Optician appointments - AIBU

[lurkerspeaks]

I have a contact lens contract with a national chain of opticians. If you don't get regular contact lens checks they stop supplying you with them.

After my third unsuccessful phone call to make an appointment only to find that at the times, there was more than one!, I'm available (due to work/other commitments) I can't get an appointment.

I complained to the receptionist that there were never any appointments when I needed them (in fact I've been to one of the other local branches twice as I couldn't get an appointment at my home branch). The receptionist then told me that they only do contact lens checks on a Thursday afternoon.

Please tell me that I'm not crazy in thinking that this is a stupid system as presumably other people who wear contact lenses work and don't want to take time off to go on a Thursday afternoon.

She did go and get 'permission' from one of the opticians to book me into a regular clinic so I got a suitable appointment. I just think the system is a bit crazy and not well thought through.

I think I'm going to move to the other (more flexible) branch so it is harming their business as it is a franchise.

[LineRunner]

There's lot of competition in this sector so I would move to a different optician.

I took an hour off work once for a twenty minute contact lens check and after a 50 minute minute wait told them I had to go back to work, and that expected them to give me my contact lenses anyway on my way out as I had honoured my side of the bargain. And they did!

[fgaaagh]

Only on a Thursday afternoon?

Unacceptable. I wouldn't be able to make it either since I work Thursdays.

Anywhere that doesn't offer me some degree of flexibility doesn't get my custom, simple as that.

YANBU!

[BettySwollocksandaCrustyRack]

Thats why you are better off going to an old fashioned independent opticians that one of these massive chains. You will get a better service all round.

[vmcd28]

ridiculous, what the hell do they do on the other days?! surely lens checks account for a large part of their custom, and surely its the same opticians who are there the rest of the week anyway!

[fedupofnamechanging]

I used to go to Specsavers for mine and they always booked too many appointments, resulting in a long wait. In the end I went to Asda, who were a lot more efficient and the lenses were a lot cheaper too.

Think your opticians is taking the piss and acting as if they are doing you a favour. Time to spend your money elsewhere, I think.

[Scholes34]

Oooh, I've stuck with gas permeable contact lenses. Current pair is still going strong after 3 years and cost just £99. Never had any problems with my eyes, though of course they won't sell me another pair without a check up, but at least I'm not likely to throw them away in the near future and need to resort to glasses.

[nocake]

Change optician. Even different branches of the same optician give different service. I used to wear contacts and had a brilliant optician at Specsavers. He was professional, diligent and genuinely concerned about the health of my eyes. I then went to another branch for a check up and they barely checked my eyes, preferring to spend the time trying to sign me up to a payment plan.