What's with Specsavers and masks ?

[LeftFootForward]

Semi lighthearted, but what is it with Specsavers and masks still ?
I was told over the phone earlier in the week that it's not compulsory to wear a mask in their shops anymore. I want some new specs and have been holding off until this was the case as I really want to see what my whole face looks like when trying on glasses.

I went to the shop today and wasn't allowed in unless I wore a mask. Do you have an exemption I was asked, we are NHS so you have to wear a mask. (They aren't NHS they're a private business that offers some NHS services but I digress).

Then box of masks and hand gel shoved my way. I was told I could pull the mask down to try on glasses, which begs the question why bother wearing one then ?

Didn't want to be that person arguing at the door so I left and went to another opticians.

AIBU to think they should have let me in without a mask ?

@Innocenta

I know what the word means and it’s convenient for you to state that after you embarrassed yourself with your uneducated comment. Your virtue signalling on this thread has been extreme and you’re now rambling on about me being lost because you have no worthwhile, coherent response to provide me with.

I guess they can’t teach everything at Oxford.

They are agents for the NHS - for hearing tests and aids and for eye tests. They have to abide by NHS rules.

@Dajeeling Nothing I've said suggests I think that. I'm observing tropes in how real CEV people talk online vs tropes in how anti maskers (etc) talk. Obviously no analysis is perfect and you could be the exception! An anti masker CEV person with so much internalised ableism that you don't care what happens to other CEV people... sure. It's possible. Not saying I can't be wrong; all I'm reacting to is, as it were, your vibes.

Well in my opinion I find your approach very weird. Vets are hardly full of vulnerable people.

@JollyWilloughby If you genuinely cannot understand my reply to Oblomov and are unable to perceive that it was sardonic, I can't help you further. To my mind that is so glaringly apparent that elucidating it any more would serve no purpose.

Virtue signaling is just a buzzword. It's impossible for that to have any meaningful application to my posts when I am talking about something that so deeply and directly affects me. Your resorting to insults doesn't change that, I'm afraid.

i can tell from your last post that you are far too invested in this topic and have spent too much time online reading about it- the terminology you use tells me so. It won’t be doing you any good. For that reason I’m not responding anymore.

@Bretonbear You've never heard of an old lady with a cat? I find that surprising.

Plenty of CV and elderly people have pets. We also get eye tests. Need dental appointments. Require prescriptions. I'm not sure what anti maskers think we are meant to do.

Im not suprised someone has started a thread about these. I had an eye test at specsavers in 2020 and it wasn’t a pleasant experience.

Felt very unwelcome, wasn’t allowed in without a phone call interview the day before which I wasn’t always able to answer due to my own job so had to reschedule appointments. The makeshift desk in-front of the door with everyone in an apron/gloves/mask/visor/hazmat suit , queues outside, rude staff.

Earlier this year my glasses broke and you are no longer allowed to just pop in. You have to make an appointment so I was a week without glasses that are vital to me and for a 2 minute job.

I am due for another test soon and Im not looking forward to it. However it could be worse I guess, our local independent opticians are still locking the door behind every customer just incase someone dares to walk through the door 🙄

😂👍

@Dajeeling You are, of course, welcome to leave the conversation at any point. Passive aggressively pretending it's for my welfare is a bit ridiculous.

@Bretonbear Sorry if you felt I was bragging; it's not something I'd normally bring up out of the blue, but the point made by JollyW was literally untrue.

Have you never heard of someone coming on a thread virtue signalling, bragging about a double first from Oxford and questioning every single person who doesn't agree that we should still be wearing masks 24/7?

@Bretonbear Wearing a mask in the optician, pharmacy, etc is not '24/7'.

It's impossible to virtue signal when talking about something that deeply and directly affects you. There is no virtue involved. You are misapplying the term.

Thanks for the clarification. I still think you're wrong though. But that is obviously my opinion. Unless your double first from Oxford has a problem with that too.

@Bretonbear But what do you think I'm wrong about? I haven't at any point suggested wearing masks 24/7. That's a false claim.

@Bretonbear Do you think that CEV people should just be infected and allowed to die? If that actually is your opinion, you should just say so.

Very sensible, they are in very close contact with people all day, is it too much trouble to wear a bit of fabric on your face for a short time? FFS. No wonder the Covid rate is still high.

I'm tired of seeing mitigating measures described as 'hysterical'. On a lot of threads people who use that term are roundly challenged.

In regards to the waiting outside I know my local store the reason people are being asked to wait outside/at the door is that they have had masses of staff leave due to the abuse they have received over the last couple of years from customers/patients on more often than not minimum wage(and most don't earn commission either despite what most people think). So they simple don't have the staff to manage loads of people wandering around the store without appointments etc nothing to do with Covid so that could be the case in other stores also.
It is only in the last few days that the optical council have moved to green phase from amber so more of the rules can be relaxed. Although opticians are not 'NHS' they hold nhs contracts and when they are audited they have to stick to the riules or they will have the contact removed so it's not really there decision.
I don't understand the mass hysteria about not wearing masks it's 30 mins out of someone's day and if it makes the CEV lady in the w

Very happy to wear a mask during the eye test.

Ridiculous to be told to wear a mask when choosing new frames.

I gave up and walked out. Will not go back to Specsavers.

I’ve been putting off going to
Specsavers but sounds like I need to change optician altogether. Can barely see at this point

I was handed a mask as I walked into boots for eye test yesterday

Whenever I go to Specsavers it always seems to be full of very elderly and rather vulnerable customers

Simple take your business elsewhere. Trying on glasses is a main part of the service you're paying for so why pay for it if you won't get it

Ours is always full of children.