Four out of my five children are glasses wearers so I was very pleased to be asked to do a review for Specsavers. I never take the health of my children's eyes for granted and make sure they are regularly tested. Ella and Kizzy were both due their annual eye test so the timing was perfect. We made an appointment for after school and college and went to our local branch. It's a very friendly branch and the kids always feel comfortable and relaxed. We received a courtesy call the day before our appointment to remind us of the time and to check that we'd be there.
The eye exam is very thorough, consisting of some pre-tests before going into the examination room with the optician. At sixteen, Ella goes in on her own, but I accompanied Kizzy. I am always so interested in how, by switching the lenses in the funny glasses, an optician is able to ascertain an exact prescription! It's all very clever. As their paternal grandad has oval retinas and is registered blind, the optician is always very thorough when checking inside the girls' eyes and ensured us that they were both fine. Everything was clearly explained and our questions were answered. We were also assured that we could come back anytime if either of the girls started experiencing any problems, rather than waiting for their next annual check up.
Once their prescriptions were printed out, the girls got to do the fun part - pick new glasses! They both get the cost of their glasses subsidised by the NHS. Kizzy looked at the Teenage range, and Ella got to choose a pair from the designer range as part of our review.
Ably assisted by a very helpful and patient member of staff, Ella looked through the racks of frames from designers such as Red or Dead, Gok Wan, Karen Millen, Jasper Conran, Osiris, FCUK and new this month Emporio Armani. Once upon a time, the choice when it came to glasses was very limited. Today the frames are more of a fashion accessory with so many lovely styles and colours to pick from. The fashionable frames bear the distinctive designer branding and make a clear style statement. Many of the designer frames are exclusive to Specsavers. There is a 2-for-1 offer with prices from £99.
The assistant was very knowledgeable and took account of Ella's head size and shape to recommend styles. Together they picked out a shortlist of four frames to choose from. In the end she picked a pair by Karen Millen. They were adjusted for a perfect fit over her ears and across her nose. We were offered some optional extras and chose an anti-glare finish as Ella does a lot of work on computers and will be learning to drive soon! I love how getting a good, stylish pair of glasses boosts the girls' confidence.
We made an appointment to pick up the finished glasses for two weeks time. They are very accommodating as we had to fit the appointment in around Ella's college hours and we were being very indecisive trying to remember her end of term timetable! In the end we actually had to phone back and change the time, but again this was no problem.
When the time came for the girls to collect their new glasses, they were ready for them straight away. The fit was checked and the girls were asked to read the letters on the eye test chart to confirm that they could see clearly.
Both girls are delighted with their new glasses and I was delighted by the service we received at Specsavers.
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| Ella wears Karen Millen! |
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| Kizzy wears Red or Dead |
To find your nearest Specsavers store and to check out their range of designer frames including the new Emporio Armani glasses visit www.specsavers.co.uk.
