Throwing Fellow Opticians Under the Bus

[DestinieNicole]

:angry::angry::angry::angry::angry::angry:
YES that many angry faces are necessary! Let me preface this by first saying this is not the first time this has happened, but just thought I would share. I had patient come in today to get her glasses adjusted and she was furious! She was so upset because she went to another optical by her house to get a quick adjustment and the "optician" told her "Wherever you got your glasses from, they should not have sold you these frames they don't fit and they are unable to be adjusted and how much did you pay for them, You shouldn't have paid that much. blah blah blah. I had to diffuse this bomb first of all I was able to easily adjust the frame, because any optician or someone that calls themselves and optician should be able to heat a zyl frame and adjust it. She was happy with that, then to go back and pull her order to see how much she paid to let her know I'm not in the business of ripping people off. Turns out she has Davis vision and paid their prices anyway! ARGGGGGGGGG This isn't the first time in my career that someone has come back and said that somewhere else said they shouldn't have bought that. Does any one else get this. And please if you do this STOP!!!!!!!!

[Jana Lewis]

:angry::angry::angry::angry::angry::angry:
YES that many angry faces are necessary! Let me preface this by first saying this is not the first time this has happened, but just thought I would share. I had patient come in today to get her glasses adjusted and she was furious! She was so upset because she went to another optical by her house to get a quick adjustment and the "optician" told her "Wherever you got your glasses from, they should not have sold you these frames they don't fit and they are unable to be adjusted and how much did you pay for them, You shouldn't have paid that much. blah blah blah. I had to diffuse this bomb first of all I was able to easily adjust the frame, because any optician or someone that calls themselves and optician should be able to heat a zyl frame and adjust it. She was happy with that, then to go back and pull her order to see how much she paid to let her know I'm not in the business of ripping people off. Turns out she has Davis vision and paid their prices anyway! ARGGGGGGGGG This isn't the first time in my career that someone has come back and said that somewhere else said they shouldn't have bought that. Does any one else get this. And please if you do this STOP!!!!!!!!

Unfortunatly there is always gonna a jerk somewhere out there that does that kinda thing.

it's stinks, but that's life. :cheers:

[scriptfiller]

I will not hesitate to point-out technical errors when pat's come in presenting problems with their specs. Being a lab-rat I typically cite production flaws and inform the pat. that it just shouldn't be that way. I had one pat come in on a monthly basis to have her Silhouette TMA's re-adjusted and re-compressed (the bushings) due to the fact the holes were drilled too large. So some "self policing" within our industry is not always a bad thing. Just make sure you have your facts straight when faulting other establishments' work.

[AdmiralKnight]

I'm going to flip-flop a bit on this subject. If, infact, there was absolutely nothing wrong with the glasses, then I agree, the guy's a jerk. However, if someone comes back to me repeatidly to get adjustments, or has complaints, I have no issue with explaining WHY there is a problem.

I'm not going to badmouth anyone, but I had a woman once who brought her daughter in to get me to adjust her frames (mom bought glasses from me, after the daughter got her's). They were zyl frames, and without exadurating, they were gigantic on her. There was literally no way for me to adjust them well enough to make them comfortable. Eventually, it got to the point where I just had to tell her that the frames fit her horribly. I didn't get into who sold them to her, or anything like that. But one of two things happened in this situation. Either the person fitting her had no idea what they were doing, or more likely, the girl picked them out, and the fitter didn't try hard enough to discourage her from getting them, even if they knew they fit bad.

Throwing others "under the bus" is always bad, but having customers think YOU don't know what you're doing because you can't fix someone else's mistake is even worse.

[Uncle Fester]

I call them up and politely ask them if they see how these types of comments hurt the profession.

It gets the point across.

[cocoisland58]

I have patients come to me because they have not been able to get a good adjustment where they purchased the frames and were told by a friend that I was good at fixing things. Most of the time it is sucessful but sometimes it cannot be done because the frame does not fit and never will fit. I have to tell them this. I don't bash the other guys but the patient has a right to know why after going back there umpteen times and getting no where just why that is.

I don't believe in bashing your competition, it's not good business. We used to be part of a local chain. There was another store close by that was losing buiness to us due to the fact that, number one we were closer and number two many patients find that doctor very brusque. The staff was always bashing us and for some reason still does. Our patients tell us they say our prices are high (not true), our staff is untrained (very untrue) and we can't get the same product they do. Truth is they are still a chain store and are limited in what they can offer. When I hear this I wonder what purpose does this serve? Chaps my butt I tell ya.

