Specsavers know I can live without money but not without glasses (Specsavers Opticians)

Member Name: sweetiebum

Product:	Specsavers Opticians
Date:	20/01/09 (460 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Clear prices especially the buy one get one free deal

Disadvantages: Online booking needs improvement

Before I start, I want to apologise about the length of this review, I did try to cut it down a bit but thought it was important to fully describe my experience.

Like the rest of my family I suffer the misfortune of having to wear glasses. It's not that I dislike wearing my specs, in fact I've become quite attached to them and feel rather lost without them. I have had to wear them ever since I was thirteen so I've definitely got used to wearing them. For those that don't wear glasses it's like that feeling you get when you forget to put your watch on! However, what annoys me the most about having to wear glasses is the sheer amount of money it all costs. When I was younger my mum took me for my first couple of tests at Boots, however as neither of us were completely satisfied we decided for my next test to try out Specsavers. Compared to my experience of Boots, the whole process from the sight test to picking up the new glasses has always been simple and problem free.

Booking a Sight Test:-

Booking an appointment is really simple. I usually just phone up my local branch and request a sight test. It's as easy as that. There is also the option to book a test via the website, this is what I opted for last week when I'd left it too late to ring. This is where I have one criticism because the website is slightly misleading. The website clearly states that you can book an appointment online. So I after picking which store I wanted the appointment with, I filled in a short form indicating the type of test I wanted and the time I wanted the appointment. I had to specify two choices in case my first was not available. When it came to picking the time, this annoyed me slightly as you can only select a general time like 'early morning' or 'mid afternoon'. After filling in a few personal details like my name address and phone number my request was submitted. The following page informed me that somebody would ring me the next day to confirm my appointment. As promised the following day I did receive a phone call from Specsavers. However, as I was unable to take the call they left a message asking me to ring them. This is where the problems started as they did not give me a time for an appointment. Instead all they said was that I had to ring them to arrange it. I felt like I had wasted my time trying to book an appointment via the website as I had to ring up anyway. This irritated me as I could have saved myself some time and just done this in the first place.

Just before the actual test:-

I arrived for my appointment about fifteen minutes early so I was expecting to have to wait for a little while before being seen. However, as the shop was relatively quiet I was seen straight away. I was first taken to a small desk with one of the assistants to double check all of my details. I was asked to confirm my name and address and as I had recently moved, was able to change my address at the same time without having to fill in any forms. After having my details printed out onto a sheet of paper and attached to a clip board for the optician I was taken to a pre test room.

This was a new experience for me as when I had my last test about two years ago there was no pre-test at all. After sitting down in front of a rather scary looking machine I was told that this was to check the focus of my eyes. I wasn't told anymore about it and looking back I probably should have asked a few questions. Anyway, I just did as the lady told me and stuck my head forward so my eyes were in line with the eyeholes on the machine. I then saw very blurry images of a hot air balloon on a road then going into focus and becoming crystal clear. This was repeated for each eye and apart from making me feel slightly dizzy from having blurred vision it was over very quickly and was painless. Just to note, this part of the test was not carried out by an optician but one of the assistants instead.

Following this I was then taken upstairs where the test rooms are but was first told to take a seat in the waiting area and that somebody would come and call me. As there were quite a few other people waiting already I sat myself down and grabbed a magazine expecting to be a while. However, my name was called as soon as I opened up the magazine.

The actual test:-

After hearing my name called I was taken into quite a spacious room with what looked like lots of new equipment. I hardly recognised it as there was lots of new equipment which was not there when I had my last test. Everything looked very clean and tidy and I sat down in the raised chair as requested. As I sat down the optician began asking me some questions about whether I had any problems regarding my eyes, when my last test was, and what I used my glasses for etc. I was also asked if I had ever had any problems with my eyes which included having to go to the doctors or hospital or whether any of my close family had problems with their sight and whether or not I was on any medication. Some of these questions are quite personal but are necessary. You could compare it to seeing a doctor - only for your eyes instead!

After all of the questions the actual test began. With my glasses still on I was told to read out the smallest line of letters that I could comfortably read. The first thing I noticed was that there was no longer a screen on the wall in front of me which was used to display letters. Instead there was a large mirror showing the reflection of the screen on the back wall. This did slightly baffle me as I couldn't understand why this method was better. It did the job and I read out the letters as I was asked. I was then asked to do the same again but this time without my glasses on. This process was repeated a handful of times, with different screens containing lots of different letters. I also had to complete it separately for each eye.

