rustic101

Introduction

For the record I am not in their industry. But have been a customer of OPSM for four years. Recently my glasses suffered a lethal accident and required to be replaced. I considered buying of an international website, however now know that this may be cheap but you need some exact eye measurements like distance between pupils etc.

I had heard of Specsavers and was very dubious, as it almost sounded too good to be true. I know if that’s the case then it’s more than likely some sort of rip off. After some research on-line and questions in message boards I was left with what seemed to be a 50/50 split for and against.

Initially it was my intention to compare the two optical services using the apples for apples principle. Unfortunately or fortunately in my case I never proceeded with the comparison. The reason for this will become clear.

I never got the chance to test out my apples for apples, as I was very impressed with Specsavers this despite some shortfalls around customer management. Yes their marketing is technically correct; I got two pair of glasses cheaper than I had previously paid. I say technically as it’s not a true saving as such more of a bonus of getting an extra pair for free. That aside, if you do only choose one pair then you do actually save twenty five percent again comparing this with my previous cost at OPSM I would have saved around $125. I believe where Specsavers make their money is buy trying to get you to choose more expensive frames, and also buy hard selling the benefits of the added extras you get.

So why document this? In reality my experience to date with them has been nothing but positive and I genuinely want people to at least consider them as an option. My flatmate has just spent $900 ish at other opticians in Wellington and is ‘gutted’ she could or should have gone to Specsavers.

Listed at the base are some Pros and Cons and tips which may benefit you.

Making Contact

I made an on-line booking at Specsavers in Lampton Quay. Initially I was never called back. I did the same at OPSM and three days later am still waiting. After 24 hours I called Specsavers Lower Hutt and booked an appointment. An hour after contacting them I was called by Specsavers in Lampton Quay. I choose to stay with Lower Hutt.

Arrival

I arrived early as I wanted to view the frames to get a feel for what was on offer. I was greeted by a friendly attendant who reported me in on finding out the purpose of my visit. She immediately came back but I became frustrated when she switched between customers. There were several other attendants standing around who could have assisted them.

My perception was that there were two people working and four others chatting around behind the counter. From my point of view this did not look good.

The Pre Screening Test

My name was called and I was told to ‘follow me’, no introduction or reason why. Once I rounded the corner I was told to sit down as a test for Glaucoma would be done. I was told to put my head into a machine, look at a little house then I would feel a puff of air. There was more than one puff by the way.

I was then instructed to sit in the next chair and they would test for something, I still do not know what that was as the chap mumbled and he did not seem too interested. He made very little eye contact with me and personally I felt this a little unnerving.

Next the chap passed me a small A5 card and told me to hold this out or pull it closer until I could read the top line. Thank goodness I have long arms as I was almost at full arms reach when I was able to read it in focus. When I was fairly happy I could read the message he placed a long ruler against my head and measured out to the card.

Right you’re done...

The Actual Eye Examination

Again my name was called and I was instructed to ‘follow me’. Yet again no introduction was offered so I was left to figure out for myself the guy I was with was the Optician. His name badge on his chest matched the certificates on the wall so that was a good start.

In fairness the Optician did explain every test and what he was doing and why. He asked many questions about my work and lifestyle as it related to my vision. I have never been asked some of these questions before, however I felt these allow him to provide even more detail about the results and what I should be doing to maintain my vision.

After the tests I was thanked and told a ‘consultant’ would be with me soon.

Selecting Frames

One point that really annoyed my friend who came to help select the frames and I was you had to select the frames before you could see a consultant for the correct lens. Not all of the frames met or suited the type of lens/ prescription I required.

What would have been good was being told that; ‘based off your prescription, you require X type of lens, so should be selecting Y type of frame. The importance of this is that the frames in the cheaper range did not suit my required lens/ prescription. I felt this wasted a lot of time as I actually liked some of the cheaper frames. Also when I arrived earlier I had wasted my time looking at the wrong range.

The Consultant

Again the attendant we though we were dealing with was not actually the Consultant. Once we had selected the right frame that I liked, that suited my lens/ prescription we were ushered over to talk to yet another person. Again; no introductions or explanations as to who he was, or what was about to happen.

In a nut shell I have progressive lens and was given four choices:

PENTAX
Premium PENTAX
Elite PENTAX, and
Tailor-made

Each of these types is, excuse the pun, progressively better and sharper in outer visibility from the centre of the eye. Obviously as technology advances so too does the quality, at a cost with the difference between the standard and top of the line being $250. However, in all honesty the Consultant summed it up by saying that you never look directly at an object using the corner of your eye. i.e, if you see an object out of the corner of your eye you turn your head to look at it. He also said that they have been making the ‘standard’ (PENTAX) lens for years’. I took this to mean that if it’s still being made then it must still work.

There are also other ‘add on extras’ you can get, at a considerable cost. This is where the dollars start to climb. I opted for the ‘ultra clear’ anti reflection and scratch resistance protection option at $75. The other options will vary dependant on your needs, personal choice, and cost etc.

This aside if you want all the whiz bang ad ons, and can afford it then by all means go for them.

The Cost

There are two options pay in full or pay thirty percent and the remaining balance on arrival of your glasses. I opted to pay up front.

I also opted to get the deal offering ‘Two for One’. My rational for this is I choose two frame types of equal value, however with different functionality. One pair for work and professional the other for play.

The Pros

Explained the complete end to end process
Questioned about my current need
Given a number of available periods for examination
Contacted back 24 hours before the appointment to confirm
Cost of examination quoted as $60 but paid $10
Very professional exam with the Optician
The overall cost I saved my self a little over $900 dollars
Very good web site

The Cons

I had to ask the cost of the examination
Was initially never contacted back by the preferred provider
I got frustrated with staff standing around chatting and laughing while I needed assistance
The attendant switching between customers was frustrating
No introductions which I found unprofessional
No initial explanations of a pre-screening test
No explanations during the pre-screening test
Up selling on the lens options
Being told to choose a frame before I knew the lens requirements
Cost of examination quoted as $60 but paid $10

Tip – if you get the two for one deal make sure you get frames of equal cost.
Tip – If you get two fairs for one price try a work / play combination
Tip – your employer my pay half or a specified cost which also heaps with the overall cost
Tip - If you do not need and added extra it do not get it.

Example, I ride a motorcycle and struggle with glare during the day. I could have got a fixed tint cheap but this would render my glasses useless at night. The next option is a transition lens at a higher cost. However a simple answer is to put my helmets internal sun visor down in high light conditions or get clip ons. What sealed the deal not to get transitions was that the ultra clear treatment actually decreases the amount of glare anyway.