Tales of Unreasonable Expectations

**AngeHamm** · 02-23-2011, 10:09 AM

The Transitions and children's package threads got me thinking about the subject of patients with unreasonable expectations for product performance. Example:

Last year I had a patient try out Transitions for the first time. She called a couple days later saying they weren't changing color at all. This isn't completely impossible; I've had a couple instances where I've ordered photochromic lenses, been charged for them, and had clear lenses delivered by accident, particularly by Davis (grrr). I asked her to come in so I could take a look at them and re-order if need be. The next day, she walked in from a bright sunny day, her Transitions as black as the ace of spades on her face, insisting that they didn't work.

Here's where I made the mistake of trying to use logic and reason. I explained that as the lens darkens, her pupils dilate to compensate; the transition is gradual, and the design of her eye makes it seem more seamless. She insisted, her lenses still tinted on her face, that they weren't doing anything. ANYTHING. It couldn't possibly be that the gap between her idea of what the product should do and how it actually works needs to be narrowed in her mind. It was clearly a defective product and we were shysters for selling it to her. She demanded and received a full refund; my boss agreed that arguing or even trying to reason with her was a waste of time for all involved parties.

On the other hand, I've lost count of the number of patients I've seen, especially in the past few months, with broken memory metal frames and scratched Avance or Teflon lenses, complaining that we told them the frame was "unbreakable" or the lens was "scratch-proof." I have on more than a few occasions coldly stated, "Sir, no one in this office, no one, would ever have told you these were 'unbreakable' or 'scratch-proof.' Nothing is unbreakable and nothing is scratch-proof." What really pisses me off is when a patient comes in with a completely routine warranty-replacement situation but begins the interaction with a belligerent assertion of how much they spent on them; they've clearly talked themselves into an argument, convinced that they will have to fight me in order to get my help. This is the friendliest, most accommodating office in which I have ever worked; I have absolutely no idea where people get the idea that they have to fight me for things.

Also, your glasses don't come overnight. I have to constantly remind my coworkers to stop using the term "business days" to describe how long glasses will take to come in; one customer in ten will always choose to forget the "business" part and will call to complain that their glasses didn't arrive in five days.

As much as I pride myself on excellent customer service, I am constantly amazed and frustrated by just how little what I say makes an impact. It's what the patient chooses to remember having heard.

So share, my friends. Amuse and entertain me with your tales of woe. Let me know that I'm not alone on the Isle of Unreasonable Expectations.

**Wes** · 02-23-2011, 10:31 AM

Let me tell you, you're far from alone. I get the "my transgressions don't work" scenario at least once a week, and I only work in the dispensary about 10 hrs a week. And then the, "are my glasses there yet?" "No, not yet, they should be here in X # of days." "But its been 5 days already!" "Oh, well, in that case, let me pull them out of my butt..."
Then the scratch proof crap, the "my medicine ran out" crap, the "can you cram the scratched up lenses from my old broken frame into a new frame for me? No, I didn't get them here.". "How much are contacts?" "Which ones do you have an RX for?". "Oh I want the non-RX kind." Duh. "You do free exams?" "Can I just get a free pair of lenses?". "What do you mean I can't order contacts just because my rx has been expired for 2 years? 1800 doesn't care!" "That's not the frame I picked out!"
Then there's buyers remorse: "I can't see with these! I just want my money back, and my rx so I can go elsewhere." "Can you give my pd?". "We don't offer that service here. Whoever makes your glasses is responsible for providing it.". "But its just a measurement!". "Then buy a ruler and do it yourself."
Yep, I think we all feel that pain. I wish people had their IQ tattooed on their foreheads. It would make things much easier.

I could go on and on...

**DragonLensmanWV** · 02-23-2011, 10:37 AM

You just need some signs to give them.

**AngeHamm** · 02-23-2011, 11:11 AM

"my transgressions don't work."

bwahahahahahahahaaaaaa!!!!!!

**NeGlassesGirl27** · 02-23-2011, 12:03 PM

What about "My progressives don't work." So you sit down for 10 minutes trying to figure out why the progressives do not work and you can't find anything wrong. Then they finally say, "The lenses don't change color"....

Ohhhh, so you mean TRANSITIONS?

OR..you have the opposite. "My Transitions are not working for me, they're blurry" So again, you sit down trying to figure out why the Transitions are not working for the person only to realize they mean progressive/multifocals.

