What *IS* it with the engineer types???

[Uilleann]

I just don't get how exactly it is that their minds work. They seem completely disconnected with both reality and society. In our location, it seems it's always Asian, German or Indian engineers who never fail to act the very worst. Is it some cultural thing?? Why are they always SO unbelievably demanding? Why do they feel they know so much more than anyone else about precisely how a given lens "should" work? Why are they so much more demanding about payments, co-pays, warranties, and wanting the "best" but not ever wanting to pay a single penny for it? And why is it that after a year or two or three - they walk in demanding new, free, perfect glasses, because they think they got ripped off for any great number of reasons when they purchased the glasses in the first place? It seems that no amount of educating, patience or hand-holding works with these types.

I know we all get 'em. Though for us, this month alone we've had more than in the last two years combined. Sorry for the venting...but I do feel mo bettah now! :shiner:

[j.maran]

My father is an engineer and I still don't get it! When he gets new glasses I get to spend my off time trying to explain why 1 nose pad is a quarter of a mm over then the other because he's not symetrical.

[Jacqui]

My first college degree was in Industrial Engineering and I don't understand them either. When we had the lab in Wisconsin one came in one day and DEMANDED that we make new lenses for him. After explaining very slowly and carefully about wholesale labs and optical protocol he informed us that he could make the lenses himself if he had access to the blanks. I sold him a pair of poly semi finished SV and told him to have fun. All of our customers got a laugh out of it.

[DragonLensmanWV]

Maybe this will help a bit, then you can explain stuff to them so they will understand. Or at least pretend to understand.
http://ee.cleversoul.com/fun/engspeak.html

[WFruit]

Really, the important thing is that you feel better now.

[bigeyejim]

But have you ever heard, "gimme a half less, and I'll accommodate."

No S*&^!

:shiner:

WHAT'S WORSE, HOWEVER IS RETIRED ENGINEERS.

[WFruit]

Is this where I start talking about the longitudinal chromatic abberation caused by the dispertion across varying parabolic curvatures on the back surface of an atoric corrective monomer?

Or should I just activate my inhouse Darryl Meister holographic program to talk to them?

"Please state the nature of the Optical Emergency."

[TLG]

Is this where I start talking about the longitudinal chromatic abberation caused by the dispertion across varying parabolic curvatures on the back surface of an atoric corrective monomer?

Only if you have all day....and half of tomorrow!

[Barry Santini]

Takes me back...

First Job:(! 1976
One day a week as eyewear dispenser.
Duties: Check in safety eyewear rec'd from vendor (low bidder)
Take new orders for Rx safety eyewear
Dispense and explain (!) new eyewear for employees.

Location?

(Don't ask!)

BROOKHAVEN NATIONAL LABRATORY, UPTON, LI NY

30 ENGINEERS A DAY...A DAY!!

MAYBE THIS IS WHY I'M SO TWISTED!

B

[wolfman]

Takes me back...


30 ENGINEERS A DAY...A DAY!!

MAYBE THIS IS WHY I'M SO TWISTED!

B

No question in my mind if this would have been me I would have become an alcoholic real fast. Engineers drive me nuts. Of course former opticians aren't exactly easy to work with.

[Uilleann]

Except that with a former optician, you can hand them the tools and let them go at their own adjustments. Unless you get one of the old school head-in-the-sand types who just doesn't believe in anything like A/R because they "just know" it's "bad". LOL

Still - give me an optician type any day over an engineer!!!

[cocoisland58]

I have engineers in every week. I work in the middle of their nation's capital I think. The thing about engineers is they are born anal, if they weren't they would have been artists. They are deamding, quirky, educated beyond their intellect and just plain odd. Most are OCD. You have to forget about understanding them and just go with the flow. I find them highly entertaining. They love to know everything about everything, examine minute details, demand perfection and hold themselves to the same standards. They aren't always nice because overly nerdy individuals lack social skills. But these are the guys who are designing our future. I want them to not care about little details? The key to their wallet is quality and the ability to make them feel as superior as they think they are. They love nothing better than to talk about themselves. "So what are you working on....?"

[Uilleann]

I don't know. The one's we get are hardly a step above thieves sometimes. And actually, the one we had yesterday was trying to be exactly that! I don't care WHAT it was you bought - you simply DO NOT go back with a small issue, completely covered under a warranty for FREE, and then demand that your warranty be re-set for a whole year again. You also don't whine about how your trust was lost because you were promised "completely scratch and defect PROOF lenses!" (Utter BS from him on that one of course.) And you FURTHER don't go about demanding the pittance in co-pay's back that you payed...after 10 months if you don't get your way.

