Customer Service Deteriorating in Great Yarmouth (Boots Opticians)

Member Name: Sillynan

Product:	Boots Opticians
Date:	27/08/09 (58 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: None

Disadvantages: Ridiculous appointment wait time. Rude staff.

I have been a customer of the Great Yarmouth Boots Opticians for several years. My husband has been going there for many years longer as he has always needed specs. I have just received a letter to book an eye test. I rang up the local store rather than the central booking line (who always have got it wrong in the past) and was told the earliest appointment is 29th SEPTEMBER! Nearly 5 weeks away.

I was taken aback, and explained that I have friends coming from abroad who will be here then, so I can make no arrangements until I know what we are doing with them, but I had naturally assumed the eye test would be before they arrived. But to no avail. A very terse female assistant said that they were always booking 5/6 weeks in advance, as the local hospital refers a lot of patients to them.

I pointed that I was a loyal customer, and surely priority should be given to loyalty. I also said that I could just walk into other opticians to which she rudely replied "That's your perogative! I can't magic up an appointment which isn't there!" Her solution? "Ring up every morning you can come in and see if we have had a cancellation." Not acceptable.

I don't know what is going on here. This Boots Opticians has always in the past been very customer focussed, and appointments have been prompt. Do the hospital referrals take priority over loyal customers? I don't know, but I have EMailed Boots to find out the name of the overall manager of this store to whom I will be complaining about the appointment wait time and the member of staff who was so rude to me.

Summary: I am seriously considering going elsewhere after many years with Boots Opticians