The frame stylist

[drk]

This is maybe an old-school job description, but hear me out, please.

"Frame styling" would be having an optician (perhaps a newer or less-experienced optician or maybe even a non-optician <--don't kill me) work with the patient to find the right look. Color analysis FWIW, could relate to fashion, could inject advice, etc.

This is in contradistinction to a "dispensing optician" (again, I'm stretching the definitions a little. Please improve the idea if you can) who a. interprets the Rx and designs lenses, b. orders the lenses, c. dispenses the glasses.

(And certainly in distinction from "laboratory optician" if you have a lab, where all the 55 y.o. guys with coffee breath and B.O hang out.)

What experiences or thoughts do you all have regarding a "frame stylist"?

[Loki]

In my practice we have 'optical consultants' that handle a lot of that. Dispensing Opticians do too but we're outnumbered by the non-qualified (but highly experienced) staff.

[Elvis Is Alive]

Many large practices employ "frame stylists" who help with frame selection, and then hand them off to the optician for measurements, lens options, dispensing, etc.

Most large chains do this, most small private practices do not. You will see some private OD offices who don't want to pay for an experienced/licensed optician but suffer as a result.

[waynegilpin]

"Frame styling" would be having an optician (perhaps a newer or less-experienced optician or maybe even a non-optician <--don't kill me) work with the patient to find the right look. Color analysis FWIW, could relate to fashion, could inject advice, etc."

I understand the value as far as staffing and time utilization. But pity the poor optician who's called in at the last moment to take the measurements. "Ah yes. 62-18 rimless frame. 54PD. -8D. It ain't gonna work."
"But I just LOVE this frame. The frame stylist said it's the only one of the 500 frames that I tried on that looks Marvelous (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ds-ajdQkIRY) on me. I HAVE to have it."

Jump to 3 weeks later when the glasses are dispensed. Patient in tears. "They look horrible on me. Nobody told me that the lenses would be thick."

Yes, something similar did happen to me. The glasses were ordered before I started and I had to clean up the mess. We remade the glasses in a more appropriate choice rather than the refund the pt. wanted. She was happy in the end but asked why the "stylist" let her pick out the rimless in the first place. I looked like Muhammad Ali ducking and dodging that one.

[NAICITPO]

"Frame styling" would be having an optician (perhaps a newer or less-experienced optician or maybe even a non-optician <--don't kill me) work with the patient to find the right look. Color analysis FWIW, could relate to fashion, could inject advice, etc."

I understand the value as far as staffing and time utilization. But pity the poor optician who's called in at the last moment to take the measurements. "Ah yes. 62-18 rimless frame. 54PD. -8D. It ain't gonna work."
"But I just LOVE this frame. The frame stylist said it's the only one of the 500 frames that I tried on that look Marvelous (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ds-ajdQkIRY) on me. I HAVE to have it."

Jump to 3 weeks later when the glasses are dispensed. Patient in tears. "They look horrible on me. Nobody told me that the lenses would be thick."

Yes, something similar did happen to me. The glasses were ordered before I started and I had to clean up the mess. We remade the glasses in a more appropriate choice rather than the refund the pt. wanted. She was happy in the end but asked why the "stylist" let her pick out the rimless in the first place. I looked like Muhammad Ali ducking and dodging that one.

This.

The single best thing you can do for the best outcome is frame selection. We all know this. The magical 1.67 digital lens won't make a -6.00 with a 28 pd in a 60 eyesize frame look nice. I think it's almost better to teach an old dog new tricks, give opticians "fashion" training instead of non-opticians "optician" training. DRK you really cannot replace years of dispensing when it comes to the best outcomes for your customers/patients.

[Paul Smith LDO]

Window dressing, a frame stylist can't do what an Optician can do. Sure they may be younger, woke, and more photogenic(don't know how that is possible) than I. If they can't do my job with limited screw ups the only purpose they serve is to make the doctors office and on line web site appear more staffed. If you can't dust the top shelves, pop corn ceiling and change out the incandescent light bulbs without faux coughing and sneezing whilst complaining about how insulated pop corn ceilings and incandescent bulbs are killing the leopard spotted lemon frog indigenous to the Amazon Delta I don't want you. Touch my, Johnny Mathis Christmas CD and you'll never be heard from again. If you want to do the job attach yourself like Ramora fish to an Optician. Otherwise practice your pouty lip, wind blown hair look and work on a catchy bio.

[drk]

Yep. 55. Coffee. B.O.

[ODoS_HBB]

As one of the woke millennial who smells of coffee and B.O; working with a frame stylist who wants to learn from an optician and/or OD, and likes to understand why we would or would not recommend a frame can be really good for a practice or store. I think it builds a good office dynamic, that patients can "get the vibe of" when the look for new eyeglasses. Also saves on the obvious headaches of wasting time re-selecting an appropriate frame or restyling a patient after the dispense.
I think any frame stylist who enters their role looking at it as purely a sales position isn't a good fit for independent offices and practices