“Did I Get a Free Appointment Because I Looked Nice?”: Doctor Waived a Woman’s Fee the Only Time She Showed Up Dressed Up

A Reddit user in r/GirlDinnerDiaries said a routine orthokeratology follow up at an older male optometrist’s office felt different when she arrived dressed for a date.

The Redditor wears orthokeratology lenses and sometimes needs quick appointments when they develop “small issues”. Her past visits were short, often under ten minutes, where he checked her eyes and arranged a replacement if they needed one.

She usually avoided eye makeup for these appointments but on that day she wore makeup, laminated lashes, and a lower cut dress because she had a date immediately afterward.

She recalled that her “bombshell friend” who recommended the optometrist said he was “always super nice,” talked about her medical studies, and even gave her skincare tips.

In contrast, the Redditor said the doctor had previously seemed “grumpy” and “slightly dissmisive,” and that their interactions had stayed brief and strictly business.

During the appointment, he was notably warmer than usual — making small talk and asking about topics beyond her eye health, something that had not happened in previous visits.

During the clinical exam, he brought up other topics including supplements and recommended several products.

At the end of the visit, the doctor told her, “Well today’s visit was so short. Since we did so little, I won’t charge you this time.” She left, but later noted that “every other equally short appointment for the exact same or similar issue was charged.”

"So it randomly crossed my mind," she asked in the post, "did I get a free appointment because I happened to look nice that day, or am I reading way too much into a coincidence?

One commenter suggested testing her theory by treating future appointments like an informal experiment. They wrote, “I think you may be right… to be certain, dress up again the next time you have an appointment,” and said she needed “more data points for comparison.”

Another commenter wrote, “I think he gave you a free appointment so you’d see him more often,” and argued that “who doesn’t like free stuff” when a doctor “chatted you up so he could spend more time with a pretty woman.”

A third commenter connected the post to their own experience, writing, “I lost weight. I regularly wear makeup and do my hair all the time now.” They said, “Things are different. I don’t know how I feel about it.”

The thread remains active and has gained 11,000 upvotes as of publication.

The details above reflect the original poster’s account as shared on r/GirlDinnerDiaries.