[HarryChiling]

I'm not gonna throw someone under the bus, but if you sell a 50/20 frame to a child with a pd of 48 and a Rx of +8.00, don't think I threw you under the bus you just happen to be standing in the street when it came cruising by.

Put out good quality work and you'll never run into that problem.

[rbaker]

This behavior is the natural result of the craft being reduced to its lowest common denominator, corporate retail sales and unskilled/untrained employees.

Get used to it.

[jediron1]

This behavior is the natural result of the craft being reduced to its lowest common denominator, corporate retail sales and unskilled/untrained employees.

Get used to it.

I could not have said it any better. UNSKILLED/UNTRAINED employees!

[Judy Canty]

So now that we've identified the problem, what's the solution?

--Persuade all three O's to require minimum competencies before hiring?
--Stop advertising "no experience necessary. Will train."?
--Place a higher compensation value on educated, properly trained ECP's?

All three O's are guilty of hiring the best they can get for the least amount of money. I see it every day. While it may sound like a good business decision, it's not in the long run.

Given the gathering storm of internet eyewear sales, I believe that it's time for the O's to stop fighting each other and begin fighting together to ensure that the face-to-face encounter with patients is the universally preferred venue.

[chip anderson]

Might not be good form but when I see a 90 lb. woman in a 56 eye with +4.00's, I feel obligated to tell her that next time, get your optician to sell you some thing a lot smaller.

Chip

[BMH]

I gotta agree if they are basing your pricing or business style then it's rude and unprofessional on their part.

However, I have been in the position of having a pt with poor quality workmanship from another store wanting me to fix it. If I can make it better I do but if its a lost cause I let them know. I have even gone as far as writing what I feel would fix the issue on a note with my name and phone number. I offer to fix the issue myself (of course they'd have to pay me for new materials if needed) or they can take the information I've written to the store they purchased from. I realize that might make me a bit of a jerk but I feel people should stand behind the job they do and make things right, preferably the first time.

Now to the original poster. Sounds like you were able to take care of the situation and reassure YOUR patient. Hopefully you took the opportunity to point out that perhaps the other store was lacking the skills need to fix what for you was a minor issue. I would have then asked that patient to please allow me the opportunity to service their eyewear next time, instead of them taking chances with the schmoes down the street.

:cheers::cheers::cheers:

[Leo Hadley Jr]

So now that we've identified the problem, what's the solution?

--Persuade all three O's to require minimum competencies before hiring?
--Stop advertising "no experience necessary. Will train."?
--Place a higher compensation value on educated, properly trained ECP's?

All three O's are guilty of hiring the best they can get for the least amount of money. I see it every day. While it may sound like a good business decision, it's not in the long run.

Given the gathering storm of internet eyewear sales, I believe that it's time for the O's to stop fighting each other and begin fighting together to ensure that the face-to-face encounter with patients is the universally preferred venue.

So very true!!!

[chip anderson]

Ain't gonna happen when each thinks the other is feeding from thier ricebowl.

Chip

[eyemanflying]

Unfortunately, welcome to the real world!

[Fezz]

Talking about being thrown under the bus............................!

I fear that myself, and more than a few of my most respected fellow Optiboard Brothers and Sisters, were not only thrown under, but ran over...several times in a recent thread over in the Pro's Forum!!!!!!!

Ahhhhhhhh........the Pro's Forum, you gotta love it!!!


;):cheers::cheers::shiner::cheers::cheers::cheers::D

[DestinieNicole]

I'm not saying that you should'nt be honest. My issue is with those "opticians" that tell people who have glasses that are indeed a good fit as well as crafted correctly that where they got their glasses from screwed up when they didn't. I'm just sayin, if you want to sell glasses and thats all you are concerned with then jeez get a new job selling cars. I actually care how people see, but falsely bad mouthing competition is just plain bad business! I also find that some people are just too lazy to adjust a frame for a person that didn't buy their glasses there. I adjust glasses all the time for people who didn't buy from me, and sometimes they don't end up coming back to me for glasses, but sometimes they do, you just never know.

[DestinieNicole]

I'm not gonna throw someone under the bus, but if you sell a 50/20 frame to a child with a pd of 48 and a Rx of +8.00, don't think I threw you under the bus you just happen to be standing in the street when it came cruising by.

Put out good quality work and you'll never run into that problem.

You are on a completely different page then I am. I absolutely put out good quality work, and yet I run into this problem, because of lazy unskilled jerks that call themselves professionals and are so worried about their commission checks that they have to stoop to making people believe that they were "cheated" and can't possible get a decent pair glasses anywhere else in the entire world.

