On a recent trip to California, I found a great (and expensive) pair of frames to hold the glasses that I knew I was going to need soon. I went online to search for a place to get my eyes checked and have my inevitable prescription filled. I was impressed with the sheer number of positive reviews I found for Vision Square when compared with other optical businesses. I made my appointment and showed up on time but had to wait for an hour to see the doctor. I wasn't too upset though, since getting my eyes checked by a good practitioner is worth far more than an hour's time. While I sat in the waiting room, I noticed a sign that promised to enter me into a weekly or monthly drawing (I don't remember which) to win a free pair of sunglasses if I wrote an online review. Suddenly I understood why Vision Square had so many more reviews than its competitors. Online review sites like Google and Yelp frown upon businesses that offer compensation of any kind to customers who write reviews since they compromise the integrity of the review site in general.
To be fair, I was very impressed with Dr. Heidi Martin. She was professional and took the time to explain exactly what was going on with my eyes and what I could look forward to in the future. Ditto for the other staff who, with only one exception, were very friendly and accommodating.
After my appointment, I was walked into the store where I would order and pay for my new lenses. Two weeks later, I received a call that my glasses had arrived. When I put them on everything was distorted and I felt an immediate headache coming on. It turned out that the lenses were cut wrong and the center was too high. What should have been my distance correction was instead my reading correction. I remembered where the dots were originally placed on the lenses, so I know the mistake wasn't the fault of the store. The frames were returned to the lab to be redone and I was told that because it was a re-do, the lab would be asked to rush my order. Two weeks later I received another call that my glasses were back. The initial problem had been corrected but now, the frames had not been reassembled properly and the trims were out of alignment. So, back to the lab they went. Again, I was told that a rush would be requested and, again, it took two weeks to get them back. However, this time they returned as they went out and the trims were still not lined up. When I pointed it out to one of the women in the store, I was told that she didn't know what else they could do. That's when I did something I almost never do; I lost my temper.
Rule #1 for customer service: Never break something that belongs to your customer and then tell them that there's nothing you can do to fix the problem.
Fortunately, Brenda, who I am naming because she deserves to be recognized for her calm demeanor and the nice way she treats customers, was there. She took the frames and said, "Let me see what I can do". After fiddling with them for a few minutes, she fixed the problem. So away I happily went, glasses on my nose. When I got home I noticed that one frame was round and normal but the other took on the shape of an egg. So, back I went to the store where I was told that the lab had cut one of the lenses wrong and that, rather than re-cutting it, forced the lens into the frame, thus bending and distorting its shape. For the third time, back to the lab they went. I was again told that a rush would be requested, and again they came back two weeks later. Unfortunately, the damage done to the frames could not be completely repaired and, although it's less apparent, the egg-like bulge is still there.
So, here I am, after two months, exhausted and stressed. The glasses are still not right but I just want this whole ordeal to be over. I am going to deal with the glasses as they are. I have not received any offer of a refund for the aggravation, the poor workmanship, and the damage that was inflicted on a very expensive set of frames.
Now that I've written this review, who knows? Maybe I'll win a pair of sunglasses! read more
