Originally Posted by DragonLensmanWV
Ding...ding...ding.....we have a winner ladies and gentleman!! Precisely the right procedure, no if ands or but's. All lenses are returned to the patient- always.
Never keep someone's personal property! Those lenses were bought and paid for by the patient. Let them decide how best to deal with them. And the Funkier they are the better- Gosh, no wonder I needed new ones!
Chris Beard
The State of Jefferson !
I'm a Medford man – Medford, Oregon. Up in Medford, we take our time making up our minds."
I can't believe I missed this thread today! It was my Friday off, so I'm just now catching up. Here's what I have to contribute to the conversation:
I have the same schpiel I give to patients each time we've put lenses in a POF. "These are the old lenses that came out of your frame. Technically, they're your property, and you can do whatever you want with them. We have no use for them, so if you don't want them, we'll just toss them." I don't know how many times I've said these exact words. Most people say, "what would I do with them?" or "why would I want them?" My answer is, "just in case, I guess. If something happens, we can put these back in your frame while we get a replacement" etc. But I always, always offer them back.
Same goes for the plano dark lenses in a sunglass job. The patient has ordered prescription lenses for a sunglass frame, and now there's an extra set of lenses with no Rx. I always offer these to the patient as well, because if they bought the sunglasses off the shelf, they'd be purchasing those lenses too! The scenario I've come up with for why they might want them: if they get contacts or Lasik later, or if they just get tired of the glasses and have a friend or family member they'd like to give them to, but that person doesn't need correction, we can put the planos back in the frame.
Side note: I've call my local Lions' Club chapter, and they don't want loose lenses. It's just too much effort to find a frame to put the lenses in, and that is counter-productive for them. Most people don't donate empty frames that need a set of lenses.
Back to the old lens issue, though. Most of my patients don't want their old lenses, so even though I say I'll toss them, I've been hoarding them in a box in my "fixit" room, thinking I'd have some use for them someday. I have a box FULL of old lenses, and I'm starting to weird myself out with them. Does anyone have any suggestions?? Besides drilling a hole and making earrings or Christmas ornaments out of them?
It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice.
Wind chimes?
Huge Tiddlywinks!!
This used to be my philosophy too. If I were the only one dispensing in my office I could roll with that. But when you rely on others, even if you trust them to do it as well, what do you do if the customer says they did not get their old lenses back and want them? Even if the person who dispensed says they gave them back, but the customer swears they didn't, what do you do? Just tell the customer "of course we gave them to you, we always do" and leave it at that? That's going to be one angry customer. Especially when you find out later oh maybe we didn't give them back.
That's what led me to collect the lenses myself. Now if anyone wants their old lenses, I know I have them. It's pretty easy to specifically document returning lenses to those few customers who want them, and then it's in writing.
It only happens occasionally, but over the years I have remade a couple people's old lenses because of that situation. Since I've been collecting their lenses (3 years now) I have never had another issue. Just one less headache in my life, and I can always use less headaches.
since my Lion's Club idea has been turned down(even though I know they have 3 different clearing houses that sort them out by rx, and then the optician cuts them as close as they can to fit the empty frames, since third world country residents are picky) I will play along. Play practical joke by using them as fake ice cubes.
Gee, those must be the "fancy" ones. The NoVA center where I volunteered as a Lion, only cleaned and sorted them. No edging equipment available.
I stand corrected, we will change our policy, and let the dear gentleman that every month picks up all those lenses only, besides full frames, we give to him for The Lion's Club
http://www.valions.org/recycle/roanoke.html
http://69.36.70.70/Common/eyeglass.htm
Lighten his load by finding another use for the old lenses only. I'm sure that everyone involved in the sorting process will be greatful.
About 20 years ago, this guy came in and asked for the old lenses, because he needed them to finish a lamp. He brought it in and actually made a lampshade out of all the different colors. It was very random. You had to see it!
- aBBerated
I'll bet some designer could attach them with wire and make a stunning designer dress.
Also poly lenses could be made into a near bullet proof vest, tinted camo of course.
Chip
I like to save them up and serve them at parties. Lenses in a blanket anybody? If they have no glare they taste great with ranch dressing. Hi -index are great with buffalo sauce and blue cheese.
Anyone ever wondered what old swarf and plastic/glass shavings could do to the environment that makes the EPA and Osha so concerned with how it's disposed of? I don't know but if you do please share.
Don't really think it would hurt anything if it were mixed in cattle and chicken feed concidering the other things that are allowed for same.
