# Am I right to break up with my optometrist because of this? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 9, 2015, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-right-to-break-up-with-my-optometrist-because-of-this/722027 "2015-06-09T01:08:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Randolph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Randolph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Randolph)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2015, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-right-to-break-up-with-my-optometrist-because-of-this/722027/21 "2015-06-09T15:44:25Z")
Okay, thanks for the perspective, guys. I’ll downgrade my Moral Indignation to Simply Irked. (Well, I don’t think I actually reached Moral Indignation, but I’ve always wanted to.) It’s just about the principle of the matter, not anything practical. I agree that postcards reminding you to schedule an appointment are Very Good. (Text messages, not so much.) It’s the fact that they went and scheduled an appointment - an actual appointment - without my consent that’s bothering me. I’m fairly sure I didn’t agree to an appointment during the last exam - I’m allergic to commitment, and would’ve swatted that suggestion down reflexively - but it’s possible that something ununderstood slipped by with a mumbled, “Uh, okay.” from me. Anyways, I’ll give it some more thought and we’ll see if practicality bests principle. Practicality does have fuzzy eyeballs on its side, after all. ---
**Author:** ![Dogzilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@Dogzilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogzilla)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2015, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-right-to-break-up-with-my-optometrist-because-of-this/722027/22 "2015-06-09T17:57:46Z")
Are you positively sure they just scheduled the appointment without consulting you? Because I can’t remember I conversation I had at the optometrist eight months ago. I’m impressed that you remember if they did or didn’t say, “Same date/time next year?” Maybe you weren’t paying attention and nodded and that was taken as agreement to the upcoming appointment. But to take offense to that? That is just silly. ---
**Author:** ![Randolph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Randolph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Randolph)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2015, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-right-to-break-up-with-my-optometrist-because-of-this/722027/23 "2015-06-09T19:21:41Z")
> [@Dogzilla](#): > > But to take offense to that? That is just silly. You can take offense without being dramatic about it. …see? ---
**Author:** ![Dogzilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@Dogzilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogzilla)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2015, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-right-to-break-up-with-my-optometrist-because-of-this/722027/24 "2015-06-09T19:34:03Z")
> [@Randolph](#): > > You can take offense without being dramatic about it. > > …see? 😕 I wasn’t aware my opinion that a thing is silly = “being dramatic.” Um. But thanks for the insight. ---
**Author:** ![Randolph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Randolph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Randolph)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2015, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-right-to-break-up-with-my-optometrist-because-of-this/722027/25 "2015-06-10T00:57:26Z")
Sorry, I didn’t mean ‘you’, specifically, I meant ‘you’ in a general sense. As in, the level of offense I took at the appointment being made for me was less of the off-to-the-fainting-couches-martha level and more of the damned-mosquitos level. I’m offended in principle, or trying to figure out if I should be. Then I tried to make a meta joke about taking small offense. It made sense to me at the time. =/ ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2015, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-right-to-break-up-with-my-optometrist-because-of-this/722027/26 "2015-06-10T01:18:55Z")
I think I’d have been a little irritated too. I’ve even turned down free months of HBO and the like simply because they required me to call to cancel after the free period. Sometimes that call can be irritating; waiting on hold, being transferred to the “right” department, then getting the hard sell. But, in this case, I’d just call and make it clear that I don’t want automatic appointments made for me. Well, if I was otherwise happy with them anyways. I am a little curious how this policy has affected their bottom line though. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2015, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-right-to-break-up-with-my-optometrist-because-of-this/722027/27 "2015-06-10T01:41:33Z")
My eyeglass shop (named after a doctor whose name in turn sounded like a precious product of oysters) does the same thing, but the “appointment” as it were is really a sales technique, to psych you into thinking “I ought to call to change it to a real convenient time” so you DO make a real appointment. But, you _don’t_ even have to do _that_, I just show up any time I feel like it in the general vicinity of the proper month and it goes completely unremarked. The one time I “met” the “appointment” they took just as long to dig up my records as every other time in the last 4 years (and to notice they \*again \*had the file for the wrong guy with the same name ). It’s not like some of my other specialists who’ll\* bill me\* for a no-show – since I was not the one who asked and never agreed to the appointment, there is no actual commitment at the eyeglasses place. ---
**Author:** ![Helena330](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/helena330/32/531_2.png) [@Helena330](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helena330)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2015, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-right-to-break-up-with-my-optometrist-because-of-this/722027/28 "2015-06-10T17:59:34Z")
It would annoy me, but if this were an otherwise stellar optometrist I wouldn’t let it stop me. I’ve been through some bad ones (screwing up the prescription then not being willing or educated enough to fix it) that I’d overlook it. I might say something, however. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2015, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-right-to-break-up-with-my-optometrist-because-of-this/722027/29 "2015-06-10T18:03:52Z")
