Your opinion please!

CoolHandLuke

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No it's not a joke. And in Australia dental technicians don't even have registration, so anyone can do it basically. There are no rules about lab sheets, but yes I normally would not proceed without knowing all the details.
Not that it has anything to do with my original question but this incident occurred at Christmas time. The dentist gave me 24 hours to deliver this case starting at lunchtime. It was not booked in and he gave me two other cases as well, also not booked in. I had other work to finish so when I got to the point of needing to 'have a conversation with him', it was 2am. It never even occurred to me that it might not be a PFM, as we had discussed several cases but I was not aware that he had said anything about this one. I didn't notice there was no shade until I went to put the opaquer on. Every time I ring and ask for the shade he says the same thing (C3) because he can't remember himself.
I'm not stupid, I was tired and under extreme pressure. He was pushing hard and there were only a couple of days left to go. He cracked the ****s because I charged him full fee for both the PFM and the subsequent FGC I had to make. I busted my arse to get all the work completed and was not responsible for the lack of information. He said he told me that it was a FGC but I thought he was referring to another case (which was) and he said I should have recognised that it was, by the appearance of the preparation. Which I think is absolute garbage and the biggest joke coming from someone who's work is so **** that it all looks the same. There you go, now you have the whole story.
sounds like the kind of guy i never want the displeasure of working for. i'd tell him firmly where to shove his 24 hour case.
 
rkm rdt

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sounds like the kind of guy i never want the displeasure of working for. i'd tell him firmly where to shove his 24 hour case.
You don't get the pleasure of speaking directly to them. You get the nasal call from the " office manager".
 
CoolHandLuke

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if that ever happens i will refuse it. one unit is not worth this kind of hassle.
 
olwyn

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if that ever happens i will refuse it. one unit is not worth this kind of hassle.
It's never just one job though is it? It could be a client who is worth a lot of money, but they are just hard to work for. The key is to find the right place to draw the line. In this case, this is probably it!
 
JKraver

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Make a standard of requirements from the Dr. or charge an admin fee for your time figuring out what he wants. Also specify that FCG will be the go to if there is no material specified. COD the guy if you need to.
 
JKraver

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I realize it is easy to talk tough on an online forum. End game this type of stuff isn't worth the life it takes out of you.
 
Gru

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One lesson I learned from some gurus here past and present was to require a signed Rx and make sure all your terms are outlined on the back with their signature acknowledging the terms. Best protection you can have. As JKraver noted, the default for unspecified types of crowns/alloy/etc. should be stated on the Rx. No Rx, no processing of case until it's received.
 
olwyn

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Thanks everyone for your input. Although not many people actually answered my question. LOL. But it has been a good discussion and reminder that there are things I could do to prevent this happening to me again. Cheers!
 
JKraver

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Thanks everyone for your input. Although not many people actually answered my question. LOL. But it has been a good discussion and reminder that there are things I could do to prevent this happening to me again. Cheers!

You may have not gotten a direct answer, but the undertone seemed to me to be whatever was higher for your profit ratio. I would say FCG.
 
Sydceramist

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I gave up on Dentists here in OZ!

As Sasha Hein told me leave!

Its the worst place to be a DT
 
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i think if you do what sasha hein tells you ,it might be time to consider a different profession . sasha couldnt make a go of it in australia but many have from all over the world , just being a good tech doesnt mean you are good at business .no one is going to bow down to anyones greatness and just give you money in this world.i have seen many good techs try and open labs in other countries and they dont succeed because they forget that country already has great techs with a better understanding of the lay of the land.
 
Sydceramist

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Of course, Dr Sasha has his opinion. The facts are that DT are not registered, the industry has no governing body. The industry had a heathy middle class (quality) its now either high or low, you get the aesthetic cases that are demanding and time consuming. The bread and butter goes somewhere else. Again thats my opinion and assessment.

Problem is as I have ventured into other fields is that you are working for a single client or a few who believe they know everything and are right most of the time, They have a monopoly over you. I now have different clients every week and they listen to me, and if not i dont care because theres tons of work!
 
Al.

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i think if you do what sasha hein tells you ,it might be time to consider a different profession . sasha couldnt make a go of it in australia but many have from all over the world , just being a good tech doesnt mean you are good at business .no one is going to bow down to anyones greatness and just give you money in this world.i have seen many good techs try and open labs in other countries and they dont succeed because they forget that country already has great techs with a better understanding of the lay of the land.
I agree
 
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rlhhds

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My 2 cents here. I would say PFM because of the what you could call a poor attempt at a shoulder prep. If it was a feather edge prep I would say a FGC. But since he wants it so fast. I will say FGC for my sanity of getting it done when he wants it. But regardless I would have told him no can do on the return time and tell him I could suggest some other labs he could try to see if they can get it done for him in that time.
 
JMN

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@olwyn
What did end up happening with this one? Did you get a response finally or just wing it?

My sincere suggestion for the next time it happens, and what I just did with a removable case recently:
Call the office and tell them you are coming by in the morning to either pick up a prescription or deliver the case as you received it so the Doc can better remember what is going on. If there's not one ready when you go, tell them to call when it has a prescription.

I generally (and now always) check every case before leaving the office for a 'script that makes sense and a signature at the bottom. I, too, had to learn it's a lot easier to wait 5 minutes at pickup for answers than to get them later.

Besides you'll actually get to read "Field and Dream" for a few minutes.
 
olwyn

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@olwyn
What did end up happening with this one? Did you get a response finally or just wing it?

Hi. I was working through the night with this and other cases. I did a PFM using the same shade he always asks for . There was no shade but neither was there on another of his cases I had at the same time. ( I rang and confirmed that one because there was time to do so) It never once occurred to me it might be a FGC. I did the remake in FGC because the patient wouldn't accept the PFM. I charged him for the remake as well because it was his error and I had worked so hard to try and meet his demands. He questioned the fee, so I reduced the lab fee by half, still charging for the alloy. He paid it but after January I haven't seen another job from him. So I guess he wasn't prepared to accept responsibility and has gone elsewhere. I need the work but I won't be disrespected. I already provide exceptional service and meet unreasonable demands on a regular basis. I told him he was obliged to provide a lab sheet for every case and that we had already done a previous remake a year ago for the same reason. He said that wasn't very often as though it was okay if I incurred such losses if it was only occasionally. I found that very insulting so I don't regret my choices in this case. If I'd had more time I would have communicated fully prior to starting the job, but I would have had to ring him in the middle of the night or not meet finish time. It is a country practice that he commutes to part time and I cannot just pop in there.
Thanks for your interest everyone. It hasn't been a happy outcome, but I feel that I was in an unwinnable situation given the time restraints. I put myself on the line to try and meet the deadline and I lost. Boohoo, we've all been there. :)
 
JMN

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After finding out how much extra you put into him, he may find some respect for you after trying other places. Either way, his attitude towards you had to go. And looks like it left with him.
Hang in there,we all understand needing work, but some offices are more stress than you can handle reasonably, and it may put money on the table, but it destroys your quality of life.
 
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