to think Specsavers suck?

[TheClaws]

...because the optometrist only spent 5 minutes examining my eyesight before announcing my vision was worse and I needed multifocals, and that was it

... because he also tried to sell me contact lenses (very unsuitable for my vision)

... because I was then immediately transferred to a salesperson, who pushed any number of frames on me

... because after choosing my frames, I was told the multifocal lenses come in three levels - basic to elite (I simply want to see, safely)

... because then I was given a price upwards of £1000. Again, I just want to see. This isn’t a fashion accessory and I didn’t choose expensive frames

I didn’t purchase the glasses I needed, but I’ve gone back, asked for my prescription (it was given to me without a smile) and I’ll be going elsewhere.

went to primark and got a pair for a quid!

I had hoped this would be an option for me too, but my eyes are not the same and I need a slightly different lens for each eye.

Always had great service from Specs Savers. Going in my local one now, is hilarious, nothing like when I was younger. There's lots of people rushing about, doing god knows what. But they don't push you into anything and if you're not happy they will help you out etc.
Maybe it's the branch try another one.

I went to one for several years all fine. Then hey decided after I’d already been to send me a letter saying I needed another test, phoned to book it and was told it would only take five minutes. Then I went and they were already running late (at 9.30!) and totally lied and the test took half an hour. Might not seem like a big deal but they called me a liar and said no one told me it would take 5 minutes. Poor customer service calling your customer a liar.

Then with dd they told me I should really get her lenses thinned and it was £40. Then when her glasses arrived, one pair they had put plain lenses in when they were sunglasses. I was already annoyed from the day before with having been made late and called a liar lol.

I went to a different one, my kids all wear glasses and the two pairs free instead of one is great, and they were so different. Told me no way did dd need lenses thinned and have been really good so far with all my kids. So maybe try another if you have/want to use them?

Ive always found them good. However op check out asda opticians as i got two glasses for around £100 including vvvv thin lenses.

My experiences are mixed. I have not found the sales to be an issue. I have had to go back after receiving my glasses and have them changed or adapted both times. My recent lenses seem really glarey, so I am thinking of going elsewhere.

Yabu to say Specsavers, yanbu to say YOUR optician was rubbish. I’ve been with specsavers for 15+ years and they’re always great. Never had another optician that comes anywhere close is price or service. Cheap glasses that last (I have a straightforward script and no thinning etc but my current pair were £30) and my mum who has terrible eye issues, had a detatched retina, and a complicated prescription, goes there also. They are very thorough, do retinal screening, glaucoma tests, and never try to sell you all the extra rubbish you don’t need. I’ve always found them brilliant at several branches

The last time I was there, they were terribly kind to me and the fact that I had two small children. Although they did give my four year old a frisbee (in a shop full of glasses?! I think they need to consider their branded merch a bit).

I’ve never had a hard sell in there, although their range of women’s frames have been a bit to purple/pink/diamanté for me. They seem to have improved though.

I've been unimpressed by Specsavers in the past too. I found the eye testing rushed and that their frames tended to break easily. I switched to Vision Express who I've found to be much better. I wouldn't change back.

There are only a few universities in the UK that teach optometry so you aren't getting a worse optometrist there, we've generally all studied together. But of course individually there may be some optometrists that you don't find very good, that's not because it's Specsavers.
The equipment is fairly good there so you will get a faster test than somewhere with older equipment. I suppose it depends what kind of service you want after the test. If you want them to spend an hour with you slowly going through the options, perhaps an independent is more for you. If you like a faster approach and just want the information fast then Specsavers is very good!

Well I agree with some of your points but not others.

Yes, an eye test should take longer than 5 minutes. If you are never happy with their eye test and being shunted from pillar to post, I don’t understand why you keep going there. Find a good local independent optometrist, who will do all the test themselves, so you will have longer with the optician (ideally 30 mins at least).

You may not want contact lenses, but many people would be surprised to find that their vision is suitable to be corrected with contact lenses, eg there are multi focal lenses, or other ways of correcting both distance and reading vision with contact lenses. You can correct a lot of vision problems more easily with contact lenses than you could in the past.

There are loads of different types of varifocals, and the differences in them can be massive. Also, some are better for some people, depending on the tasks you do. In general the more expensive ones are much better. What should he do? Automatically give everyone the shit ones? Automatically give everyone the expensive ones even though they can’t afford them? I think one of the bad things about the large chain opticians is actually the lack of choice of varifocals - a choice of three when there are dozens of better ones out there that you could get from an independent.

