What would YOU do?

[Karin Randall]

You just ordered two jobs from your in house lab at a branch of your national retail chain you are just filling in at... You've made sure the lenses were in stock. You entered the order AS WRITTEN by the doctor, but it just happens to be in plus cyl... It's also one of the rare times you don't manually transpose before sending the ticket to the lab. Lab manager comes back with them and asks you to reorder them, it was effectively ordered wrong, they don't accept orders in plus cyl.... Even tho you happen to know their software transposes automatically, all the lab has to do is enter the rx as written.... I have received a hand full of unacceptable answers, the higher ups audit how scripts are entered and it has to be a certain percentage of each cylinder type, even down to just plain that's always how we've done it. Well golly, I guess working full time five years at multiple locations for this company as a licensed optician has taught me nothing cause this is the first time I've heard of that rule... So I continue to question it, give me one good reason why? It seems like an arbitrary rule based on someone's loathing or lack of understanding plus cyl, a software defect nobody has caught on to and/or nobody wants to expose/disclose... I just want one good reason... Why? In a world where we are all trying to keep remakes down, why this frivolous "plus cyl is wrong" mentality is happening? I do know one thing. If this were MY optical shop and the lab I used called and said you need to redo this order we don't accept plus cyl, I'd drop them like a hot potato! Maybe I have a narrow view since I am not well traveled outside this company so that's why I'm asking everyone else's opinion. Thanks in advance!

P.S. the 'that's always how we've done it' makes me think of this experiment:
https://youtu.be/y-PvBo75PDo

[rbaker]

Why not just transpose the Rx to minus cylinder yourself and reorder it. Don't concern yourself with issues out of your control. If the lab wants orders in minus cylinder form always send em that way.

As a self proclaimed "Dispensing Optician" in Florida you do know SVTT don't you?

[Karin Randall]

Well naturally I do transpose 99% of the time, it's just the first time anyone has ever said anything about they wanted it ordered only in minus cyl. This includes corporate lab. Who I give them whatever is faster for me. In house lab I understand their limited time, manpower and possible formal training so I do sympathize, but you're just gonna spring this on me ?! Won't even hear me out, that your program does it automatically o r I will do it for you right now???. That's what's burning my ***, I take pride in the accuracy of my orders. I'll stop ordering in plus cyl when doctors stop writing it. Or just have to swallow my pride and say fine. But I just want to understand a reasonable explanation of why? And now I'm going to sound dumb and admit svtt isn't ringing any bells. I "add, change, change" if that's what you are getting at. I can transpose easily it does not intimidate me but sometimes I'm just plain busy with two lines on hold naturally wanting to know when their contact that were only ordered three days ago will be ready, one person at the sale station, one waiting for troubleshooting at dispensing and some walk-in looky-loos wanting to know what's included in the advertised promotion. Ain't nobody got time for that! Every time!

[Karin Randall]

I agree with the why bother with things out of your control, those are wise words to live by but it affects the numbers the whole store is getting chewed out on currently.

[drk]

Just go with the system. When you get promoted to boss, you can change it.

[Karin Randall]

Do labs really do this tho? Reject plus cyl orders? Because if this is a common phenomenon that alone would put my mind at ease.

[Karin Randall]

Just go with the system. When you get promoted to boss, you can change it.

Strokes beard while pondering that angle....

[Karin Randall]

If the lab wants orders in minus cylinder form always send em that way?

NOW that I KNOW it's an expectation that is the only way I've ordered it from them ever since. Except one that needed to come from corporate anyways, just to make sure I'm witnessing what I perceive as a double standard. It came back made correctly despite it being plus cyl.

[Lelarep]

The big question is, if + cyl is unacceptable, why even allow + cyl to be entered? It would be simple to have the program spit out a "+ cyl not accepted" message when you try to complete the Rx if + cyl is really that much of a problem for them. Even if its part of an ancient legacy system, updating the code to do this couldn't possibly be that difficult. My general rule is, if you don't want an end user entering data a certain way, don't allow them to. If you do, then you get what you deserve (and that includes + cyl). Its nothing more than laziness and poor programming on their part. Want a good example of this and terrible outcomes? Look up the Therac-25. Its a perfect example of why you should never allow end users to do absolutely anything that you don't want them doing.

[mervinek]

Its nothing more than laziness and poor programming on their part.

I think we all agree that it is dumb because it doesn't matter if it's + cyl or - cyl... it's all the same. That being said...it's what they do, so just roll with it. If that was the only thing that got me riled up at work, I would consider myself lucky. I have other crap to deal with... + cyl - cyl dilemma sounds quite luxurious to me. Just sayin... I would just transpose the rx, maybe add a small eye roll with it and move on with my day.

[smallworld]

When I started in optical, I worked for a retail chain that made us look foolish on a daily basis. From having to do store PA's (public announcements) every ten minutes, walking around the main store and asking shoppers if we could clean their glasses, to selling sea monkeys and crystal growing kits (still no idea what that had to do with optical). This huge retail chain had some pretty well paid people at top wracking their brains to come up with new and devious plans to create more work. I almost broke one time when I was told to clean off all of the old price stickers from the 1,000 plus frames and replace with new ones. As I finished, many frustrated hours later, my manager walked in and informed me that corporate now wanted the price sticker on the other lens!! Do it over he said. Luckily I was a starving college kid and I needed the $4.25 an hour. Moral of the story, it doesn't matter the logic or lack there of behind your company's policy, so just do what they say or get a new job. Being right doesn't pay the bills.

[mervinek]

Moral of the story, it doesn't matter the logic or lack there of behind your company's policy, so just do what they say or get a new job. Being right doesn't pay the bills.

Isn't that the truth!

[shanbaum]

That is an astonishing rule, for which there can be no sensible justification. Your reaction is entirely reasonable.

You just ordered two jobs from your in house lab at a branch of your national retail chain you are just filling in at... You've made sure the lenses were in stock. You entered the order AS WRITTEN by the doctor, but it just happens to be in plus cyl... It's also one of the rare times you don't manually transpose before sending the ticket to the lab. Lab manager comes back with them and asks you to reorder them, it was effectively ordered wrong, they don't accept orders in plus cyl.... Even tho you happen to know their software transposes automatically, all the lab has to do is enter the rx as written.... I have received a hand full of unacceptable answers, the higher ups audit how scripts are entered and it has to be a certain percentage of each cylinder type, even down to just plain that's always how we've done it. Well golly, I guess working full time five years at multiple locations for this company as a licensed optician has taught me nothing cause this is the first time I've heard of that rule... So I continue to question it, give me one good reason why? It seems like an arbitrary rule based on someone's loathing or lack of understanding plus cyl, a software defect nobody has caught on to and/or nobody wants to expose/disclose... I just want one good reason... Why? In a world where we are all trying to keep remakes down, why this frivolous "plus cyl is wrong" mentality is happening? I do know one thing. If this were MY optical shop and the lab I used called and said you need to redo this order we don't accept plus cyl, I'd drop them like a hot potato! Maybe I have a narrow view since I am not well traveled outside this company so that's why I'm asking everyone else's opinion. Thanks in advance!

P.S. the 'that's always how we've done it' makes me think of this experiment:
https://youtu.be/y-PvBo75PDo