#$@%^%*

[jamie w]

I need to vent! A pt who had an exam with us,who is a previous pt of ours went to a big box chain to get his glasses. He came to us not being able to read through his progressives. Due to the narrow pd the markings were not visible when the lens was cut. Soooo I had to call the other optical,come to find out he is in a Natural. The MPH is 18mm, after dotting up lenses I discover he is fit at 15mm giving him next to no reading area. So the pt wanted me to call the chain and explain the situation. I understand that considering he really wasnt sure he would explain things properly. I asked for the manager,since this is the second time he brought these glasses to us. He was told by the chain that we did not make the glasses strong enough.
The "so called"manager of the big box called me snotty and told me to act like a professional after I sternly explained the MFH of Natural is 18 and he was fit at 15., and I was sending the pt back his way. I am sooooo sick of uneducated people calling themselves opticians and then getting rude with someone who calls them on it!!!!!!


MYquestion is do any of you get in touch with other opticians from other opticals when you know a mistake has been made and they are giving the pt the runaround.

THANX FOR READING MY RANT I FEEL BETTER NOW
JAMIE

[DragonLensmanWV]

Problem is, a lot of those chains only have one type of progressive so they must fit it into everything they sell. Never mind that the Natural used to have a minimum fit of 24 (now 18), the Essilor dropped it to 18 so they wouldn't have to redesign the lens, and decided 80% of the add was good enough.

[EdgeOptical]

I have had almost the same situation happen before, but it was with my aunt instead of a regular patient. she needed to save money, went to a low dollar chain, they fit her at 15mm said she was in a short corridor lens but would have plenty of reading area. markings on the lens showed it was a VIP.

talked to the GM and the lab manager, both told me there is no way they were made there, and they only use the best lenses available.

So i took the glasses and Pt. with me to the chain, with a progressive lens identifyer book, layout charts and everything else i needed. showed them the marks, the charts and a list of lenses that would work for her.

They both called me a liar, snotty, unproffessional, a few words i cant say in the company of women, etc.

then asked if i really thought i knew what i was talking about, after establishing that i have done this longer then either one of them and with unquestionable proof the lab manager asked if this was something i thought, or something i knew and would be willing to testify in court about.

at that point the patient demanded a refund, she wasnt willing to deal with obvious retards (take that sarah palin) just to save money.



i feel your pain.

[Now I See]

To be honest...anytime anyone has come in here frustrated with another place, luckily, I can say that is rare around here, they are ususally so frustrated, that they don't want to go back anyway.

FWIW...I would hope that whenever I've made a mistake, one of my fellow opticians would call and tell me what they found. I would much rather hear it from a doctor or optician, than the patient.

I understand your frustration...glad you're feeling better, now! :)

[wmcdonald]

Until we have a standard level of education and training, we will see no improvement. You made a mistake arguing with people who have no understanding to begin with. It is not their fault, but the fault of those who trained them, and profession that, unfortunatelym has not standards across borders. I am sorry to say it is the norm and not an outlier. I do hope you turned it into a positive, and make sure those patients return to someone who knows what to do.

[jamie w]

The pt would like to return to me to make the lenses. I explained most chains have a return policy. He informed me he used his own frame. My reply- have them put your old lenses back in. The moron at the optical never gave him his old lenses back! Well, I informed him those were HIS lenses and that I always return old lenses or hold on to them in the file for a period of time in case of and instance like this. So I told him now he has two gripes with the optical.
jamie

[mshimp]

I would explain to the patient everything that is wrong with the glasses then I would let the patient talk to the chain store. No need to get in the middle of things. If the patient has purchased from you in the past with success they will have confidence in you and will return.

[drk]

Pimpin', pimpin'...

http://www.thelensguru.com/lensMaps.php

[Uilleann]

+1

I would agree that it's certainly in your best interest to advocate FOR the patient in every reasonable way.

Until the line fo reason is crossed.

Which it certainly appears the other optical has done according to your description of events.

I would do everything you possibly can to be professional, knowledgeable, helpful, informative, and pleasant with this patient. If you have the authority, perhaps offer the patient a % or $ amount off of a pair of *truly* premium lenses, and back it up with your own personal guarantee that you will take the time *before* the glasses are even ordered, to verify the absolute best lens/frame combination, perfect fitting PD/OC's, frame size, temple length, and that you will unconditionally stand behind both the quality of your work, as well as the integrity of the glasses after they are dispensed.

You wanna see a pt's eyes opened? That's what has worked extremely well for us here at any rate. As always, YMMV...but when you go so far above and beyond what the "competition" offers, very likely you'll have a patient, and fan for life!

