This is a question STEVEN DARAS ponders, as he becomes increasingly concerned that his once-proud profession is straying away from its roots, diluted to become another form of retailing.
When I started working in 1975, the optical landscape was quite different. Optical dispensers were required to be qualified and licensed. Ophthalmologists were still a major source of refractions along with optometrists.
Optical dispensers had to dispense prescriptions from both professions and give dispensing advice to ophthalmologists’ patients. They occasionally liaised with ophthalmologists regarding the prescription. This meant most trainees weren’t allowed to dispense until they had learned more about the eye, optics, lenses and frames – and only under supervision.
There were no optical practice computer programs, so all lens calculations for vertex distance, base curves, simple transposition etc., were made by dispensers. There was no electronic point-of-sale equipment, and cash registers were manual. Any discounts or change given was calculated mentally.
During the mid-70s the advent of Optyl frame material allowed frame designers to move away from the smaller acetate frame designs to larger, deeper ‘total eye look’ designs covering eyebrows to cheeks. This happened when 98% of lenses were glass!
At the time, glass stock single vision lenses were small (55-65 mm blanks) while some stock glass lenses were still made on a plus base. This meant toric curves were ground on the front surface. Optical dispensers had to be on their toes.
All single vision grind, bifocal, trifocal and quadrifocal lenses were made on minus base, where the toric curves were ground on the back surface allowing the cylinder to be closer to the eye. The new varifocal (progressive) lenses were also made on minus base. People buying larger fashion frames needed larger lenses so many had them ground, so the lens measure was used to ensure that lens forms matched.
Optical dispensers had to counsel them on the changes brought about changing from plus base lens form to minus base lens form and the adaptation required. Then there were those who were presbyopic and had the double whammy of this and learning how to use a lens with a set reading area. Optical dispensers dispensed a lot of information based on their knowledge of lenses and optics.
Relatively new at the time was CR-39 which was also a minus base but was available in larger 70 mm lens blanks. Thus, large frames helped make CR-39 lenses an attractive option.
What happens in today’s workplace? How long before new staff can see the public? How much do they know about modern lens types, designs, materials, treatments, taking accurate facial measurements etc., before they’re allowed to dispense? Apparently not much, as they start almost immediately, so staff orientation seems to be more about the sale.
What do they know about the eye or eye conditions and potential problems that can be avoided by good dispensing advice? What if any, professional development occurs? Have modern optical dispensers/ dispensing opticians (this also affects NZ and the UK) merely become retailers?
In a newspaper article published in 2020 ‘Haggle for a deal – it does pay off’, finance writer Sophie Elsworth details her experience buying spectacles from her optometrist. She visited her optometrist (after the Christmas sales) and noticed he was charging full price “…it’s easy to get sucked into looking at fancy glasses dotted around the sales floor…” Well apart from her missing the pre-Christmas sales period, (not ideal for a finance writer), she was after a discount.
Sadly, she recounts once she picked her designer frame the “…sales assistant crunched the numbers and gave her the hard sell to throw in an eyewear protection plan…” for another fee. She says that she baulked at the price and asked for a discount, “…But she was hungry to get me to make the purchase then and there. ‘Just hang on a minute and I’ll see what I can do’…” Sophie suggests this was ‘code’ on how much discount the sales assistant could give and to wait for that signal. She ended up saving $53.80.
Optical dispensing wasn’t mentioned, nor any advice given about the frame or lenses etc. No advice given to her about her various visual needs or even a dispensing plan being discussed. We were portrayed as being sales assistants (not very good ones).
Discount retailing may be this practice’s choice, so the writer just saw it as a retail experience. Pity she didn’t get the experience of being seen by a professional optical dispenser.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Steven Daras is Course Coordinator of Optical Dispensing TAFE Digital, co-author of the Practical Optical Dispensing and Practical Optical Workshop textbooks, a popular conference speaker and a director and secretary of ADOA.
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