Eye Level Optometrists

Diabolical Treatment of Customers - Even Long-standing Ones!!!
I still haven't gotten over the experience. What was even worse, was their reaction when I gave them a chance to salvage the relationship. I did this only because I always try to support local independent businesses, but they seemed to delight in adding insult to injury. I'll post my email below:
To: Eye Level Opticians <[email protected]>
Subject: Opportunity to Repair Damaged Relationship....Re: Hello & Best Wishes - Just wondering if you have ceased trading totally, or just Islington? I was looking at buying some more glasses...
Hello Eye Level,
I had a very disappointing experience at your shop in September & I vowed never to use you again.
However I have used you for many years now and, whilst uneven, your service levels have been mostly good (it used to be very good when you had some friendly female workers, who perhaps provided a counter-balance…)
Anyway, I always try to support local businesses & I was unable to find an independent opticians in the area.
So I thought perhaps I’d see if you might be interested in trying to salvage my custom & goodwill?
For the record, I’ll explain my negative experience:
As soon as I walked in I sensed a sort of tensing up, of posture, & an unease / suspicion in the male member with the beard. Perhaps it was because I was unshaven and wearing a track-suit & trainers?
Anyway he began hovering around uncomfortably close, as I looked at frames.
I like to be afforded both physical space (I’m sure many people do) & head-space too, when I’m making a purchase - I’d come with the intention of selecting some Tom Ford frames and having / booking a new eye test.
I believe he asked, hoveringly, if he could help and I said I’m looking at frames & would appreciate some time & space.
Which he completely ignored and continued to stand over my shoulder, suspiciously.
In exasperation, and hoping it would make him back off, I asked about the availability of eye tests. I can’t remember exactly what he said, but it was about free eye tests and it was rude and condescending.
Feeling disrespected & disappointed at not being recognised as a devoted customer, I told him I’m a regular and have had several eye tests. N.B. I’ve bought at 2-3 sets of varifocal lenses from him for my Shuron frames (I now recall the same fellow snidely saying “it’d be nice if you maybe bought some frames from us too" when I picked up and paid several hundred pounds for the lenses alone.) I also bought one set of occupational varifocals in Tom Ford frames from you, which was many hundreds of pounds again.
Anyway he clearly didn’t recognise me, worse still, he didn’t even seem to believe that I was a customer. So felt like I had to prove my viability to him by reciting my name & address several times, which was insulting & infuriating (please bear in mind that all this was still preventing me from selecting the frames.)
When he could find no trace of me on his iPad - and seemed to think I was making it all up - my humiliation was complete.
I was utterly thrown at this point. I had been in touch by email a few days earlier and was looking forward to a pleasant & professional experience (btw whatever happened to the lovely Spanish / Portuguese / Italian optometrist that you had.!?! and some smart & life-enhancing new glasses. But I got the polar opposite.
Throughout the whole distressing experience I got the strong sense that he saw me as a risk, rather than a returning customer with money in his tracksuit pockets, that he has in fact served / greeted on 4 occasions or more.
My humiliation was then replaced by a cold anger, as I demanded there & then that I be given my last prescription. So as to never expose myself to being insulted and looked down upon, by a business I had gone out of my way to support - being the owner of a small independent business myself.
So he fumbled around some more on his iPad & announced, smugly, that there was no record of me at all.
The fact that he seemed to think this proved his suspicions all along, caused a rage to well up in me and I bellowed at him to find my prescription and email it to me right away and I stormed out, determined never to return.
My teeth are still clenched as I write this.
To be clear, I have never ever felt what I felt that day. I have shopped at Balenciaga in Paris & Gucci on Bond Street - I didn’t even know it was possible to feel this way. But it’s given me a taste of what very many people must feel, on many occasions.
It’s awful & soul-destroying & I’m very much hoping that you’ll own this.
The slightest sense that you think I’ve imagined it or made it up - will set me on the warpath.
Maybe you can look on CCTV if you have it and have any doubts?
It’s strange because I had only intended to write a short email, asking if you had any interest in winning me back.
I myself am taken aback by how this has all flooded out, but better out than in eh?
I’d urge you to consider all the very well before replying, and I note that I wouldn’t be the first to complain about rude & supercilious behaviour to prospective customers.
Anyway, I guess one good thing is that I can now just copy & paste this whole email as a review.
Bewildered & belittled of Islington.

I have been coming here for many years. Always a first class eye examination with state of the art equipment and you get what you pay for a perfect pair of glasses tailored to your needs with care and precision. Tried a big name once and quickly came back
...the best .....and fantastic service

Fantastic service. Highly recommended. I took my damaged sunglasses in for replacement lenses. Eye Level emailed me as soon as they were ready, earlier than expected. Then when I couldn't get in to collect they offered to post them by first class mail at no extra charge. Then they even managed to catch the post that night and my glasses arrived next morning. Now I know why my friend in Islington has remained a loyal customer for many years, despite the presence of many competing opticians in the area. Very nice people to do business with.

Focus on the customer and purchases will follow.

I got my eyes tested at eye level. After not finding what I was looking for in their store, I decided to buy a pair online. Online purchases require the PD figure, a figure which they have on the system.