All the best!!!

:cheers::cheers::cheers::cheers::cheers:

[Wes]

Here's one for you. I once had an OD send a pt back to me( pt couldn't see to read), claiming the glasses were made wrong, along with a "copy" of his rx. Well the new "copy" didn't match what I had been given in the first place. OD bumped the add by .50 diopter. I ordered and dispensed these glasses, and before anyone asks, no, I didn't cut off the reading add. Thanks, OD. Even when I showed the pt the copy of the old rx with the different add he wouldn't believe a DOCTOR made a mistake. Yeah, right. That's why you hear about surgeons amputating the wrong limb, eh?
On a side note, in order to preserve my own reputation (I part time as a dispenser, and while I try to educate, I cannot control, my peers), I do the following: when I see a pt and order their glasses, I request they return only to me for dispensing, and I staple my card with my hours to their receipt. A good order can be ruined by a lousy dispenser. Conversely, a lousy order can be troublesome for the best dispenser.
Wes

[j.maran]

My favorite is a pt. came in who got their glasses at a chain store, which had made them wrong from the rx we gave her. We measured everything spoke to the other store all we got is 'they read fine on our lensometer.' So the pt wanted US to remake them for her for Free. Yeah right!

[rbaker]

I need to vent! A pt who had an exam with us,who is a previous pt of ours went to a big box chain to get his glasses. He came to us not being able to read through his progressives. Due to the narrow pd the markings were not visible when the lens was cut. Soooo I had to call the other optical,come to find out he is in a Natural. The MPH is 18mm, after dotting up lenses I discover he is fit at 15mm giving him next to no reading area. So the pt wanted me to call the chain and explain the situation. I understand that considering he really wasnt sure he would explain things properly. I asked for the manager,since this is the second time he brought these glasses to us. He was told by the chain that we did not make the glasses strong enough.
The "so called"manager of the big box called me snotty and told me to act like a professional after I sternly explained the MFH of Natural is 18 and he was fit at 15., and I was sending the pt back his way. I am sooooo sick of uneducated people calling themselves opticians and then getting rude with someone who calls them on it!!!!!!


MYquestion is do any of you get in touch with other opticians from other opticals when you know a mistake has been made and they are giving the pt the runaround.

THANX FOR READING MY RANT I FEEL BETTER NOW
JAMIE

Jamie,

I don't see where you had a dog in this fight. The problem is between the refractionist and whoever fabricated the glasses.

You have absolutely nothing to gain by intervening in this situation. Have a nice cup of tea and relax.

[jamie w]

Pimpin', pimpin'...

http://www.thelensguru.com/lensMaps.php

That is the first place I went, because I do not use the Essilor Natural. I love that site!!!!
jamie

[jamie w]

Jamie,

I don't see where you had a dog in this fight. The problem is between the refractionist and whoever fabricated the glasses.

You have absolutely nothing to gain by intervening in this situation. Have a nice cup of tea and relax.

I realize it does not directly effect me, you are right. However, he came to me for help, and it is in my nature to do what I can when I know such an obvious STUPID mistake has been made. It blows my mind that any optician would not follow the most basic rules of dispensing PAL's and not follow MFH requirments. On a day to day basis there are so many other complicated problems to disect in our daily routines, just do not get how people can call themselves opticians, and not be able to figure out the simplest problems; all the while inconviencing the patient.
jamie

[ronnie daniels]

im surprised this is the first time youve encountered this lol its a regular occurance here. Its kind of an unspoken law you dont tell a patient what is wrong with their glasses you only tell them if they are perfect or something is wrong.

[jamie w]

im surprised this is the first time youve encountered this lol its a regular occurance here. Its kind of an unspoken law you dont tell a patient what is wrong with their glasses you only tell them if they are perfect or something is wrong.

Being in the field for 16yrs this is not the first time I have encountered this. This is however the first time I have been treated so rudely by a so called optician, and a "manager" to boot when the issue with the lenses was so obvious. Irronically, I went online and discovered a number of local complaints about this paticular individual, I guess he has made a reputation for himself.

[bob_f_aboc]

http://www.optiboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=35687


Use the form attached to the first post of the thread. It is concise, thorough, and impartial. It helps to convey the informaion needed without getting overly emotional in dealing with less-than-ideal-optical-professionals. This form had helped me many, many times.

[Aaron N]

My favorite of late is a pts OD that read the glasses I had made for him, when he returned to the OD because of poor vision. The OD told him there is prism in the lens and there shouldn't be. I reverified everything on the lenses and found no prism, other than the prism for Prism Thinning on the progressive lenses. This OD has told my customers several times that the glasses were wrong to doge having to recheck the rx. My favorite is using our digital lens check, that has the screen on it, with the pt right there so they can see it matches their RX.

