to listen not only to what they want, but also what their expectations are. I am careful to state exactly what it is I can do for them.

9 times out of 10 if you can make a connection with them on some level you're usually alright. The other ones I siomply tell that I'm afraid I won't be able to meet their expectations and don't want to get into a frustrating situation that's going to leave them with bad feelings.

Good luck to you!!

:cheers:

**HarryChiling** · 02-10-2007, 11:16 AM

Originally Posted by Framebender

The other ones I siomply tell that I'm afraid I won't be able to meet their expectations and don't want to get into a frustrating situation that's going to leave them with bad feelings.

Ditto, sometimes you will actually do yourself harm by trying. She could go to her friends and family and tell them what a horrible experience she had at your shop even though you bent over backwards to please her. If your lucky, her friends and family already know that she is picky and won't pay her any mind, but I can promise you this it sounds like any money made will be spent in labor.

**Matthew** · 02-10-2007, 11:21 AM

Just make sure you charge her double. Do you honestly have time to piddle around with that? She is probably wearing some old faded out brown or gray tint that is nearly impossible to duplicate anyways. So make it worth your time and then work really hard to it if she is willing to pay for it.

**gemstone** · 02-10-2007, 11:37 AM

Old frames can break too.

**HarryChiling** · 02-10-2007, 12:11 PM

Originally Posted by Matthew

She is probably wearing some old faded out brown or gray tint that is nearly impossible to duplicate anyways.

If she wants a faded tint matched, place it on a window sill and tell her it will take 1-2 business years. :bbg:

**Alan W** · 02-10-2007, 12:13 PM

If there's something that can go wrong . . .it will!
Old frame is an old frame is an old frame!
Who's light bulb is burning when you try to match tint?
Not knowing if you're matching a box of RIT or real stuff and different lights make the comparison very subjective. Not to mention the fade factor.
If your hair is now gray, you have nothing to worry about. If it isn't...your customer will be sure to turn it for you!
One man's opinion!

**icare** · 02-10-2007, 12:26 PM

I guess I still like a challenge - I'd go for it - for better or worse. I'd charge dearly for the job and have all of the usual warnings/disclaimers in writing.

If she goes and tells all her friends what a rat's end she got from you, she probably will get the same response from all of her friends, which is "Oh, Marybeth had that poor eye place running in circles like all the other people she pushes around."

If you disappoint her, you won't miss seeing her again. Just remember to put NO REFUNDS in writing.

**Cindy K** · 02-10-2007, 12:51 PM

Ah man, matching tints. Rather like matching dye lots for fabric, or wallpaper. If your potential client cannot accept that there may be a slight variation in color between old and new, there is no justifiable reason to take on this job. And besides that, a ten year old frame, eeek! A metal frame wouldn't be a scary as a plastic, but the fact remains that if there's enamel on it, that can easily chip off from the metal being manipulated for removal and insertion. Besides other things that can happen.

In short, if you can't get her to accept the color difference, you'll only succeed in making her as happy as the place she's already been to who weren't successful. And if she can't accept the risk involved with her old frame, imagine how things will slide sideways if it doesn't withstand the rigors of the lab.

**C-10** · 02-10-2007, 01:46 PM

I agree with you all I will have to see when she comes in but I am a bit hesitate to try. I have been burned before when a client refused to change and it is always your fault. I will keep you in touch how I maded out.

**cocoisland58** · 02-10-2007, 02:24 PM

When a customer wants to use a frame that old I have them sign a waiver. Sometimes I won't even touch it at all. But, when a customer wants to match an old faded but somehow beloved tint I charge custom (double the tint charge). Then I set a day to have them come in, have the dye pot heated up and tint while this person is in the office. When they are happy with the tint (this could take a few trys) the lenses are inserted into the frame and the patient is sent away happy with the understanding that it cannot be further altered. It doesn't happen enough to be a problem. If I had to send out for tinting I would not even attempt to please these people.

**gemstone** · 02-10-2007, 03:06 PM

I have been guilty of dying old lenses to match the new ones. (An old, last resort trick).

**gemstone** · 02-10-2007, 03:06 PM

Originally Posted by HarryChiling

If she wants a faded tint matched, place it on a window sill and tell her it will take 1-2 business years. :bbg:

That's too funny Harry!:D :D

**Johns** · 02-11-2007, 01:19 PM

Originally Posted by C-10

So what should I do get rid of her or go out of my way to see if I can produce her lenses

If you're not comfortable with it...

Refer her to an optician that can handle the job.

**Chris Ryser** · 02-11-2007, 03:05 PM

Originally Posted by Johns

If you're not comfortable with it...
Refer her to an optician that can handle the job.

Johns.......................I just love that one.

C10..............................Start practising............there will e many more similar cases very soon.

**EyeFitWell** · 02-11-2007, 03:17 PM

Originally Posted by gemstone

I have been guilty of dying old lenses to match the new ones. (An old, last resort trick).

LOL, I've done that too!
Frankly, it sounds to me that this woman is one of those unreasonable people who will be impossible to please. You said she already went somewhere else and they "couldn't" do it to her expectations...

**nsg** · 02-12-2007, 03:25 PM

no good deed goes unpunished

**Robert Wagner** · 02-12-2007, 07:12 PM

It has taken me over 30 years to learn this simple word.

Just say NO!

Just try it that little tiny word works very well when needed.

Robert
:p

**Barry Santini** · 02-22-2007, 01:52 PM

Originally Posted by C-10

What to do? Had a lady call me she wants to know if I can make her a new pair of lenses. She wants the lenses put into her frame. Here the catch she is wearing a Ten year old frames that needs to have oversize lenses she has a gradient tint in them that has too duplicated exactly. She will supply colour a sample. ...

Send her to WALMART...soon to be the world's largest Optical retailer (why wait?)

Barry

**just eyes** · 02-22-2007, 03:09 PM

Put the PD stick down and walk away, walk away slowly and refer her to the local one hour place or the big discounter down the street.

I bet there is a 10 year old rx in that 10 year old frame with the 10 year old tint that she has never had updated.

**The Mighty Mutt** · 02-26-2007, 12:18 AM

that the other lab couldn't meet her expectaitions. I had two customers, sisters, from a neighboring town. They first asked for a medium rose tint (in CR-39), came back the next day and said they wanted it a little darker. I'd add just enough tint that you could barely notice a change. Then it was too dark. This went on for about a week. Each time I finished adjusting the tints, they said it was "just perfect." I'm sure most of you know how hard it is to take the color out of CR-39. By the time the GM put an end to it, the lenses resembled a nasty dark orange. Boss lady told them that we obviously couldn't meet their expectations and would no longer adjust their tints free of charge.

Anyway, what I'm getting at is that I spent about 2 hours everyday for a week trying my best to make the ladies happy with their glasses. They would be thrilled with their tint and the next day it was bad enough to warrant a 1 hour trip into town. The other thing I would worry about is the frame breaking. You should make sure the customer is aware that, even though the utmost care will be taken, there is a risk or the frames being damaged. If you have them, have them sign a waiver so they can't claim later that they were told nothing about it. And of course there is the cost of materials if she doesn't like them and wants a refund. I'm not saying that I wouldn't do it, but that I personally would put forth every reasonable effort, keeping in mind that she is obviously a very picky customer.

I think I've rambled on enough. Time for bed. Good luck!

~The Mighty Mutt