Optician. Chain or indi?

[Nicol@]

I am currently with a high street chain who are useless for numerous reasons (not being able to give me contacts at my current prescription is the most annoying one).

So I have wondered about changing to a independent, could it be better?

[davepoth]

Nicol@ said:

I am currently with a high street chain who are useless for numerous reasons (not being able to give me contacts at my current prescription is the most annoying one).

So I have wondered about changing to a independent, could it be better?

Yes, it definitely could. It's much less like going to a shop and more like a doctor's surgery - and I think that's a good thing.

[anonymous-user]

Some years ago I detached a retina, it was rectified at Bristol Eye Hospital the same day as i reported it, the doctor said it should be easy to fix as it was so small, and was amazed i came in so early, I told him my optician had spent some time each year telling me i was at risk and wht to look for (I am very myopic) he then said that any money I had spent going to a indi had contributed to saving my sight and any easier operation..
I went to a chain once, and they wanted a girl to to the glucoma test in a chair stuck out into the shopping mall, I walked out.
Go to an indi every time.

[pat_y]

Nicol@ said:

I am currently with a high street chain who are useless for numerous reasons (not being able to give me contacts at my current prescription is the most annoying one).

So I have wondered about changing to a independent, could it be better?

I'm curious as to why they cannot give you contacts at your current prescription, what are they telling you?

[Nicol@]

pat_y said:

I'm curious as to why they cannot give you contacts at your current prescription, what are they telling you?

That i am overdue an annual sight test by 7 weeks (no reminders and had been told at last test to return in 2 years). Contact lens test was Oct/Nov and prescription changed (which I knew as my vision was not clear through contacts). The store continued to send out lenses at the old strength. I could have changed the lenses in the store at the start of the year once they were ordered, but as I had a baby this was not possible.

[MacGee]

I use an independent. Def feels a better service. But thats only IMHO.

[JB!]

I use Hammond and Dummer in MK. not cheap but better service than any chain, plus the receptionist is rather lovely!

[pat_y]

Nicol@ said:

That i am overdue an annual sight test by 7 weeks (no reminders and had been told at last test to return in 2 years). Contact lens test was Oct/Nov and prescription changed (which I knew as my vision was not clear through contacts). The store continued to send out lenses at the old strength. I could have changed the lenses in the store at the start of the year once they were ordered, but as I had a baby this was not possible.

Agreed that's a bit of a pain, but if your prescription has changed then i suppose they have a point. You might pay a little more from an Indi, but as everyone else says, better service is more likley.