The really neat thing in our state is a pt can begin the process to charge an OD with Professional Slander.

[kcount]

I realize it does not directly effect me, you are right. However, he came to me for help, and it is in my nature to do what I can when I know such an obvious STUPID mistake has been made. It blows my mind that any optician would not follow the most basic rules of dispensing PAL's and not follow MFH requirments. On a day to day basis there are so many other complicated problems to disect in our daily routines, just do not get how people can call themselves opticians, and not be able to figure out the simplest problems; all the while inconviencing the patient.
jamie

I'm going to disagree, The MFH is all well and good but a comfort once had a MFH of 24, now its 18 and I have successfully fit it at 16. The MFH is a soft thing at best.

Actually I once fit the comfort at 10mm. :drop:
The patient swore she could read, I dont know how and I have never done it again. I think she just like the frame so much she was ok reading at J3.

[Uncle Fester]

Actually I once fit the comfort at 10mm. :drop:
The patient swore she could read, I dont know how and I have never done it again. I think she just like the frame so much she was ok reading at J3.

Ryser's Rule at work!

-The success of a progressive is directly proportional to the motivation of the person to wear a progressive-

[kcount]

Ryser's Rule at work!

-The success of a progressive is directly proportional to the motivation of the person to wear a progressive-

Absolutely!

[jamie w]

I agree a prog wearer must be motivated and I have that speech with all my new wearers but this was this pts 3rd progressive. I was not able to look at the previous prog that was in the frame due to the fact that they were not given back to the patient.

[Mactire]

Ah, the power of the chain.
To bad their main power are the low prices.

I almost embarrest to tell now, I work at a chain... *snickers*
But even so, I can't tell that the chains are bad by definition.
But when it comes to "critical knowledge", being it fitting and calculating lenses or recognising symptoms of diseases, they more than often lack the knowledge.

I understand that this is a harsh statement. And I understand that a shop cannot survive without sales.
Presenting a client a perhaps complex solution costs to much time and risk of failure.

I'm more and more beginning to realise how this works. Having to learn refraction from a optical no-no (no offence, he's a great guy) was just too much for me.
Working with a chain is fun and fast but very limiting. At least where I work.

Clients will also notice these limitations.
"Want special glasses?" -No can do.
"Curved sunglases?" -No can do.
"Retinitis pigmen-what?"
"No comfortable vision with multifocals?" -You have to get use to that
"New eartips and nose pads?" -Sure!

Prime focus - Selling

And again, the prime focus should be selling. I'm just saying BE GOOD AT WHAT YOU SELL!!!

Sorry for ranting...

[jimrask]

I kinda got to know the feeling. I started at my current job 2 years ago: an independent dispensing optical, just taken over. After a few months it became clear that the bosses didn't want to keep to 1 or even 2 shops. They now have 21 ==> chain starting up. These were all high class - high budget stores, but they thought we didn't make enough sales ==> they introduced cheaper brands, cheaper lenses, cheaper this, cheaper that... Result: sales went down... the kind of clients we had don't look for cheap, they look for good quality and are ready to pay the price for it. Since we introduced the cheaper brands, these clients stayed away.

So I'm still working there, with me and my colleagues being a bit out of place. We still go to the outer edge of what is technically possible, if my boss allows it. Had some cases already were something was technically possible and the boss deemed it "not profitable enough" to actually do it, so we couldn't...

I'm now trying to become a shop manager in another store of my boss and the thing I would like to do eventually is to start my own optical, but I lack the means to do it at the moment...

Sorry for ranting even further ;)

[Mactire]

jimrask said:
"We still go to the outer edge of what is technically possible, if my boss allows it."

It's the last thing that bothers me.
Example: What's so friggin' hard in selling curved lenses?
Answer, nothing is you know your thing. And even if you don't, call your supplier and he'll be happy to tell you all abou it.
It's the ignorance that's annoying me the most. :angry:

Today I was fixing someones specs and they (man and wife) came over to the counter and gasped. They didn't know that such craft still existed and thought that the spectacle business was just plain machine work (and the employees dumb).
-Haha And that is what our work should be, a craft. Old fasioned craft work!

And to be hones, it is. From refracting to repairing it's all craftsmanship. You just don't get there with "one better or two better" or telling people to get a new frame when it's broken.

What you sell is what you get. Sell low-buget get low-buget customers (no offence, they need spex too).

Ah well. I guess I'm a bit frusterated about it today. Sorry about that.