Thank goodness we DID go to SpecSaver (Specsavers Opticians)

Member Name: izzoh

Product:	Specsavers Opticians
Date:	27/10/08 (210 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Helpful, Professional, Friendly

Disadvantages: Not always good news.

Originally started by Doug and Mary Perkins in Guernsey SpecSavers now have over 1000 branches world wide and have been voted The Uk's most trusted opticians by readers digest for the past 7 years. It is definitely no surprise that Specsavers is now a household name.

This review is going to focus more on the Specsavers eye tests that they offer and their customer service rather they their over all products as this is the experience I have had and I want to share it with people and I hope that people really do go for their once in a while check-up.

Just to give you a general idea. Specsavers are an eye care specialist shop that sells frames, glasses of all kinds, contact lenses and other eyewear solutions. They have a large fashion brand range including Tommy Hilfiger, Red or Dead, fcuk, Bench, Quiksilver, Roxy, Jasper Conran and Missoni as well as their own Osiris designer brand. They also offer a great customer after care service where if you are not completely happy with your purchase they will sort the problem out for you up to 6 months from the date of your purchase. Their official line is 'no quibble, no fuss'.

Specsavers also offer free NHS eye tests, and this is the experience I want to share with you.
Who is entitled to a free eye test?
* Under - 16s.
* Under - 19s in full-time education.
* Over - 60s.
* People (or partners of people) on Income Support, Disabled Person's Tax Credit, income-based Job-Seeker's Allowance, or Working Families' Tax Credit.
* Holders (or partners of holders) of an exemption certificate (HC2).
* People who need certain complex lenses.
* People diagnosed diabetic or with glaucoma.
* People aged 40 or over who are the brother, sister or child of a diagnosed glaucoma patient.
Free NHS eye examinations in Scotland
Eye examinations in Scotland are paid for by the Scottish government. To find out more go to www.scotland.gov.uk and search for "eye examinations".
To find out more, contact NHS Direct on 0845 46 47 or your local health authority.
If you are not eligible for this then you can pay for an eye test which is usually around £20.


So back to my experience of Specsavers. My dad does receive free NHS eye tests and after many years of never actually having a test he decided well its free so why not! The company my dad works for also offers help towards eye care as he stares at a computer screen for a lot of the day. So off my dad pops to the Specsavers on our local high street after making an appointment the day before.
There are 10 different eye test methods and the consultant will always adjust the test to your own personal specification. Instead of me going into jargon loaded detail about an eye test Specsavers already have a convenient illustrated step by step guide so if you are unfamiliar with an eye test it is a great way of seeing the basics. http://www.specsavers.co.uk/eyecare/eye-test is the page it is on.

The optician that saw my dad was very professional but friendly and did not confuse my dad by asking long winded questions or jargon. She made him feel comfortable and told him what was happening at each stage of the test. They noted that he had slightly blurred vision in his left eye and explained this could be a number of things. The optician was honest and said that he did not know what was blocking my dad's vision but she thought it was best to get it checked out at the hospital and the next day my dad was called at home with an appointment. The service already seemed fast and efficient. The main appointment at the hospital was booked for 5 days later with a letter in the post to confirm. So my dad went to the hospital appointment obviously feeling apprehensive. But to cut a very long story short. They found my dad had a brain tumor and was diagnosed with needing emergency surgery. There was a 1 in 100 chance he could die, have a heart attack, go blind or become brain damaged. If he was not referred by the opticians then he most certainly would have become blind if not worse. My dad did not suffer from headaches, any pain in the eyes and had no other symptoms that he could recognise. It was purely the luck of going to Specsavers and the opticians being very precise and so efficient.

My dad survived the tumor and is now fully recovered. My local specsavers branch called my dad 2 weeks after his return home from hospital to ask how he was and to ask him to come for a free checkup to check his eyes were ok. His eyesight has now improved and he only needs glasses for reading.
The whole service received from Specsavers surpassed mine and my family's expectations. We are all thankful for the quality service and referral they provided to my dad.

You should have an eye test every 2 years, not just to check your vision but it can also indicate other medical conditions.
From my experience, specsavers are professional, understanding and fully qualified. If you need an opticians use one that knows what they are doing.
5 stars

Thank you for reading

(Also published under Ciao under izzoh)

Summary: Everone should have a egular eye check-up.