Anyone had any issues with Tesco Opticians?

hm902

I had an eye test in April, a week later i started getting headaches and eye muscle pain. I assumed this was because they'd removed a prism from prescription.

I went back to the store, and spoke to the manager who rudely advised me there was absolutely nothing wrong with my prescription or glasses and that my previous glasses didn't contain a prism (i've had them checked - they did)

A couple of weeks later I conducted a mystery shop at another optician, telling him as per my brief, that my prescription was 2 years old and he advised me the prescription had changed quite a bit.

I fed my complaint back to Tesco, who fobbed me off. Telling me to go back and speak to the branch manager, I advised them I wouldn't go back to speak to him due to his previous attitude to my complaint. I later sent them my new prescription, which they confirmed they received via twitter but now claim to have never received.

I've been getting no straight answers from customer services, just that they need to go away and speak to the regional manager, this will take another 21 days etc etc. I bluntly told them I was tired of being fobbed off and if by 31st july they had resolved this then i'd have no option but to go to small claims - I had no response.

I got a phone call this morning from someone at Tesco optician, with the biggest attitude, telling me that I couldn't claim the amount i asked for via small claims. (which included a refund, cost towards the extra for new correct frames, phonecalls etc and general compensation)

I pointed out that small claims obviously agree I can as they've issued it.
During the call she kept asking me to refrain from using bad language - which I wasn't using and to stop raising my voice - again I wasn't. She then tried to get me to cancel the small courts claim if I agreed to a cheque for the refund only.

So, I'm just wondering if anyone else has had an experience like this? :mad:

boo_star

I haven't had any experience with them but I will say this.

You won't get much more than a refund via small claims.

As horrible as the experience sounds I'd just push for a sum on top of the refund for calls/petrol to visit the store (maybe £10.)

If they refuse the extra I'd just call it a day and take the cheque. It isn't worth the hassle and the courts do expect people to make a good faith attempt at resolution (expecting more than compensation for provable losses isn't being reasonable), it's a last resort.

keystone

My optician has just started a very nice line in salad vegetables. Bought a lettuce today but found a caterpillar in it. Went back to complain but they really didn't want to know.

Cheers

anarchied

Eh, the only issue I've had with Tesco opticians wasn't even my issue - they didn't correctly fit my dad's glasses.

Personally, I'd rather go to a specialist opticians. They may be trained in the same manner, but Tesco are too big a company to care most of the time IMHO.

rock-on_2

hm902 wrote: »

I had an eye test in April, a week later i started getting headaches and eye muscle pain. I assumed this was because they'd removed a prism from prescription.

I went back to the store, and spoke to the manager who rudely advised me there was absolutely nothing wrong with my prescription or glasses and that my previous glasses didn't contain a prism (i've had them checked - they did)

A couple of weeks later I conducted a mystery shop at another optician, telling him as per my brief, that my prescription was 2 years old and he advised me the prescription had changed quite a bit.

I fed my complaint back to Tesco, who fobbed me off. Telling me to go back and speak to the branch manager, I advised them I wouldn't go back to speak to him due to his previous attitude to my complaint. I later sent them my new prescription, which they confirmed they received via twitter but now claim to have never received.

I've been getting no straight answers from customer services, just that they need to go away and speak to the regional manager, this will take another 21 days etc etc. I bluntly told them I was tired of being fobbed off and if by 31st july they had resolved this then i'd have no option but to go to small claims - I had no response.

I got a phone call this morning from someone at Tesco optician, with the biggest attitude, telling me that I couldn't claim the amount i asked for via small claims. (which included a refund, cost towards the extra for new correct frames, phonecalls etc and general compensation)

I pointed out that small claims obviously agree I can as they've issued it.
During the call she kept asking me to refrain from using bad language - which I wasn't using and to stop raising my voice - again I wasn't. She then tried to get me to cancel the small courts claim if I agreed to a cheque for the refund only.

So, I'm just wondering if anyone else has had an experience like this? :mad:

In short, I have had a very similar experience especially with being accused of doing something I simply hadn't done.

I had an eye test and ordered 2 pairs of glasses, one for reading one for driving. The reading glasses were completely useless, I couldn't use them they were far too strong but the OH found them useful so I just went to a different optician and got reading glasses from them. I did notice though that the second prescription was somewhat different to the one supplied by Tesco.

The distance or driving glasses were a completely different matter. They were ordered with transition lenses and the first pair were useless. The vision through them was totally distorted so I took them back. Had another eye test and the second pair were again pretty useless, not quite so distorted but bad enough to make it impossible to walk around with them on. Took those back again. The third pair the vision was finally OK BUT the lenses were plain and not transition and that's when the trouble started.

The assistant accused me of not ordering transition lenses. When I pointed out that each pair that had been returned up to then had been with transition lenses as originally ordered, she said 'there is no need to be so rude'. I said I hadn't so then she said 'You've been rude to every member of staff every time you've been into the shop'. I most certainly hadn't although on returning glasses for a 4th time maybe I should have been rude. This was said by her in front of other members of staff and in front of other customers causing complete humiliation and as her comments were made without any foundation these remarks were slanderous. For those who want to dispute that, I have checked it out and yes it is slander.

A couple of days later when I was asked to see the manageress as she hadn't been available at the time of the incident and who was very pleasant, the assistant was asked to apologise. Then even more slanderous remarks were made by this assistant at the front of the optician department, in front of other members of staff, optician customers and general Tesco customers. She said I had 'rubbished' the opticians which was a complete fabrication and again she said I had been rude which although I had good cause to be I hadn't been. I was completely humiliated for something that just had not happened. These comments were again slanderous.

I'm still waiting for Tesco to come back with some sort of explanation and compensation for several trips back to the store and buying a pair of glasses from a different optician. I'm quite prepared to take this lot to court for compensation. I have taken advice on the slander issue and as there are a number of witnesses to the incidents I do have a case but I am giving Tesco the benefit of the doubt at the moment but my patience is running out.

If there's anyone from Tesco reading this; sort it out and sort out your rude unpleasant staff. I'd certainly never recommend your opticians if there are assistants like this deal with.