Good reliable optician - pricing may get Carol Vorderman baffled (Dolland & Aitchison)

Member Name: bucksfizz66

Product:	Dolland & Aitchison
Date:	02/08/09 (85 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great optician with good range of glasses

Disadvantages: Confusing pricing - just tell me what it costs - don't make me think I'm getting a bargain

Dolland and Aitchison is a franchise opticians that operates throughout the UK. Now if you are going to have your eyes tested you will choose an optician local to yourself and like everything in the world and life there is good and bad in everything. So when I speak about my experiences will D&A then I speak directly about the Stafford branch with which I am familiar - this can in no way represent the whole of D&A although their services are uniform.

I have been with D&A for a little over 10 years now since I first realised that my eyesight was not what it used to be. Certainly at the Stafford branch the eyetest given is the traditional one that most of us are familiar with - board with varying sized letters, black circles on red and green etc. and the eye test itself follows a very traditional format of wearing silly glasses whilst different lenses are insterted and you respond to a series of questions, you also have to have the close up retinal glare whilst you stare at the bright light.

Consistently this test has delivered the results of the correct glassses that perform for me.

As the years have rolled by I now have to endure the awful pressure test (where air is blown into each eye) to test for glaucoma. Not nice but necessary. They also have an interesting machine like a 1980's computer for testing your peripheral vision.

The test is about £27 - although they always have offers on for reduced cost tests online and once you are registered with them you tend to get these throughh the post just before your next test is due (ironic that).

In addition you can pay an additional £7 to have a retinal photo taken - one eye at a time. Now most might walk away from this thinking it is an un-necessary extra - however we gladly spend x pounds on new tyres or x pounds on anything that isn't really important but we forego £7 for the peace of mind of knowing our eyes are healthy or that if something is wrong it is being caught early - I don't think this is a huge price to pay.

There are always a huge selection of frames to choose from NHS, ordinary and designer. Their pricing is always abit of a mystery to me - the prices you see on the frames are just for the frames - the lens are extra plus if you want any anti-scratch or anti-glare treatments these are extra too.

Sometimes with the money off eye test vouchers you do get money off glasses too and there always seems to be a sale on. For me I would rather they just said how much the glasses really were rather than the whole rigmorole of "have you got your voucher" and "we've got a sale on" - almost making you feel like you ought to be grateful. There is always a further dimension aswell as normally with frames over a certain price you can have a free second pair or free pair of perscription sunglasses - which I do always have as I can't summon the strength to wear contacts and ordinary sunglasses.

Again it demonstrates the glasses are cheap if they can afford to do this so why don't they just price them this way. It would save on all the voucher printing and website updates for their offers.

I always have to go back to have my glasses adjusted - but thats more to do with my physiology than their fit (I must sound hideous). However they are always happy to carry out the adjustments.

At Stafford there is one optician that I have seen - great guy - who seems to be supported by about 6 "shop assistants" - not really sure I have every seen enough folk in there to warrant this.

Other opticians such as Boots and Specsavers i think tend to test your eyes with an automated machine - I personally prefer the more traditional approach.

There are other services offered such as contact lenses, hearing tests etc. i cannot comment on these - as I have no direct experience.

The D&A website is an informative reference source and also helps you to locate your nearest branch. I don't like their online booking system where you advise a slot and then they contact you back to confirm - this shouldn't be necessary in this technological age.

There are cheaper sources for glasses throughout the internet if you know your perscription but because of the problem with getting glasses to fit my narrow nose bridge I personally like to have a store to go back to who can adjust the glasses whilst I wait.

Summary: I wouldn't switch - but sort your pricing out guys