Nothing wrong with a reminder postcard. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2015, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-right-to-break-up-with-my-optometrist-because-of-this/722027/30 "2015-06-10T19:52:54Z")
Here is my two cents. The annual appointment is less for you and more for them. This way they can run a script that sends out reminders for everyone X days before the appointment. So, you get the postcard, and you are reminded, and you call and say whether you can make that day or not. If they didn’t schedule your appointment, they would have to come up with some other way of reminding themselves, and you, that it’s been a year since the appointment. And some people do. My optometrist doesn’t schedule appointments, but sends out a reminder card. My gyno schedules the following year’s appointment right away. Your place just does it this way. I don’t really think they expect you are guaranteed or bound to come in on that day. I think it’s their way of reminding you, AND, if the date/time works for you, now you don’t even have to call and make an appointment! It’s all set for you/. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2015, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-right-to-break-up-with-my-optometrist-because-of-this/722027/31 "2015-06-10T19:59:14Z")
It does help to have another optometrist in the wings; that way, you can compare which is better, 1… or 2… ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2015, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-right-to-break-up-with-my-optometrist-because-of-this/722027/32 "2015-06-10T19:59:34Z")
I’ve never had a place automatically schedule an appointment, so I’d be very puzzled if this had happened. Lots of places will offer to set me up for the following year, when I’m checking out - any chance they asked you when you in the middle of fumbling for papers etc., and you simply forgot? In any case, that would certainly not make me break up with them given that you were otherwise satisifed with the place. Just remember next time to tell them don’t autoschedule!! ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2015, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-right-to-break-up-with-my-optometrist-because-of-this/722027/33 "2015-06-16T01:51:49Z")
I would go again, but make it clear that you do not want an appointment scheduled. If it happened again, I wouldn’t see any reason not to shop around. Sure, you may wind up finding out that they’re still the best, but there may be someone out there that is good and will also listen to you. ---
**Author:** ![actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/actualliberalnotoneofthose)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2015, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-right-to-break-up-with-my-optometrist-because-of-this/722027/34 "2015-06-16T02:34:57Z")
I just got one of these from Sears Optical. weird. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2015, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-right-to-break-up-with-my-optometrist-because-of-this/722027/35 "2015-06-17T15:07:18Z")
Setting the appointment for you was going too far, but I just would ask them nicely to not do that and see how it goes. Give them another chance. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2015, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-right-to-break-up-with-my-optometrist-because-of-this/722027/36 "2015-06-17T17:06:36Z")
I still cant imagine why this would be anything more than a teeny annoyance. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2015, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-right-to-break-up-with-my-optometrist-because-of-this/722027/37 "2015-06-17T17:15:17Z")
> [@Honey](#): > > My doctor and dentist both do that. When it comes up on that date if the time is inconvenient, I simply call and either cancel, and reschedule at a later date, or change the time of the appointment. No big deal. Yes, me too. For the last 40 years… ---
**Author:** ![FuriousGeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecae2f/32.png) [@FuriousGeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FuriousGeorge)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2015, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-right-to-break-up-with-my-optometrist-because-of-this/722027/38 "2015-06-17T17:20:34Z")
if it is a good optometrist, it seems somewhat petty to leave because of this. It’s not like you can’t call to either change or cancel the appointment so that you have a pair before the old ones break. …and now that you need him, you are in a hurry. ---
**Author:** ![BeeGee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b5a626/32.png) [@BeeGee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeeGee)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2015, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-right-to-break-up-with-my-optometrist-because-of-this/722027/39 "2015-06-17T17:42:05Z")
Mine puts a little tiny sticker on the upper left lens like Jiffy Lube “Next eye exam: Sept 2015 or 200 books” No? Ok, I get a card in the mail. There’s no way I could schedule an appointment a year in advance for anything. ---
**Author:** ![Mona\_Lisa\_Simpson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ce7236/32.png) [@Mona\_Lisa\_Simpson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mona_Lisa_Simpson)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2015, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-right-to-break-up-with-my-optometrist-because-of-this/722027/40 "2015-06-17T17:51:19Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > It does help to have another optometrist in the wings; that way, you can compare which is better, 1… or 2… 1 and 2 look the same. Wait. Can I see 1 again? 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-right-to-break-up-with-my-optometrist-because-of-this/722027.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-right-to-break-up-with-my-optometrist-because-of-this/722027.md?page=3)