Chip
Hand them back but do not clean them . Let the patient see how dirty they are and mention that they should change nosepads and the frame regularly to avoid a bacterial build up . If you clean them then they will not appreciate their new ones as much . It lessens the value of your services . When they see how disgusting the old ones are they will value their new ones more and your services .
When I change nosepads I do it in front of the customer . I place their old green, face-cheese, slimy, nose pads, on the clean white kleenex for contrast so they can see how disgusting they are then I say they should change them regularly every 3 months to avoid a bacterial build up being in contact with their skin . Then I point out the slimy gunk build up beteween the frame and nosepad wires and ask if they would like to have that cleaned out too ? I point out that that is the first thing other people see when they look at their face . I also point out the green corrosion on the eyewire and ask if they would like to have the lenses removed and cleaned as well .
This is called making your customer aware of yor services and appreciating the value of your services . It's easy to charge for consumable nose pads and cleaning services when people realize how they look to others .
I have heard all the arguments why you should change nosepads no charge , so lets not go there .
Doing things this way sells new frames and allows the customer to appreciate your value .
I wonder how many patient's leave feeling that you have critisized thier personal hygiene? Suspect that even if they were at fault they would not return because you know about thier faults?
Shoot I see patients all the time that I want to tell them: "Take a bath and use deodorant before you come back." But I know a: they are not going to clean up and change thier habits. b: they won't come back to see me again. If I were fool enough to say such.
Now, on the other hand I have probably run off more contact lens patients that the average practioner will ever have fussing about the care of same.
Chip
Last edited by chip anderson; 07-24-2011 at 08:52 PM.
There was a project sponsored between LC and The Lion called the Chabella project. The chabella was a frame that was perfectly round, had the standard 37.5mm eye size, and the lenses would be cut to be able to "pop" fit the frame. The 180 axis was lightly notched on the lens edge to enable the use of spherocylinder lenses too.
During my mission to Chile, I spent several days making glasses this way for children.
Many clubs will still make use of edgers to support similar style projects. Either in partnership with a corporation, or we have a couple of local docs willing to let them use their equipment for such purposes.
"Some believe in destiny, and some believe in fate. But I believe that happiness is something we create."-Something More by Sugarland
We collect all of it, melt it in one of the tint tank pots, bottle it, and sell it as eyeglass lens scratch remover.
As Seen On TV
Works like magic.
If patients don't want their lenses back, (We always offer them to the patients seeing as they paid for them.) We donate them to the lions' club. Yes they do take lenses only! My lab has also gotten involved, and sends me reject uncuts that we give to the Lions Club. Every year, a group from our office goes to Honduras on brigade mission trips. We take 3 to 4 thousand pair with us. Typically, we'll see about 1,200 people in a week's time, and give them the "best" vision they've ever had. It's extremely rewarding! If anyone has the desire to join us, let me know. We'll be going back next year in late January.
The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten.
I don't clean the lenses, I hand them back to them as dirty as they came. I don't criticize them on their hygiene (or lack thereof), I let them discover it for themselves.
DragonlensmanWV N.A.O.L.
"There is nothing patriotic about hating your government or pretending you can hate your government but love your country."
I put them in there file and keep them there until I switch them out again. I have had many times when it has come in handy. If they ask for them, I will give it to them, but they usually rather we hold onto them, as were less likely to loose them.
LDO, ABOC, NCLEC
Slow down everyone your moving to fast, frames can't catch you when your moving like that!
Thank you ICMOR, that's a wonderful service you provide, and I just wish my health was better, I would be more than happy to contribute to the cause. On a personal note, I now, also, feel exonerated from the slings and arrows that some in this thread, Uncle Fester in particular, po0h poohed the way we handled using loose lenses for the Lion's Club. I will now be more than happy to continue to contribute all of our lenses only as well as full frames to the Lion's Club, and in the offing our patients feel a real value of contributing to the cause.
+1
Old Lenses
We have lots of old lenses, since we cut lenses while patients wait from their old frames. When we dispense their new lenses we ask them if they want them back, or, can we give them to the Lions Club. 99% of the patients say give them to the Lion's Club. Half say they have no use for them, while the other half says "I have old glasses that are just dust cathcers at home and I was looking for a place to give them to. It is incredible to me how patients get a feeling of contributing and belonging by being able to offer their old eyeglasses, it promotes a heap of goodwill! We have a man from the Lion's Club who religiuosly comes every month to retieve the old glasses and lenses. Just a real win win for us.
Can you pease give more information about this? Can these frames be sourced from LC. Does anyone know if programs like this exist outside of LC? I am working on an on-going Jamaica mission and we could use these kinds of resources.
Thanks!
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