Dispensing opticians play a critical role in the optical retail industry. These trained professionals are responsible for advising patients on the lenses and frames that will best suit their prescriptions, as well as dispensing and fitting the glasses once they are ready. Not only is it essential for opticians to be well-versed in the technical aspects of the job, but they must also possess excellent communication and customer service skills.
Enrolling in a dispensing optician program will provide you with the training and knowledge you need to become an integral member of the eye care industry. Read on for some essential tips that will help you achieve success once you break into the field.
Successful Opticians Wash Their Hands Often and Between Patients
Once you begin working as a certified dispensing optician, you will quickly learn that it’s best to wash your hands very often. Professionals holding dispensing optician diplomas are responsible for handling an object that rests on a person’s face all day long. And of course, the best way to keep germs at bay is to scrub up between patients to protect your own health and that of your customers.
Clean Tools Make for Safe Slip-ups
At one point or another during their career, every optician has slipped up and nicked him or herself with a screwdriver or other tool. This is just one of the reasons why it’s so important to keep your tools sterile at all time. Graduates of dispensing optician college know that every optical lab stores hydrogen peroxide. This chemical compound is great for sterilizing tools, so have all of your tools soaking in it when they are not in use.
Turning a Browser into a Buyer as a Dispensing Optician
Anyone who has ever worked in retail has encountered the “browser”. The browser is the shopper (or patient) who walks into a store and when approached, responds “I’m just browsing.” Professionals with sales experience know that this customer really likes to take his or her time, and is generally afraid of being pushed into buying anything too quickly. Experts with successful dispensing optician careers understand that asking this patient a few key questions might just make him or her comfortable enough to accept help. Some questions that an optician might ask include, “have you had an eye examination?” or “have you heard about our special?”
Certified Opticians Introduce New Products to Doctors First
Most optical retail stores have an optometrist’s office inside the store or very close by. Patients typically visit the optometrist for their eye exam and then head inside the store to have their prescription filled. A great way to introduce new products to patients is to sit down with the optometrist once in awhile and discuss them with him or her. This way, the doctor can speak to patients about some of these products while they are undergoing their eye exams. Of course, it’s important to note that an optometrist probably won’t vouch for something that he or she does not believe in, so remember to discuss products you truly believe are effective, and have researched. Some great new products that you might want to speak to an optometrist about include polarized transition lenses and polarized gradient sunglass lenses.
What other tips do you think would come in handy once you’ve launched your dispensing optician career?
