Complaint: Walmart Vision Center, Monticello, Indiana
A letter I took time away from homework to write to the manager of the Vision Center, the store manager, and Walmart’s Home Office…
On Thursday, October 7, 2010, I visited the optical department for an exam and to order new lenses. After the exam, I sat down with Yvonne to order new lenses for my frames. I planned to use the same frames I have now, just as I did approximately a year and a half ago when I ordered new lenses from your store. The visit a year+ ago went very smoothly and pleasantly. The woman at that appointment traced my current frames and the lenses were fine.
However, on this visit, from the moment I mentioned wanting to use my current frames, it seemed everything Yvonne said to me was trying to “scare” me into buying new frames. I can understand a bit of salesmanship, but she did not go about this correctly. She talked about there being no warranty, and not being able to do a Smooth & Polish on the lenses—things that may have been mentioned last time as well, I do not remember now; but, Yvonne said it in a way that had frame-selling motive rather than informational.
That was a little off-putting, but the real problem came when she went to trace my frames. She mentioned several times how “funny” and “weird” my frames were. She said they do not unscrew the way that “normal” frames do; she also commented on how weird the arms were when I asked her to adjust them for me (no one else has ever made such a comment or had problems adjusting). After the first tracing “didn’t take,” she came back from the second tracing with a big audible sigh as she sat down; she then grumbled some about the computer not saving something while she was gone.
I told her that I was beginning to think I should go somewhere else for lenses, as I wasn’t feeling very confident in being there. She immediately got defensive, and said, “Well, that’s up to you if that’s what you think you should do—here, let me go in here and cancel this order!” as if she couldn’t be rid of me fast enough. She then proceeded to tell me that my frames were “corroded” and that it is causing the machine to skip. I do not see any corrosion, and her original excuse after the first trace was the “weird screws,” with no mention of corrosion.
I asked her who helped me on my last visit as she had no problems, and I thought I might come back and see if she would be able to trace them. Yvonne remained defensive, and told me that my records show that Brittany helped me, but “she’s new,” and went on to say that she, however, has been doing her job for 7 years. I could not believe that she would call someone that helped me a year and a half ago “new,” and made it sound like an insult as she said it. She then told me that if the lenses need cut to size when they come in, “I’m the one that does them,” as if to say she is the top dog of the Vision Center (there was no other reason to bring up lens cutting, we were not on any such topic).
That last comment erased thoughts of coming in to have someone else trace my lenses, as I do not trust Yvonne to touch my lenses when they come in. I was rather appalled at Yvonne’s attitude. She should have acted happy with my business as a customer about to pay over $200 for lenses (along with the $50 for the eye exam I had just had), instead of making bizarre insults at my current frames.
While I have not had good experiences with Walmart frames, I have never had a problem with the lenses. I hope that you are not pushing your employees so much to sell frames that it lead to this incident. The main reason I came “back” to Walmart, after long disappointment in your frames, was that I found out that you would place lenses in any frame for a decent price.
I am considering giving a chance to the Vision Center in the new Walmart opening in Logansport on the 13th. I am very disappointed in not having the convenience to myself, or the benefit to you, of getting my lenses at my local store.
*****UPDATE***** 11/05/2010
I have yet to hear back from any of the THREE places I sent that letter to (The Vision Center manager, the store manager, and WM home office).
Despite this, I did go to the Logansport, Indiana, Walmart. My lenses are very “specialized” because of my horrid vision, and WM does have the best price on them. I also don’t really have time to even look around to figure out who else may fit lenses to old frames.
My experience at Logansport was wonderful. The SuperCenter just opened, so the Vision Center is brand new to Logansport. The manager has past experience, but the staff are all brand new. I was their very first customer to want lenses put into old frames, and they were all downright EXCITED to learn how to do that. On my first visit, the manager and two staff members were there, and the two went back to learn how to do the “tracing” of my frames. A week later when I went to pick them up, there were three staff members along with the manager… all three went back with the manager to watch her size the lenses and get them in my frames. I had no problems and the staff was very friendly.