I called and asked for the PD, they said that they would not give it because it was not required by law (basically they know PD's are only needed for online purchases).

So instead of giving good customer service, they chose to not give out the PD figure out of sheer pettiness.

I've been going to eye level for about 5 years now, after trying David Clulow and lots others. They're brilliant, friendly, quick, professional, and no one I've ever met has been able to choose the perfect frames so quickly. They also take care of my teenage daughter and her contact lenses. I love Eye Level.

My experience has been entirely positive and I felt the need to sign up to say so! The comment above seems slightly outrageous. I would definitely recommend beyond a doubt. Great service, the staff go out of their way to please, and are extremely flexible when it comes to exhanging.

Do not waste a penny in this shop. In 20years of experience with glasses&amp;opticians I never ever had as many problems as i had with Eye Level. I bought a designer frame, was tested on the same day and then adviced to buy superthin lenses (260£ price) as they were the best on the market, had greatest coating, wonderful looks blah blah. I paid 460£ total. When i went to collect them and tried them on I immediately told them that I couldn’t see properly especially from my left eye, it was all blurred and kind of weird. After one week I had to go back. This time the owner of the shop tested my eyes just to find out (in his own words) that his colleague got the wrong measurements and prescriptions...They changed my prescription&amp;lenses, but second time same problem. After 2weeks, same problem, I still couldn’t see properly. I went back again, got another appointment with the owner after one week who then said that well, superthin lenses are flat and not tolerated by all kinds of eyes, you know… Solution: change again my lenses with the cheaper less thin ones. Worst thing worst, the last time I went to collect them the manager of the shop very rudely said I couldn’t get the difference in price because actually they’ve done me A FAVOUR to give me new lenses. When I replied I have NEVER been adviced about pros&amp;cons of superthin lenses and actually been pushed to buy the expensive ones he said it’s just a small percentage of people that can have problems w them (so basically who cares of them, right?), that it was my fault as I had to wait longer to let my eyes get used to them, that he was just tired of me and wanted to close the matter there and then...
I had to face the embarassment of going back two times to the shop, wait for them to change my lenses two times, ended up having 140£ worth lenses that I paid 260£ and then being accused of... of what?!!?! WORST CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE EVER.

I had a similar experience to the review above. I paid for a pair of new designer glasses (the fat guy working the front counter who has worked there for years has great taste!), an eye test, and a contact lens test, and tried out a new pair of lenses. I bought my first 6 month supply from the store believing that even though ordering through the store is more expensive, it's important to support small local businesses. Soon afterward I moved abroad and sent a large box of possessions, including my new lenses, to my new home. The Royal Post lost my package, and so I contacted Eye Level for my prescription information so that I could (re) order on-line or in my new country of residence. Even though I have been a customer there for 3 years, and spent about a total of £700 in that time, they would not give me the full information about my prescription and requested that I order through them (£109 for 6 months, plus international shipping, and customs fees!!) I cannot believe I spent so much money there and they withheld my prescription information so that I would be forced to continue to order indirectly/internationally through them!!

In sum, their sales guy is _great, but I would NEVER go back!

Love the selection at Eye Level, and the friendly professional service. I'm a specs addict and have bought my last four or five pairs here. Not cheap, but no more than any of the other good places. Also, they're fantastic to my teenage daughter, and the only opticians I could find who would fit her for contact lenses. Highly recommend. Better and cooler selection than David Clulow, in my experience.

I was a customer for 3 years and then had a terrible experience which has led me to never go back. Please don’t make the same mistake!

I went for my annual check-up so that I could get a new prescription and order my contacts (which I have always done through Asda, much cheaper than Eye Level btw!). Anyway, as I do every year I called to make an appointment explaining very clearly I was coming in to get a new prescription for contacts.

I went for the appointment, paid £25 fee then went to Asda.com to put my order in. A few days later, Asda call me to say that they couldn't confirm my new prescription with Eye Level. I then phoned Eye Level who explained that I only had a “sight test” and that I was &quot;asked during my appointment if I wanted to be tested for contact lenses and declined&quot;. This was entirely false! I made it clear from the beginning (ie. when I called to make my appointment) that I was coming in to get a new prescription for contacts so if I had been asked that during the appointment, why on earth would I &quot;decline&quot;? (I don't even wear my glasses.)

Someone made a mistake now they refuse to reimburse the £25 I paid for a test that is useless for me. Not to mention that I am now down to just 6 pairs of contacts lenses, as I was expecting a delivery from Asda today. I had a terrible experience with both receptionist and Scottish optician (both of whom always seemed friendly in person over past 3 years). Terrible service. You’d think that as a customer for 3 years they would apologise and reimburse me for the error. Now they have lost my business and I urge you not to take yours there.

Natalie

I used to go to David Clulow, but I love Eye Level's Cutler and Gross selection. Great friendly knowledgeable optometrists as well. Wouldn't go anywhere else.

I have been an eye level customer for years and I have always found the service and the time spent with each patient impeccable. The staff are helpful and on hand to lend expert advice in many fields, from &quot;What style of glasses is right for me?&quot; to &quot;What do you have in this price range?&quot;
All together, well worth a visit!!!
from
A happy customer