JJ
Johnny Norris, Jr.
2 days ago
So, I'm noticing that Stanton Optical responds with soft skills on their Google Reviews. I've been reading through some 1-star reviews of this place, to try to assess whether my experience today was common. It seems to be common.
Look, I will be perfectly blunt and honest with you. You have a front counter. This signals to a person, that if they go stand at the front counter, then someone in the establishment will come to take their order. I don't like to make waves in public, and I don't like to complain.
I was standing at the front counter for a full 12 minutes, maybe, before anyone even walked out who looked like they worked there, and even after that, it was an additional 3-4 minutes before any of them actually noticed I was standing there, and engaged with me. This is unacceptable. You're a business establishment. You have a customer. What's the problem?
But I'm not done. I was there to try to get new frames, because I'd broken my frames last week. They informed me that the new (plastic) frames I wanted (identical to the ones I have) would be $79.99, the same price as getting a free eye exam and two new pairs of lenses and frames. I didn't really have the money, but I figured "Oh well, whatever, that is a good deal I guess." So they booked me for a 12:15 appointment.
Lo and behold, someone had already been waiting for an appointment before me, and they got to eat my 12:15 slot. So I was offered at 1:30 slot. I responded with "That's okay, I didn't really have anything else to do today, anyhow. I'll go get a sandwich, or something and come back."
But I'm not done. I went and got my sandwich, decided to go vacuum out my car at the nearby car wash, and then came back at 1:15, and sat in the eye exam area. 1:30 came. Nobody spoke to me. Nada. Zilch. After they'd already seen my face earlier, and spoke directly to me, and had already given me an appointment time that they could not keep.
I said to myself, "That's okay, I'll wait another 15 mins, it'll probably be okay." So I did. I waited til 1:45.
Nobody spoke to me. Nothing. Zero. I might as well have been a figment of their imagination.
But I'm not done. 1:52pm Central Standard Time, the lady behind the counter finally asked me back to the Exam Room. I was a bit upset, but glad to finally be getting this done. Then someone walked up to the counter and said "We had a 1:00 appointment," and that very same lady turned around in her little swivel chair and said "I'm gonna have to ask you to switch with them."
I was fed up at that point, and just bolted up, and declared "I'm leaving. This is ridiculous. You guys just lost $80. I've been here for two hours." And as I walked out the door, I quite powerfully intoned "Get it together!" over my shoulder. I feel bad about losing my temper, but I didn't scream, swear, or insult anyone, or say anything that wasn't true, and you cannot reasonably expect a grown person with a job, bills, pressures, and a life, to deal with this kind of ineptitude, from people who probably make more money than I do.
This place has wasted my time, for the last time. I will thank you not to reply to my review, Stanton Optical. I don't want your assurance that you will escalate this matter for review. Keep it. I wanted my 1:30 pm appointment for an eye exam. You're past the point of keeping my business. Deal with it.