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The Perfect Fit

Eyecare Business May 1, 2017

Three pro opticians divulge their own time-earned fitting techniques to help neophytes dial in a stellar fit for patients

if you’re like many new opticians, you may be feeling a bit over-whelmed with all the information you need to absorb and the skills you need to acquire. That includes the ins and outs of frame fitting and adjusting.

“Fitting can be intimidating for the new optician,” recalls Paul Garcia, owner of Caramel Lunettes in Colorado Springs, CO. To help demystify the bends and twists of frame fitting, EB asked three trendsetting opticians to share a few tricks of their trade.

Here’s some of what Paul Garcia, along with Ruth Domber, owner of 10/10 Optics in New York City, and Craig Chasnov, owner of Eyetopian Optical in Fort Myers, FL, say they’ve learned along the way.

OPTICIAN: Ruth Domber, Owner

LOCATION: 10/10 Optics, New York City

KEY TIPS + TECHNIQUES:

ASYMMETRY. ”Remember that a perfect bench alignment on a table may have nothing to do with the asymmetrical nature of the human head.”

SEG HEIGHT. “Note the posture of patients, especially when taking seg heights. Watch them walk.”

PANTO. “Their previous specs adjustment is important to know. What are they used to? Previous panto or retro angle are important as well.”

PREFERENCES. “Does the patient like a tight or loose fit? Snug or sliding down the nose? Respect their preferences!”

OPTICIAN: Craig Chasnov, Owner

LOCATION: Eyetopian Optical in Fort Myers, FL

KEY TIPS + TECHNIQUES:

TEMPLES. “Make sure the temples are not pressing into the side of the client’s head as it will cause the glasses to slide forward. I put a gentle curve in the temple to fix this.”

EARS. “Ensure the bend behind the ear is not a 90-degree angle, but rather matches the mastoid bone behind the ear. The person needs to be able to get the glasses on and off without them being a hitching post.”

CENTER. “Put laser marks at the center on the lenses so when the client puts them on we can verify proper alignment and measurement. This is the only way to ensure they are fit properly and take best advantage of the lens design.”

—Stephanie K. De Long

OPTICIAN: Paul Garcia, Owner

LOCATION: Caramel Lunettes in Colorado Springs, CO

KEY TIPS + TECHNIQUES:

STOP. “Too many times I see opticians fail to listen, and simply go to the adjustment station and either do the typical four-point alignment, or just ‘the usual.’ Paying attention to what the patient tells you will benefit you by building a bond that can’t be easily broken.”

4-POINT. “The ‘four-point bench alignment’ may be a good place to start, but it’s just that...a starting point. Super important is to have the customer look downward in order to see whether or not you have an equal vertex distance for both eyes.”

LIDS. “I often see frames that are crooked because the optician used eyebrows or other facial features as a reference point. It is critical that you have an equal distance between the lower lids and the bottom of the frame on both eyes. That’s because you want the patients’ eyes to travel through the same meridian at the same time.

“Doing all these things will help the new optician to mature into a master of his or her craft,” concludes Garcia. “Be the type of optician who is proud to have your name on the work you do!”

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