Spec's and the City! Specsavers and lust at first sight! (Specsavers Opticians)

Member Name: GillMN

Product:	Specsavers Opticians
Date:	22/05/09 (163 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Fast, not expensive unless you want it to be. Pleasant staff.

Disadvantages: Not every shop has a drop dead gorgeous optometrist!

Going to Specsavers was easy and a much better experience than I ever imagined.
I resisted going to get my eyes tested for years. I never had any problem reading or with close work but I knew I couldn't see as far or as clearly as I used to.

I didn't want glasses because I didn't trust my ability to not lose them, sit on them, stand on them or generally mistreat them.
My husband was urging me to go for a test because he thought I might be under the standard required for driving. We were in the garden one evening and the subject came up again.
"You really should go and get your eyes tested Gill!"
I pointed at the moon.
"How far away is that?"
He told me to within a few hundred feet. (He's clever like that!)
"Well I can see the moon clearly enough! How far do you want me to see?"
He wasn't too amused.
Eventually I mumbled something about the fact that he was right and I'd stop joking about it and get my blooming eyes tested!

A few days later and I was wandering about my local shops when I saw an advert' in Specsavers saying "Free eye test." (But I only had two!)
I went in halfheartedly and asked for an appointment. The very pleasant man on the desk told me that if I'd wait ten minutes they would test my eyes for me, there and then! Bummer! I had no excuse not to do it!

He sat me down, made me a cup of coffee and took my details. That was fairly painless!
After a short while he took me through to a small room for my test. I expected to be handed over to a grim humourless, speccy four eyed, gorgon of an optometrist. (Like the one at school!) Instead I was put into the care of a gorgeous bloke who could charm the birds out of the trees. Things were looking up! (No pun intended.) I was a bit smitten and I don't smit easily!

The charts were easy enough to read except for the first one which looked blank to me. (Worrying, that!)
Then my eyes were inspected. Now I don't know about you, but I find it a bit hard to concentrate on keeping my eyes still when six foot two of desirable bloke is staring into them. I couldn't decide if the stars I was seeing were due to his proximity or the bright light he kept shining into my eye. His aftershave was pretty potent too!
The equipment he was using looked 'state of the art' to my untrained eyes. The room was spotless and the chair was comfortable. Each step of the examination was explained to me and I was given the opportunity to ask questions. Not that I asked many questions, I was feeling a bit too adolescent!

I was brough back to planet Earth with a jolt when he asked me if I had driven to town. Mystified I replied that I had. "Well don't drive back!" he told me. We negotiated a bit after that because he said my eyes were under the legal limit for driving. In the end I promised not to drive at dawn or dusk until my new glasses were ready. (I'm an obedient soul!) Sadly he didn't offer to drive me home.

He brought me to the front of the shop to try on glasses, he seemed to have an infinite supply of patience with me which was just as well because I didn't have the faintest idea what kind of glasses I wanted. In the end I chose a rimless pair which were very light and comfortable.

The assistant who took over from him was similarly patient and explained all the options available, tints, photochromatic, insurance, etc. At no time did I feel like she was pressurising me to spend more money than I needed to. In fact she said that if I only needed them for driving, extra expense was uneccessary.

As I needed them fairly urgently she agreed to try to get them made up for me as soon as possible. She took my phone number to let me know when they were ready. Three days later she rang me and there they were! I was greeted by name when I went back in, which was nice. I didn't get to see the object of my lust again but that is probably just as well! I was given a hard case for my glasses and some cleaning solution to try.

A small problem arose a couple of months later when I twisted the frame of my glasses. I took them in and they fixed them for me immediately with no charge. They also gave me a smaller and neater case without me asking.

I get a reminder through the post annually when a new eye test is needed but so far I have not had to have new ones.

Specsavers seem to have branches in every city or large town. My experience of them is that they have a very large range of frames and services. Including a service for contact lenses where your supply is posted to you. I don't know how competetive the prices for contact lenses is because I have never needed them.

Some branches now do hearing tests as well as acting as a collection point for unwanted hearing aids for an overseas charity.

I have found them to be friendly and efficient and not trying to do a hard sell with optional extras. My glasses cost £56.00 and are still going strong!
Their price range starts at £25.00 which suprised me.

Their website tells me that 1 in 4 people who wear glasses choose their frames. So they must be doing something right for a lot of people!

It is also possible to order glasses online at
http://www.specsavers.co.uk

I am still enjoying myself fantasising about the optometrist. I don't think I'll ever grow up really, but at least with my spec's on I'd be able to pick him out across a crowded room! (I wish!)

Summary: A really helpful service at a price that doesn't rob you blind!