22 upvotes, 2 direct replies (showing 2)
View submission: Are opticians just glorified salesman's now?
FYI, I don't believe anyone is saying the sales person is the optician. The person you're replying to said not all front of house staff were opticians. My understanding from the comments and experience at specsavers (just as a customer though) is the following.
Optometrist = testing vision, likes pictures of hot air balloons. Optician = checking glasses hardware, matching to your facial measurements and what not. Sales person = selling you frames. I should add some of these folks are better than others. When I was a fat kid my local one explained what frame shape was best for moon faces like me. They were right too. My dad was gobsmacked at the sheer "matter of fact" delivery and quite frankly we were both just so impressed.
Optical assistant - please see the person who commented on this comment lol.
YMMV.
Comment by SentientTwiglet at 26/01/2025 at 21:11 UTC
10 upvotes, 1 direct replies
The Optician or Optimetrist tests the eyes. A Dispensing Optician (DO) has a degree in fitting glasses and can dispense and fit glasses to under 16s and those with complex prescriptions. An Optical Assistant dispenses and fits glasses to 'regular' patients.
Comment by gyroda at 26/01/2025 at 17:03 UTC
4 upvotes, 0 direct replies
When I was a fat kid my local one explained what frame shape was best for moon faces like me.
Had to get glasses as an adult and wish I had some advice like this! I was texting anyone I could think of who might have been available for feedback