So no matter how much money I have to spend on my bi-yearly eye exam and purchase glasses, I absolutely think that the frames and lenses are severely over priced.
Three years ago my glasses broke at 4:30 pm and I had to work the next morning at 8:00am and there is no way for me to drive safe without glasses so I was under the gun to get a new pair. Of course my only option was to call in and miss getting paid or go to one of those cheap places that advertises cheap glasses in an hour. I opted for the cheap glasses.Now in all honestly this appointment back in 2009 did not go bad. I knew going into it I was buying the cheapest pair I could get and needed them before the store closed. I walked out spending a total of $99 and I was actually pretty happy with my glasses for the price. Now three years later I think…”why not go do that again and spend more time looking for glasses and get the buy one get one free?” Off my family and I went..well I did call two days before and made eye appointments. That was not a good plan.
I called a few hours before our 5:30 appointment and asked if there was anyway we could fit in early and they said “yes, come on in!” We got there at 5:00. It was packed! I figured that we would not be seen early, no big deal, so we would look at glasses and then I would have my appointment at 5:30 and my hubby would have his at 5:45pm. Oh I was wrong.
When I called two days before I was told “we have NO appointments made that day so we are open. Well when a place takes walk-ins that can change real fast and being that is was president’s day it was worse as families have their kids out of school and it’s a perfect day to shop for glasses.
We checked in and were told that they were behind. I called on Saturday and there was no other appointments so behind of walk-ins maybe but not for scheduled appointments as I called about 4:00pm on Saturday. I said “OK we will just browse and wait for our time then.” 5:30 came, 5:45 came, 5:50 came and my hubby and I and our very anxious kids were not being very patient anymore. 6:00 came and we were ready to walk out, and we should have, but we were reassured that we were next. Two more people in front of us and by 6:20 we got in. Mind you when I asked if all those people in front of us had appointments I was told no not all. I was fuming.
There is a reason why I call and make appointments and that is the pure fact that I want to know when I can get in and out as I have 2 kids under the age of 6 and I am organized…I like appointments. So if I make one then you better not put others in front of me that are walk-ins. If someone else was there that had an appointment scheduled before me and they are late then fine take them first, but walk-ins?
Needless to say, the eye exam was pretty ridiculous, well the first girl she was normal but the eye doctor told me I had cancer. Ya, read yesterday’s post if you missed it.
Needless to say we left the place at 7:15 pm and both us us ordered two pairs of glasses as they were buy one get one free, but only after we had to beg someone to help us after the eye exam. I will have to say that there was one girl there that did help us out and gave us some better customer service but she seemed to be the only attentive one there and she was pretty stressed.
So…if the glasses are fine, I will go back but will NOT go on a holiday and will NOT make an appointment. Next time I will get a babysitter and go in the middle of the freaking day myself and send the hubby by himself later. It is a rough one because if we went to a regular optometrist we would fork out $400 for one pair of glasses and we got 2 eye exams and 4 pairs of glasses for $400. I will let you know how the glasses go as we get them in two weeks.
Whew…glad the worst part is over!
Have a good day!
