Should you really buy glasses from big box chains?

[alferec]

Maybe it wouldn't be the best idea to get your glasses from those big box optical chains...here's an interesting news report that my classmate told us about called "Eyeglass Chain Stores Put to the Test":

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Consumer/story?id=3820387&page=1

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[Daurang]

How can I as a consumer tell the quality at the small local office is any better than the big chains? It's the optician in the lab that fit the lenses anyway; so how do the optometrist ensure the specs are up to standard?

 

[KHE]

How can I as a consumer tell the quality at the small local office is any better than the big chains? It's the optician in the lab that fit the lenses anyway; so how do the optometrist ensure the specs are up to standard?

It's hard....because even in many small offices the person fitting the spectacles is some "girl" who received on the job training and is really no more competent than any other person off the street.

A good OD will make lens design recommendations that fit a patients needs. A not so good OD will turn that task over to an unskilled person.

However for most private optometrists, even if the person doing that job is not a formally trained optician, their training and experience should be such that they know what they're doing because it's ultimately the doctor who's name is on the door whos reputation is going to be ruined if crap is constantly being turned out. In my office, we have three opticians...none of them are licensed though. One has 20 years experience, one has 8, and one has 3. The one with 20 and the one with 8 I will gladly put up against any licensed optician in the country.

 

[eyestrain]

However for most private optometrists, even if the person doing that job is not a formally trained optician, their training and experience should be such that they know what they're doing because it's ultimately the doctor who's name is on the door whos reputation is going to be ruined if crap is constantly being turned out.

I think that's an important point. At a private practice, its the DOCTOR's reputation and practice on the line. At the retail places, I think its more the store's reputation because most people don't have a clue who the doctor is anyway. Where was your last exam? "Lenscrafters". Who was the doctor? "I don't know. Some young girl.'