Grrr!

[obxeyeguy]

I don't know. The one's we get are hardly a step above thieves sometimes. And actually, the one we had yesterday was trying to be exactly that! I don't care WHAT it was you bought - you simply DO NOT go back with a small issue, completely covered under a warranty for FREE, and then demand that your warranty be re-set for a whole year again. You also don't whine about how your trust was lost because you were promised "completely scratch and defect PROOF lenses!" (Utter BS from him on that one of course.) And you FURTHER don't go about demanding the pittance in co-pay's back that you payed...after 10 months if you don't get your way.

Grrr!

Some people are just "like" that, not just engineers. Just curious, what did you do to rectify the above?

[BMH]

Or should I just activate my inhouse Darryl Meister holographic program to talk to them?

WTF? Is there a new Opticampus feature I missed out on?

I'm on the Spacecoast, Not only are mine engineers but they are rocket scientists.

:hammer:

[cocoisland58]

I'm on the Spacecoast, Not only are mine engineers but they are rocket scientists.

God help you.

[bob_f_aboc]

WTF? Is there a new Opticampus feature I missed out on?

I'm on the Spacecoast, Not only are mine engineers but they are rocket scientists.

:hammer:

I feel your pain. I worked for 7 years in Houston. Engineer, rocket scientist, pilot...rinse & repeat!

What really gets me is that ALL engineers know EVERYTHING about EVERYTHING! Software engineer, structural engineer, civil engineer, hell even locomotive engineers (they live up to the title too) come in and (think) they know more about frames, lenses, optical theory, adjustments, and lab work than even the Great And Powerful Darryl Meister.

[DragonLensmanWV]

Except that with a former optician, you can hand them the tools and let them go at their own adjustments. Unless you get one of the old school head-in-the-sand types who just doesn't believe in anything like A/R because they "just know" it's "bad". LOL

Still - give me an optician type any day over an engineer!!!

So, wait.... are you saying A/R is good?

[DragonLensmanWV]

I know, they're Aspex, but one frame I can show engineers and have them fascinated by is their Turboflex line. Basically a Sferoflex U-joint. They buy them every time.

[gunner05]

If y'all really don't absolutely love engineers, you need to change your approach to selling to them. I live in the middle of a ridiculous number of petroleum engineers, and I can honestly say that they are my favorite patients. Get very technical with them. Say, "Hey, I love getting to help an engineer out because I can talk about the theory behind optics, and you guys will understand." Stroke their ego a bit, and they melt. Discuss the exact processes involved in making lenses from conventional surfacing to digital backside surfacing and full freeform and then throw numbers like indices of refraction and ABBE value. They will scramble all over themselves wanting the high end lenses. I do it every day, and I love seeing an engineer walk in because it's nearly guaranteed that they will walk out with high end lenses. Throw a flexon type frame and discuss how it's a "titanium/nickel alloy" and you just sent them packing with what is probably one of the top end packages at most places, and they'll smile about it.

[Uilleann]

It's not the fact that you can speak 'techno' to them - it's the fact that they are often the slimiest of the slime...and frequently attempt to rip you off. At least that's what we get out here. No - in fairness, it's not ALL engineers. But when it does happen it is almost exclusively from that field of work - further even more predictably from our Asian, Indian or German patients. It certainly appears that there is some sort of MASSIVE cultural disconnect that is only focused and sharpened by their career choice?? Who knows. I just know I'm sick of people trying to steal from me - in the name of "customer service". Grrrr and GRRRRR again!

[Spexvet]

Except that with a former optician, you can hand them the tools and let them go at their own adjustments.

I've given hand tools to engineers, too.

My favortie was the guy who, instead of saying "my bifocal line is too high", brought in a computer-generated diagram, showing his estimate of the degrees that the line needed to be lowered.

[varmint]

Every once in a while its good to get an engineer customer to help keep us all tested and fresh.

[Robert Martellaro]

Perfect is good enough.

[braheem24]

I've always liked dealing with engineers,

If you dont like dealing with engineers I suggest steering them towards SVD and SVN, it's always the bifocal that gets them started on "Image Jump", "Parallex", "DOF", "Focal point", "Chromatic abberation" among others... :hammer:

If you want to better communicate with engineer types, understanding photography terms helps considerably.