Word of warning about private practice job

[optigrrl]

Because reps like to gossip and "stir the pot."

Mdeimler, that's really quite insensitive. It has nothing to do with being a rep or an optician as to the nature of your honor.

[optigrrl]

Really? Who has not met a rep with an ax to grind? I'm not saying it's the right thing to do, but I'm sure you know of many that have/do.

Johns, big brother :)

Maybe I am just lucky to know a bunch of great reps out here but the only people reps would share information about a deadbeat account with is the reps they strongly care about, or the 1 person at that practice who has the ability to settle the bill. I'm not saying it doesn't happen - but I have been witness to some seriously evasive conversation tactics when discussing why product isn't available or shipping or why they keep cancelling appointments with a buyer all the while never explaining that it's the fact that the bill hasn't been paid.

[optigrrl]

I think that a rep who would share that kind of sensitive information isn't a very good one to work with. It's one thing to know who's hiring and who's not, quite another to discuss financial information with employees.

Thank you Judy.

[Johns]

Johns, big brother :)

Maybe I am just lucky to know a bunch of great reps out here but the only people reps would share information about a deadbeat account with is the reps they strongly care about, or the 1 person at that practice who has the ability to settle the bill. I'm not saying it doesn't happen - but I have been witness to some seriously evasive conversation tactics when discussing why product isn't available or shipping or why they keep cancelling appointments with a buyer all the while never explaining that it's the fact that the bill hasn't been paid.

I agree Sis...I'm talking about the reps that talk to the accounts in the area. I never said they were "good" reps. I have "repped" quite a bit myself, (in fact, I still do at times) and while I don't subscribe to those behaviors, it would be naive of me/us to pretend that there are not reps out there that do. Besides, my original comment was referring to gleaning information from reps that might be helpful to the poster. Credit would have nothing to do with it, unless the poster was a rep, looking to open them as an account. Lately, anytime the word "rep" is mentioned, certain folks go on high sensitivity alert.


When people talk about bad opticians, I certainly don't identify with them, take it personally, nor get defensive about it. I am at the top of my game, as I know you are, and I assume Judy is (she's never been my rep, you have). There will always be bad elements in every field.

Now then, what do you want to know about which accounts?

To Phxldo, sorry to have highjacked your thread...

[optigrrl]

Johns, you are awesome as ever!

[Johns]

Johns, you are awesome as ever!

Love you too, Sis!

[Judy Canty]

Ahhh, perhaps I do get a bit defensive from time to time. I came to the "rep" world rather late in my optical career. 34 years after picking up my first PD stick, I holstered it and became a rep. In the eyes of many, I completely lost my credibility as well as my optical knowledge and experience, though my Optician's license has always remained intact. Our industry seems to enjoy lumping people into groups. We lump big-box opticians into the "sloptician or mc-tician" group, reps into the "money-grubbing, sorta sleazy" group, ODs into the "eliteist, money-hungry, wannabe an MD" group and MDs into the "clueless about glasses" group. The magazine I write for even published an article slamming reps.

I've had bad experiences with all these groups, but trash-talking about them never seemed to be the best way to cope. Are there people and companies that I dislike, absolutely, but they don't represent the vast majority of the people and companies that are out there and I would be foolish to lump them all together. I understand that to succeed, I need to deal with every situation in as professional a manner as possible and move on.

[Johns]

Ahhh, perhaps I do get a bit defensive from time to time. I came to the "rep" world rather late in my optical career. 34 years after picking up my first PD stick, I holstered it and became a rep. In the eyes of many, I completely lost my credibility as well as my optical knowledge and experience, though my Optician's license has always remained intact.

Judy,

I know you've got a lot of tools in your belt, and you keep them sharpened. I hope your accounts appreciate it!

[mdeimler]

Mdeimler, that's really quite insensitive. It has nothing to do with being a rep or an optician as to the nature of your honor.

And your point ? The POINT is that since reps are notorious for "gossip," they know the juicy details of many practices. They can get employees to divulge info that they should not...as in whether or not the practice pays bills.

[optigrrl]

And your point ? The POINT is that since reps are notorious for "gossip," they know the juicy details of many practices. They can get employees to divulge info that they should not...as in whether or not the practice pays bills.

In my experience, you cannot get someone to do something they don't want to do. We reps are not wizards nor do we have magic powers :)

[optigrrl]

And your point ? The POINT is that since reps are notorious for "gossip," they know the juicy details of many practices. They can get employees to divulge info that they should not...as in whether or not the practice pays bills.

...and for the record, we know when a practice doesn't pay it's bills BECAUSE WE DON'T GET PAID. Not because we duped some poor, unsuspecting optical employee into divulging secret accounting information about a practice.

[optigrrl]

Ahhh, perhaps I do get a bit defensive from time to time. I came to the "rep" world rather late in my optical career. 34 years after picking up my first PD stick, I holstered it and became a rep. In the eyes of many, I completely lost my credibility as well as my optical knowledge and experience, though my Optician's license has always remained intact. Our industry seems to enjoy lumping people into groups. We lump big-box opticians into the "sloptician or mc-tician" group, reps into the "money-grubbing, sorta sleazy" group, ODs into the "eliteist, money-hungry, wannabe an MD" group and MDs into the "clueless about glasses" group. The magazine I write for even published an article slamming reps.

I've had bad experiences with all these groups, but trash-talking about them never seemed to be the best way to cope. Are there people and companies that I dislike, absolutely, but they don't represent the vast majority of the people and companies that are out there and I would be foolish to lump them all together. I understand that to succeed, I need to deal with every situation in as professional a manner as possible and move on.

Eloquent and graceful as always Judy!

[Rockstargazer]

If things are as bad as you indicate, and I'm not shocked to hear these things, your best course of action is call the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission (EEOC) AND the US Department of Labor AND Arizona's Unemployment Department AND your states Medical Board AND any other city, county, state or federal regulatory agency that would have some type of oversight with the practice. Your best angle is abuse of the Unemployment laws seems to me. Good luck.