This is when you also insert the Carlos Mencia line, "Dee Dee Dee" :bbg: :bbg:

**skt** · 02-23-2011, 12:32 PM

I am reading this LITERALLY laughing out loud and loving that I am constantly reassured that I am not the only one out in the netherlands having to put up with this stuff...it is, indeed, endless.

**AngeHamm** · 02-23-2011, 12:41 PM

Almost as bad as Transitions = Progressives is Progressives = Trifocals. Where the heck did that come from??? I've been in this business since 1989 and only in the past two years do I have patients referring to progressives as trifocals.

(Also, I accidentally typed "porgessives" up there. I fixed it, but not before imagining a pair of glasses that sings "Bess You Is My Woman.")

**tdj** · 02-23-2011, 12:51 PM

I very rarely use the term "progressives" with pts because it's resulted in a mix-up re: Transitions being expected and not ordered probably four times in two years... I don't have the time or money to get that done... I use "no-line bifocals," which seems to be the vernacular around here, but I love it when I get a scathing look and a reply of "NO. They're no-line TRIFOCALS."

**NeGlassesGirl27** · 02-23-2011, 01:36 PM

All patients know is "No-line bifocals"..gee I wonder why. Maybe because all LC, EM, Sears, Target..they all say that and that's all patients here.

I hardly use progressives as a term as well because of the mix up or the deer in the headlight look you get from them. I will ask about multi-focals..deer in the headlight look. Then I'll go to the next thing and ask if they have progressives..deer in the headlight look. Then I'll ask if they have a reading or bifocal power.."OHHH yea..I have a no line bifocal". :angry:

**tdj** · 02-23-2011, 01:39 PM

Originally Posted by NeGlassesGirl27

All patients know is "No-line bifocals"..gee I wonder why. Maybe because all LC, EM, Sears, Target..they all say that and that's all patients here.

I've worked at LC and Sears and they both differentiate between "single vision," "bifocals," and "progressives" on all their promo material, "lens cards," signage etc ...

I have seen the "no-line bifocal" wording in ads for JCP, America's Best, and Crown Optical.

**finefocus** · 02-23-2011, 03:25 PM

Originally Posted by tdj

I very rarely use the term "progressives" with pts because it's resulted in a mix-up re: Transitions being expected and not ordered probably four times in two years... I don't have the time or money to get that done... I use "no-line bifocals," which seems to be the vernacular around here, but I love it when I get a scathing look and a reply of "NO. They're no-line TRIFOCALS."

But there are no-line bifocals; Youngers, or blended bifocals. Watch out for that confusion.

**Robert Martellaro** · 02-23-2011, 03:53 PM

Originally Posted by AngeHamm

She called a couple days later saying they weren't changing color at all. The next day, she walked in from a bright sunny day, her Transitions as black as the ace of spades on her face, insisting that they didn't work. She insisted, her lenses still tinted on her face, that they weren't doing anything. ANYTHING.

Maybe she was trying to say that the sun was still giving her discomfort, but didn't quite know how to express that thought without saying that they just weren't working.

**optilady1** · 02-23-2011, 04:01 PM

At least once a week I have to remind patients that no, they will not be able to see far away out of their reading glasses.

"But I don't need glasses for the distance...."

Le sigh...

**NeGlassesGirl27** · 02-23-2011, 04:06 PM

Originally Posted by optilady1

At least once a week I have to remind patients that no, they will not be able to see far away out of their reading glasses.

"But I don't need glasses for the distance...."

Le sigh...

What? You can't use your +300 readers for distance?? I don't understand..:bbg: :bbg:

**AngeHamm** · 02-23-2011, 04:19 PM

Originally Posted by Robert Martellaro

Maybe she was trying to say that the sun was still giving her discomfort, but didn't quite know how to express that thought without saying that they just weren't working.

Very likely. However, her attitude was one of "these glasses don't work in the magical fashion I imagined that they would." And she had zero interest in trying a different product or getting an additional pair of sunglasses; she just demanded a refund. She never asked questions, never sought clarity; she just came in to complain and make demands.