Opticians do need to make money, otherwise how would they pay their staff? The money they receive from the NHS for a sight test doesn’t come anywhere near the cost of doing it. Also it would be a mistake to assume all people want the cheapest option - a lot of people are happy to pay more for a good pair of glasses that they will wear every day and want them to look nice.

I keep thinking they must be cheaper, and that’s why I go back - I want to save money. I guess I need to realise it’s a false economy and I get what I pay for.

mintich can I ask - I’m guessing you’re an optometrist - my examination consisted of just the glasses with the Interchangeable dot fields. That’s it.

Shopping with regards to varifocals, in an ideal world the ‘elite’ version would be standard. Priced not catastrophically - because bad vision is not a choice.

Specsavers found a melanoma on my iris. And more recently the beginning of a cataract (due to the proton beam therapy they think) I'm only mid forties so wouldn't be something one would expect.

Yabu.

YABU specsavers saved my vision in my right eye. They found a detached retina at a routine eye test, that I had no clue about.
And my glasses cost me £25! Bargain!

I've found them excellent and I've been to many places for many years.

1000 quid for glasses? Sounds like a mistake to me?

I think you had a dreadful Optometrist. Our local Specsavers did a very thorough job with me and my son and were so friendly and helpful. It sounds like your local one is a bit useless, which is a shame. The people who work there are what makes it and ours is fortunate enough to have some excellent people working there.

As for the Optometrist who told the poster above t come off their antidepressants I am horrified. I hope they dealt with your complaint properly. That was beyond rude (and dangerous).

YABU - I just went back and paid more to get my son's lenses thinned after they had arrived. The guy suggested it, I wasn't interested, saw the specs on DS2 and was . So no high pressure sales on us!

I agree. It's all a bit rushed at Specsavers.
I used to go to an optician who had been practising for many years. He was really thorough but I went to Specsavers because they had a larger range of glasses.
I'm disappointed because twice now I still have trouble reading small print after having their prescription. I'm going back to the old optician next time and will take the prescription he gives me somewhere else if he hasn't got any frames I like or are too expensive.

Used different branches over the years, never had any problems despite my unusual prescription. Never had the hard sell either. Usually look at men's frames though, hate the diamante/funny colours/twiddly bits on the women's. And what's with 'designer' frames FFS? If I was prepared to walk round with a designer's name on the side of my head I would expect THEM to pay me

They are a franchise so very variable. Mine is so good they do post cataract checks and work with our local NHS for urgent eye assessments. (Several othet opticians in the town) The examinations are very thorough and my elite varifocals were under £200. Admittedly I do have the £89 frames from the bloke side.

So go somewhere else but don't rule out specsavers as a whole.

@theclaws yes it should have been a lot more than that! If they have more than one optometrist there, you can request another eye test stating why. Speak to the manager about your concerns

Just had my eyes tested at Spec Savers and it was great. A really thorough test in which it was confirmed my incipient cataracts and macular degeneration had worsened - lucky me - and a helpful discussion about how these could be dealt with further down the line.

I got two pairs of varifocals for £350 and a £50 voucher towards another pair of glasses. I'm very happy with them.

Years ago I worked at Specsavers.

I always go to Boots for eyetests and to buy glasses. It probably varies from branch to branch because as others have said it’s a franchise.

It’s less about the opticians and more about the lack of care some hungover slapdash person put into making them. And all the sales shit too.

Was really embarrassing when people came In to pick up their glasses and I’d open up a box and find a mangled frame with lenses popping out that looked like someone had stamped on them.

Would it not be very nice to go to a very reputable independent for a free NHS eye test and then take my prescription to specsavers?

I feel like the branch of specsavers I go to might be a bit slapdash with their examinations in the past and I would feel more reassured having my eyes tested at the independent but I know that I cannot afford to get my glasses there. I'd love a super lovely pair but I wear contact lenses so they're just a back up pair really.

There are no other branches of specsavers near me.

Our former CIO sadly managed to get a job there (and as with us, not there very long, in their case he left after only three years). To mention him in our office at one time was deemed a swear word.

Of all the people I have ever come across in business he is the one I would send to a desert island- the politest thing I referred to him as was a spiv.

After we had sadly fallen for his patter I was sad others have.

That is why they are not an optician I will ever consider.