[fjpod]

So now that we've identified the problem, what's the solution?

--Persuade all three O's to require minimum competencies before hiring?
--Stop advertising "no experience necessary. Will train."?
--Place a higher compensation value on educated, properly trained ECP's?

All three O's are guilty of hiring the best they can get for the least amount of money. I see it every day. While it may sound like a good business decision, it's not in the long run.

Given the gathering storm of internet eyewear sales, I believe that it's time for the O's to stop fighting each other and begin fighting together to ensure that the face-to-face encounter with patients is the universally preferred venue.

I'm all for cooperation amongst the three Os...but I don[t see how this is a "three Os" issue. This problem would exist even if there were only one O.
In another thread long ago, I brought up a similar issue. It just seems like those in the optical industry are much quicker to undercut and back-stab to gain a competitive advantage than in some other fields,

[eyemanflying]

For bad mouthing and sabotaging fellow colleagues, auto mechanics take first prize. We've all been there...you get some work done on your car and are happy but you think it was a bit expensive...

Then one day you try somewhere else just for the hell of it. That mechanic will completely bad mouth the work that was done already, ask you what you paid and then tell you how you got hosed in the hopes you will say ya, geez it did seem expensive, what would you have charged?

It's simply a ploy to win your business over. Professional it is not, but it does put food on the table.

Who's right, who's wrong? It's all about survival people, and our industry is no different. Some professionals are just more desparate and determined than others and will stop at nothing to win a new customer and grow their local market share. So just ignore it and let it just roll right off your back.

[loratz]

One thing is missing in this thread is that absolutely no fault is put on the pt.They can play headgames with you very easily so dont believe everything you hear considering they were davis glasses from the get go, she knew how she paid for them.I have had a very odd thing happen when I had a friend of mine(lic.optician) in my office that worked down the street from me and a customer came in this fluke time frame and proceeded to tell me about him and what he supposably said about me and my glasses.Well he was in the back using my edger and overheard the entire conversation and came out and confronted her about what she said(awkward moment).Bottom line, she was trying to play me like a fiddle on a deep discount or free on another pair,buyers remorse or what have you so never the less she was "debunked" on her con.

[DestinieNicole]

One thing is missing in this thread is that absolutely no fault is put on the pt.They can play headgames with you very easily so dont believe everything you hear considering they were davis glasses from the get go, she knew how she paid for them.I have had a very odd thing happen when I had a friend of mine(lic.optician) in my office that worked down the street from me and a customer came in this fluke time frame and proceeded to tell me about him and what he supposably said about me and my glasses.Well he was in the back using my edger and overheard the entire conversation and came out and confronted her about what she said(awkward moment).Bottom line, she was trying to play me like a fiddle on a deep discount or free on another pair,buyers remorse or what have you so never the less she was "debunked" on her con.

LOL!!! How beautifully that worked out!! Not to mention comical!

[Refractingoptician.com]

For bad mouthing and sabotaging fellow colleagues, auto mechanics take first prize. We've all been there...you get some work done on your car and are happy but you think it was a bit expensive...

Then one day you try somewhere else just for the hell of it. That mechanic will completely bad mouth the work that was done already, ask you what you paid and then tell you how you got hosed in the hopes you will say ya, geez it did seem expensive, what would you have charged?

It's simply a ploy to win your business over. Professional it is not, but it does put food on the table.

Who's right, who's wrong? It's all about survival people, and our industry is no different. Some professionals are just more desparate and determined than others and will stop at nothing to win a new customer and grow their local market share. So just ignore it and let it just roll right off your back.

That's why you should buy a Toyota, so you won't have to see those mechanics !

[FVCCHRIS]

This behavior is the natural result of the craft being reduced to its lowest common denominator, corporate retail sales and unskilled/untrained employees.

Get used to it.

Absolutely GOSH DARN RIGHT!

Never a need (or desire) to bad-mouth the other guy-never. But, always a responsibility to let someone know why something is not, and may never, work to their satisfaction. Set yourself apart from the rest by never lowering yourselves to "their" level, either in the quality of your work or in the quality of your words.

Chris Beard.

[migsopt]

I'm not gonna throw someone under the bus, but if you sell a 50/20 frame to a child with a pd of 48 and a Rx of +8.00, don't think I threw you under the bus you just happen to be standing in the street when it came cruising by.

Put out good quality work and you'll never run into that problem.

I am with Harry on this one 100%