Sears

Today I’m sitting in a Sears optical grateful that we’ve started down the path to practice ownership. I realize it will be a long and difficult path but no matter what happens it will surely beat this.

Now many of you who’ve read other things I’ve written may be in shock. While I don’t agree with those that spew hatred and anger at commercial optometrists, commercial optometry – especially like this – is just not my cup of tea. It has its place and I’ve milked it for all its worth. It really is time to move on.

To supplement my income I signed on with a company that provides temporary fill-in optometric services. They had an opening for today; I wasn’t working anywhere else so I agreed to fill in at this Sears Optical.

Half of you probably didn’t even know Sears had an optical.

It used be a division of Cole Vision.

Cole Vision was, of course, purchased by Luxottica so Sears optical is now part of the wonderful Luxottica family.

Sears opticals are generally hidden in the back of the store near the electronics.

Today I’m working across the aisle from the refrigerators and next to the hearing aid people.

Sears opticals are generally small. This is no exception.

The area the Optometrist leases is tiny. Maybe 10 feet by 5 feet jam packed with antiquated equipment, a small counter and a sink.

I could not see myself parking my car in the mall parking lot, walking through the door to Sears and spending the next 8-10 hours in this little dungeon day after day.

After day.

The optometrist who leases this practice has been here for years.

I’ve never met the man but according to his degree on the wall he graduated in 1985.

22 years ago.

And he has a tiny little hovel that doesn’t belong to him.

Not my cup of tea.

But more power to him. He can have the Sears patients. I don’t want them.

Not because they’re not good people but because they are Sears people. I heard somewhere once that the only way Sears optical survives is because they accept the Sears credit card. I don’t know if it’s true or not but I do know that most of the people I’ve encountered at Sears optical are here for the quickie exam and whatever glasses are on sale this week ($99 for a complete pair this week - including progressives). Good for them.

I don’t want to see those people.

I look forward to the challenge that private practice will be. Not only the challenges that come from complex cases but the challenge that owning a business will present.

Staffing issues. Building issues. Insurance issues. It will be a challenge that I couldn’t find working in a hovel for 22 years.

I hate the mall.

I hate going to the mall for any reason at any time.

It is a very slow day so I felt like getting up and moving around. Rather than pace my 10X5 room I headed out into the mall.

I walked past a Lenscrafters, a Pearle Vision, and an ECCA optical. So there are at least 4 opticals in this mall.

Three of them owned by Luxottica!

Crazy.

The private practice I work at one day a week has mostly Luxottica frames for sale.

And takes Eyemed.

If at all possible we’re not going to sell Luxottica frames.

Or take Eyemed.

Why support the company that is slowly taking over the entire industry?

We’ll see what reality holds as currently I’m just living in a theoretical/idealistic world.

Thursday is our introductory meeting with the consulting group. We’ll be getting a package in the mail today or tomorrow and will receive a phone call on Thursday going over all of the information in the package.

I’ll let you know.