Need some specs, go to Specsavers (Borehamwood) (Specsavers Opticians)

Member Name: Absy_Baby

Product:	Specsavers Opticians
Date:	30/06/09 (218 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great relationships, trust, relaxing atmosphere

Disadvantages: Can be costly, the manager of the branch

I am short sighted and have been since the age of about 15. My mum has always worn glasses and although I never really thought about it before the age of 15 - it wasn't/isn't at all surprising my eye sight is bad.

I have been visiting the Borehamwood branch of Specsavers since that age, I have since built up a great relationship with my optician who I see a minimum of once a year.

*******Eye Test & Glasses********

A basic eye test costs £20. This consists of a few preliminary tests, visual (which is the once where you press the button every time you see a green dot) and the glaucoma (which is when they puff air in to your eye ball - I can never keep my head there with my eyes open, I know what's coming).

The reason I visit Specsavers once a year if not more is because I am a 24 year old (age matters, apparently my eyes are supposed to deteriorate now and will settle down in my late 20's) and my eyes generally seem to deteriorate noticeably every 10-12 months.

I know most people of my age are on a 2 year recall but I am funny about my eyes, I don't want to strain them and make them worse, if I can feel my eyes struggling, I will make an appointment.

Generally you can have an eye test in about a 20 minute period. It can often take a while to be seen if they are running behind, and if like me on my last trip you are 10 minutes late, the new manager thinks he has the right to turn you away. I was rather unimpressed with this and after being offered an appointment over a hour and a half later, I declined and walked out. The reason I was annoyed was I may have been 10 minutes late but I was the told the person after me, had gone in, so in other words they were running late and using me as a scape goat, so they could catch up. That was all rectified when I asked them to delete me from their records after speaking to the Watford branch who would have me transfer there. I got a call from the shop director and as it happens it was my optician who offered me a good will gesture to return and apologised profusely for the misunderstanding.

Normally they are all quite apologetic and helpful, as with any form of service where appointments are necessary they can be on time or run over. Apart from the misunderstanding, I have always been seen fairly quickly, and if not they never stop apologising for it. They are pretty good at breaking up sitting and waiting and will do the preliminary tests so when the optician is available you go straight in.

Glasses tend to be reasonably priced, they have a designer range, but I always opt for the non-designer frames. Since owning glasses I have had only 3 pairs, I usually keep them for 3-4 years and then change them. I just have the lenses changed when I need to.

The last pair of glasses I brought were £75. I thought this affordable. Specsavers offer a 2 for the price of 1 on frames, which I personally hate. I can see how this can benefit people who's prescriptions stay the same and if they have a prescription pair of sunnies but for me it is a total con, I brought 1 pair the time before last and got another free, but little did I think that every time I needed to have new lenses I would have to pay twice.

I pay for the basic lenses, they are usually £49, no coating or anything, and I have never had them scratched, and I am quite clumsy and do drop them. They try and make you buy all the extra coatings but I really don't think you need to.

*********Contact Lenses & Lens Check Up's***********

When I was 21 I decided enough was enough and asked to have a contact lens trial. I was always being told off for not wearing my glasses, I mean come on a teenage girl worried about my appearance, the last thing I wanted was glasses. But when it came to being 17 and wanting to drive, I had to wear my glasses for my driving test, and although I could see the number plate, it made it easier, so in the long run I knew with driving I would have to wear my glasses more often or look for another option, contact lenses.

Specsavers told me at 21 my eyesight was bad enough for me to wear contact lenses all day. A statement at the time I did not understand. Could I not have worn them before? As my optician has since explained, being short sighted and wearing contacts all day could damage my vision for my long sight.

I went in for an appointment, I had a few tests done, they had to make sure my eyeballs were the right shape for the contacts to sit on, that my eyes were generally in good health etc.

Once this was done the optician put a pair of contact lenses in my eyes, I instantly felt like I could see and never wanted to go back to the blurred vision I normally had. I think I can honestly say that was the happiest moment of my life (call me sad, I don't care, I didn't realise what I couldn't see or how blurred it was, until I could see it!) I was told to sit a practice taking them in and out, I struggled for over 20 minutes to get the first one out, and felt my dream of clear vision slipping away.

The optician was great and left me to it, not sitting there putting pressure on me, he came back every 10 minutes and asked how I was getting on, and told me it takes a lot of practice. To my surprise I was given a trial of a week's contact lenses. I was over the moon. I had to go back the following week to report on how I had got on.

I got on ok, I was very frustrated at how long it took for me to get them out, but even after a week of practice I was quicker, and definitely not prepared to give it up.

I was then given a box of daily lenses, after discussing the options, I decided against monthly's as I say I am clumsy and would lose or break them, with dailies there are no strings, drop one, get another one out.

The monthly contact lenses cost £22 if you do it by direct debit, they charge you this every month and post you 3 months supply of contact lenses, it is called the lensmail, this is the most cost effective way, as once you've been on the mailing for a year you get a free contact lens test, which you need if you wear contact lenses, and it differs from the eye test. The contact lens box contains 24 pairs, not what i call a months supply, but they do.

The contact lens test usually takes 15 minutes and consists of your eyes being checked along with blood vessels and growth. If you do have this test without being on the lensmail system it costs £15.

********Overall********

A good place to visit, the opticians, and assistants always make you feel welcome (except perhaps the new manager, hopefully he just got out of bed the wrong side). The prices are reasonable but can vary for glasses from between £50-£300 not including lenses.

You can always ring up and ask about any queries you may have. They also send out reminders via post and text for appointments, and when you are actually due an appointment too.

I spend a fair amount of money per year on glasses/contact lenses and tests. I don't mind spending the money at Specsavers Borehamwood as I feel I get well cared for and trust the opinions of the professionals, they never make me feel intimidated or silly and I don't feel like I'm being ripped off.

Summary: Specsavers have always done it for me