On Sarah’s birthday, she went to get her driving permit and ended up with glasses instead. Her friends immediately told her that she looks like a librarian. She did not take this as a compliment. Librarians seriously need to work on their public image. A few days after her birthday, we took Sarah and some of her friends to the drive-in. Doug parked next to a pickup filled with teenage boys. The glasses came off instantly and didn’t go back on until it was pitch dark outside. Yesterday, her little brother played with the glasses and lost one of the squishy nose pieces. I picked her up during her band camp break today to go get the glasses repaired. She was not wearing the glasses. “But, I’m on the front row this year.” Contacts for Sarah just scooted up several notches on my priority list.
Tommy had some kind of mystery accident that the optometrist guesses was a gas exposure that destroyed the surface of the lenses on his glasses. Chemistry class? Who knows. He has also chewed off one of the rubber earpiece covers, so he really needed new glasses before we recklessly abandon him safely drop him off at college in 3 weeks. The eyeglasses salesperson should have been selling used cars instead of glasses. Every sentence she said to us started with the words, “since his prescription is so strong”. That was the reason he HAD to have the most expensive lenses. That was the reason we HAD to wait two weeks while they order those expensive lenses instead of just using the ones on stock in the store. That was the reason Tommy HAD to have frames that were smaller than he wanted. She also told me that was the reason I HAD to buy him two pairs. I looked her directly in the eyes and explained that since we HAD to have the very expensive frames and the very expensive lenses, I absolutely couldn’t pay for a second pair. She told me I was “making a mistake not getting a second pair” and I punched her in the face. Not really. She did scold me, but I didn’t punch her. As usual, I said nothing. I just wish I had the courage to ask for a different employee next time I am back in the store. With Amy.
“Since his prescription is so strong” may have been a viable argument 15 years ago. That is no longer the case–I myself have a strong prescription and I can wear pretty much style or lens I want to. (I wear contacts most of the time, though.)
Unfortunately you probably won’t get anywhere with a different sales associate at that place. And were you “making a mistake not getting a second pair” because they had some kind of sale going on or just because? I only have one face so I can only wear one pair, myself.
Thankfully one of my close friends from high school is now an optometrist (and also practices in the town to which I just moved) so I don’t have to deal with corporate vision stores anymore.
Good luck!
My friend swears by zennioptical.com, have you tried them? I haven’t yet, but was going to – I need a spare pair.
I refuse to go to LensCrafters. My guy can make any prescription in any frame and they aren’t necessarily going to be the most expensive ones. All glasses have a one-year guarantee.
When Bug completely busted her frames, we had them replaced in two days. For me, that would be bad (because I need them to drive) but for a kid – perfect. And we reuse old frames as a “second pair” with new lenses.
They totally BS’d you. I’m glad you didn’t get a second pair.
There was no discount for the second pair. Just a lecture that my child would be unable to function if something happened to his first pair. She made me feel terrible as I imagined Tommy sitting in his room with a cane and a guide dog, waiting for me to drive up from Knoxville with a replacement pair.