I had an extremely disappointing experience at LensCrafters today after returning a pair of glasses and purchasing a new pair. The salesperson who assisted me was Selam, and unfortunately, my interactions with her left me feeling disrespected, misled, and deeply dissatisfied with the service I received.
When I returned my original pair of glasses, Selam’s attitude was flippant, dismissive, and unprofessional. She asked whether I wanted to purchase another pair, and I explained that I preferred to have an eye exam first before making another purchase. She simply responded with a curt “OK” and handed me the payment terminal to process the return. Throughout that interaction, her demeanour was noticeably unpleasant and indifferent.
After completing my eye exam and receiving my updated prescription, I began looking for a new pair of glasses. I asked another salesperson for assistance, and she directed me to sit at one of the desks. Unfortunately, Selam once again came over to assist me. This time, however, her attitude had completely changed. She was smiling, cheerful, and much more pleasant, which made the contrast from our earlier interaction all the more noticeable.
At first, this second interaction seemed more positive. I asked for her opinion on which frames suited me best, and we eventually settled on a pair that I felt happy with. However, when we began discussing the overall cost, I asked about the price of the lenses. Selam presented me with only two lens options, both of which were around $500 before the 50% lens discount. When I asked whether there was a less expensive standard lens option available, she told me, “No, with your prescription, these are the only two lenses available that will be light and thinner.”
This immediately struck me as odd, because the glasses I had just returned did not have lenses that were nearly as expensive. The previous salesperson who helped me with that purchase had been honest and transparent about my options. After checking my return receipt, I discovered that there had in fact been another standard lens option available for approximately $330 CAD before the 50% discount, which Selam had failed to mention.
When I asked her why she had not told me about that option from the beginning, I told her directly that I felt her conduct was deceptive and that she should have been upfront about all available pricing options. Her response was a dismissive and insincere “Sorry,” which only added to my frustration.
The interaction became even more frustrating when she then asked when my last eye exam had been. I told her it was about three years ago. After looking at my file, she responded with what came across as an arrogant and condescending tone: “It says here that it was just last week, not three years ago.” I clarified that what she was seeing was the prescription associated with the glasses I had just returned to her, and that the prescription used for those glasses was from three years ago, not last week. She simply stared at me, said “Oh, OK,” and handed me the payment terminal to complete the purchase.
Overall, this experience was unacceptable. Customers should be treated with respect, honesty, and professionalism, regardless of whether they are returning an item or making a purchase. Selam was dismissive during the return, overly agreeable only once I was purchasing something, and less than transparent when discussing lens options and pricing. At the very least, customers deserve to be informed of all available options so they can make a fair and confident decision.