Following this a large piece of machinery with lenses in it was then brought over in front of my face and aligned to my eyes. Again this was a new experience for me as the equipment was not installed during my last visit. As I looked through the lenses towards the screen at the other end of the room, the optician automatically changed the strength of the lenses via his computer. As he changed from one lens to the other, each time I was asked whether it was an improvement or whether or not there was no change.

The final part of my test consisted of more of a physical check to ensure all parts of my eyes were healthy. This is always my least favourite part of the test as the optician has to shine a very bright light into your eyes. The optician has to get very close to you to ensure he can see the back of your eyes. During this process I have also been asked to focus on their nose or eyes which is quite unnerving as they are so close to you. I find it difficult to stop myself from nervously laughing. After using a handheld light the optician then brought over another piece of machinery which looked like a microscope. Whilst he was doing this he told me it was to see the back of the eyes clearly. I do find this part very uncomfortable and I always worry that they have found something bad. I'm always relieved when it is over and they tell me my eyes are healthy.

After all of the procedures the optician then went through my prescription with me and most importantly whether I needed a new prescription or not. I was expecting the worse as I felt my eyes had deteriorated a lot because I had become very dependent on my glasses; however I was told that there was only a slight change. As I wear my glasses when I drive, we both decided that it was probably for the best if I was to get a new pair. I was then led downstairs to the vast selection of glasses with a copy of my prescription in hand.

Picking my Glasses:-

After being led downstairs I was pretty much left to my own devices to pick my glasses. In the whole time I was trying on glasses (which was about an hour - an hour too long in my boyfriends eyes heh heh) I was only approached once to see if I needed any help, despite the shop having quite a few members of staff floating about. In many people's eyes this could be seen as a criticism that nobody came over to help. However, I was more than happy to be left on my own as I feel uncomfortable with strangers trying to help. Luckily I had my boyfriend with me so he could give me advice on which one's made me look silly and which ones looked good. I would always recommend you take someone with you if you are choosing glasses as it's so difficult to pick from just looking in a mirror, especially if you can't see properly after taking your original glasses off. If you don't have anybody with there is also a computer screen with a webcam so you can see yourself from all angles on the screen. This is a useful feature but not always as good as having a good old stare in a mirror!

What I like most about Specsavers is that they have such a large range of designs to choose from. They also have a clear price policy with basic prices starting at £25 ranging through to £45, £75, and £85. They also have a wide variety of designer frames starting at £125 through to £169. Each category of glasses is clearly visible and each pair has a corresponding colour coded sticker on one of the lenses so you can identify the price, in the event that they have been put back in the wrong place. Although Specsavers do cater for a wide range of budgets, compared to my previous visits I have to say that they seem to have decreased the amount of space given to the value glasses. Instead the majority of the store is overwhelmed by designer specs. On the one hand this is a positive thing as it means a lot more choice. However I feel it puts pressure on you to buy the more expensive pairs as opposed to the cheaper ones.

Despite this, Specsavers frequently have offers on that means you can get two pairs for the price of one. I ended up buying two pairs of designer glasses for £125 and that is without the £17.50 charge for the actual sight test. On the one hand this isn't bad going for designer specs, yet on the other hand I feel it is an extortionate price to pay for something that I have to buy in order to be able to see properly. The price could have been a lot worse if I had wanted different coatings on the lenses or special thinner lenses. It just annoys me that because I have bad eye sight I have to shell out a large sum of money every couple of years, whereas my boyfriend who has perfect vision does not have the same privilege!

After picking the pairs I wanted I took them to the counter where I was told again to take a seat at a couple of small tables. As the shop was a lot busier I had to wait a little while before I was seen by one of the assistants. This time I was fitted for the glasses by trying them on and having the distance between my eyes measured. This didn't take very long at all and it was at this point that I was then asked if I wanted to pay any more money. The assistant described all of the different coatings that I could have on the lenses for an extra fee of course, however feeling I'd spent enough I politely declined. I was then taken back to the counter to pay for my purchase and was told when my glasses would be ready for collection.

Overall, the whole process from the moment I stepped in the door until the moment I left was very straightforward. I would definitely recommend Specsavers on all levels, from the staff, to the quality of the test through to the choice of glasses. Anytime that I have had a problem with my glasses such as screws falling out and pads snapping off they have always fixed them for me the same day. I also like the fact that they send you reminders in the post as to when your next test is due. This is important for me as I have two - yearly checkups so it is a long time to have to remember when to rebook. Despite moaning about the price I do believe that in comparison to other opticians it does offer good value for money, particularly if you are not too fussy about the style and just want a cheap pair that does the job.

Thank you for reading - again I apologise about the absurd length of review!

Summary: Would definitely recommend