Went to a well known high street optician chain today. 
I handed them my prescription and asked then to make up two pairs.
Normal glasses -3.25 and reading glasses -1.0 . I don't like variofocals.
I was shocked when the assistant began to add up the two strengths from
the lines on the prescription: "I see that you need -4.25 lenses Sir..."

Why oh why do people don't know the simple basics of the business they're in?

On Aug 22, 2:18 pm, johannes  wrote:
> Went to a well known high street optician chain today.
> I handed them my prescription and asked then to make up two pairs.
> Normal glasses -3.25 and reading glasses -1.0 . I don't like variofocals.
> I was shocked when the assistant began to add up the two strengths from
> the lines on the prescription: "I see that you need -4.25 lenses Sir..."
>
> Why oh why do people don't know the simple basics of the business they're in?

Try "Glasses Direct"..............they are less than 1/4 of the price
of rip off artists such as Speck Ravers,  and provide excellent
service.

Charlie wrote:
> 
> On Aug 22, 2:18 pm, johannes  wrote:
> > Went to a well known high street optician chain today.
> > I handed them my prescription and asked then to make up two pairs.
> > Normal glasses -3.25 and reading glasses -1.0 . I don't like variofocals.
> > I was shocked when the assistant began to add up the two strengths from
> > the lines on the prescription: "I see that you need -4.25 lenses Sir..."
> >
> > Why oh why do people don't know the simple basics of the business they're in?
> 
> Try "Glasses Direct"..............they are less than 1/4 of the price
> of rip off artists such as Speck Ravers,  and provide excellent
> service.

When the assistant tried to add up the strengths i told him: "Are you crazy"

Nevertheless, he went about too and throe. Entering information, cleaning the
frames that I had selected.

Finally he came back to me: "phone number please?"

Me: "Why?"

Assistant: "So I can call you when glasses are ready"

Me: "But I will just pick them up later today".

Assistant: "It will take 7-10 days to order lenses". (And he didn't even 
check first if they had lenses in the shop). (And this was the well known
Ravers chain which advertises a lot...)  

Me: "Sorry, bye"

X no archive: yes


On Aug 22, 2:18 pm, johannes  wrote:
> Went to a well known high street optician chain today.
> I handed them my prescription and asked then to make up two pairs.
> Normal glasses -3.25 and reading glasses -1.0 . I don't like variofocals.
> I was shocked when the assistant began to add up the two strengths from
> the lines on the prescription: "I see that you need -4.25 lenses Sir..."
>
> Why oh why do people don't know the simple basics of the business they're in?


I had wightsight in cross street ryde do some glasses up for me about
three months ago...
However, he's not a consulting  *optician* as such and will not do eye
tests but, if you take him your prescription, he'll make your choice
of frames up with the prescription in a day, or so.  He has hundreds
of frames on display..
Prices seemed competitive but I'm no expert on the price of
spectacles..

www.wightsight.eu

should get you to his website, cannot remember his phone number but
he's in a double fronted shop along Cross Street, just before the bus
stops.....


mark

On Sat, 22 Aug 2009 14:18:43 +0100, johannes
 wrote:

>Went to a well known high street optician chain today. 
>I handed them my prescription and asked then to make up two pairs.
>Normal glasses -3.25 and reading glasses -1.0 . I don't like variofocals.
>I was shocked when the assistant began to add up the two strengths from
>the lines on the prescription: "I see that you need -4.25 lenses Sir..."
>
>Why oh why do people don't know the simple basics of the business they're in?

He may well have been correct.
It is common practice to specify the prescription for close-up/reading
glasses as an *additional* value to the distance prescription.
The values you quoted make perfect sense in this context.
I suggest you look more closely at your prescription with this in
mind.

Qwight wrote:
> 
> On Sat, 22 Aug 2009 14:18:43 +0100, johannes
>  wrote:
> 
> >Went to a well known high street optician chain today.
> >I handed them my prescription and asked then to make up two pairs.
> >Normal glasses -3.25 and reading glasses -1.0 . I don't like variofocals.
> >I was shocked when the assistant began to add up the two strengths from
> >the lines on the prescription: "I see that you need -4.25 lenses Sir..."
> >
> >Why oh why do people don't know the simple basics of the business they're in?
> 
> He may well have been correct.
> It is common practice to specify the prescription for close-up/reading
> glasses as an *additional* value to the distance prescription.
> The values you quoted make perfect sense in this context.
> I suggest you look more closely at your prescription with this in
> mind.

Only if the number were positive :)

On Aug 23, 11:13 am, johannes  wrote:
> Charlie wrote:
>
> > On Aug 22, 2:18 pm, johannes  wrote:
> > > Went to a well known high street optician chain today.
> > > I handed them my prescription and asked then to make up two pairs.
> > > Normal glasses -3.25 and reading glasses -1.0 . I don't like variofocals.
> > > I was shocked when the assistant began to add up the two strengths from
> > > the lines on the prescription: "I see that you need -4.25 lenses Sir.> > > Why oh why do people don't know the simple basics of the business they're in?
>
> > Try "Glasses Direct"..............they are less than 1/4 of the price
> > of rip off artists such as Speck Ravers,  and provide excellent
> > service.
>
> When the assistant tried to add up the strengths i told him: "Are you crazy"
>
> Nevertheless, he went about too and throe. Entering information, cleaning the
> frames that I had selected.
>
> Finally he came back to me: "phone number please?"
>
> Me: "Why?"
>
> Assistant: "So I can call you when glasses are ready"
>
> Me: "But I will just pick them up later today".
>
> Assistant: "It will take 7-10 days to order lenses". (And he didn't even
> check first if they had lenses in the shop). (And this was the well known
> Ravers chain which advertises a lot...)  
>
> Me: "Sorry, bye"

If you are in a hurry, Solent Optical in Southampton have a reasonable
number of frames on display, and will make up complete glasses from
£15 a pair. I cant honestly see why anyone uses the chain type
opticians, as they are extremely expensive, have idiot staff, and in
general provide very poor service.