**Mizikal** · 02-23-2011, 04:28 PM

Originally Posted by Wes

Let me tell you, you're far from alone. I get the "my transgressions don't work" scenario at least once a week, and I only work in the dispensary about 10 hrs a week. And then the, "are my glasses there yet?" "No, not yet, they should be here in X # of days." "But its been 5 days already!" "Oh, well, in that case, let me pull them out of my butt..."
Then the scratch proof crap, the "my medicine ran out" crap, the "can you cram the scratched up lenses from my old broken frame into a new frame for me? No, I didn't get them here.". "How much are contacts?" "Which ones do you have an RX for?". "Oh I want the non-RX kind." Duh. "You do free exams?" "Can I just get a free pair of lenses?". "What do you mean I can't order contacts just because my rx has been expired for 2 years? 1800 doesn't care!" "That's not the frame I picked out!"
Then there's buyers remorse: "I can't see with these! I just want my money back, and my rx so I can go elsewhere." "Can you give my pd?". "We don't offer that service here. Whoever makes your glasses is responsible for providing it.". "But its just a measurement!". "Then buy a ruler and do it yourself."
Yep, I think we all feel that pain. I wish people had their IQ tattooed on their foreheads. It would make things much easier.

I could go on and on...

Have you been spying on me? I get questions like that all the time!!

**Judy Canty** · 02-23-2011, 04:53 PM

You ought to hear what the lab hears. I had an Optician complain that a pair of PALs that she had ordered (uncut, she edged "perfectly") were growing cylinder. Every time she re-checked the lenses, the cylinder power had increased. Of course, it was our fault.

**AngeHamm** · 02-23-2011, 04:55 PM

Originally Posted by CuriousCat

You ought to hear what the lab hears. I had an Optician complain that a pair of PALs that she had ordered (uncut, she edged "perfectly") were growing cylinder. Every time she re-checked the lenses, the cylinder power had increased. Of course, it was our fault.

I feel your pain, sister. I'm a former lab rat myself.

**chip anderson** · 02-23-2011, 09:04 PM

Robert:
Take a piece of post it label an put it on one lens. Take the glasses outside and expose to sun. Have pt. see the difference in masked vs. unmasked area. The take the patient outside with a polarized demonstrator lens and sell her a pair of polarized sunglasses.
Chip

**DragonLensmanWV** · 02-24-2011, 07:19 AM

Originally Posted by CuriousCat

You ought to hear what the lab hears. I had an Optician complain that a pair of PALs that she had ordered (uncut, she edged "perfectly") were growing cylinder. Every time she re-checked the lenses, the cylinder power had increased. Of course, it was our fault.

Let me guess - she had no idea about prism thinning and was using an auto lensometer and reading further down the corridor each time. I had a set sent back to me from an OMD's office with a note that the glasses were totally wrong - way too much cyl, 45 degrees off axis,too much plus, and generally unclear optics. She still had her lensometer dots on the lenses - halfway down and mostly out of the corridor.

**Judy Canty** · 02-24-2011, 07:36 AM

I wish. Licensed, years of experience. That's why I was completely floored by the complaint, however I did notice that the patient was changing his frame.

**Optixx** · 02-24-2011, 09:11 AM

Originally Posted by AngeHamm

Very likely. However, her attitude was one of "these glasses don't work in the magical fashion I imagined that they would." And she had zero interest in trying a different product or getting an additional pair of sunglasses; she just demanded a refund. She never asked questions, never sought clarity; she just came in to complain and make demands.

her crazy husband probably yelled at her for spending too much and she took out her frustration on you all. She had to be on meds not to realize in the mirror that the lenses had indeed turned dark. what a nut job.

**chip anderson** · 02-24-2011, 10:14 AM

Who comes inside and looks in a mirror before photochromics have a chance to lighten?

**AngeHamm** · 02-24-2011, 10:28 AM

Originally Posted by Optixx

her crazy husband probably yelled at her for spending too much and she took out her frustration on you all. She had to be on meds not to realize in the mirror that the lenses had indeed turned dark. what a nut job.

Oh yeah. I LOOOOVE the phone call from the husband/wife/boyfriend/girlfriend the day after ordering glasses complaining about the price and demanding that the order be canceled...

**Mizikal** · 02-24-2011, 11:13 AM

Originally Posted by AngeHamm

Oh yeah. I LOOOOVE the phone call from the husband/wife/boyfriend/girlfriend the day after ordering glasses complaining about the price and demanding that the order be canceled...

When I get those they always say I only paid x for my glasses I don't know why these cost so much. Never mind that the person was like a +3.00 -4.50 @ 180 and went with a no-line trifocal. Instead of going with a cheapest lens possible like that had.