C.R. Turners

DON’T USE THIS SHOP! My experience there was absolutely dreadful! I had spent a long time two weeks ago having my eyes tested. During the time there Mr Turner seemed to love his work as an optician, but he kept losing things, he kept forgetting what he’d done with things (like my glasses or the scrap of paper he was making notes on etc) and then, when he came to «helping» me try contact lenses, he got in a huff because I couldn’t do it straight away. He did allow me to take a couple of lenses away to try at home and I had no problem putting them in there, so I was looking forward to getting contacts sorted out when called in to pick up my glasses. My husband called in to pick up another lens about a week later (because one had split) and Mr Turner was extremely rude to him, saying that he’d called him on the phone demanding something. My husband said he thought he’d muddled him up with someone else… Another week later and I had had no call about my glasses, so I rang and was told they were in already (a bit puzzled why no-​one had called to say they’d been there a few days…) so I said I’d be there the next day. I arrived about 9.30 and left my frames for them to put the lenses in and was told to come back in an hour. An hour and a half later I came and found my glasses on the counter and Mr Turner had no idea who I was (I had spent a considerable amount of time with him before!). However, he offered to check out the contact lenses I was wearing. I went in to the room and he started doing all the tests. In a pause in the proceedings, I asked what lens strength I was wearing. I had no idea what lens strength was in my left eye as that one was a monthly and I had not seen the original label (it had been given to me in a box with a label). He stopped what he was doing, turned round, put his hands together in front of his crotch area, looked down at me «severely» and asked «Why do you want to know? What difference does it make to you?» I was flabberghasted by this odd reaction. I repeated that I just wanted to know what strength he had already put in my eyes. He asked the same question again. I thought I couldn’t be asking the question correctly, so I said something about not wanting to offend him but that i was only asking for information that he must surely know, as he was testing my eyes. He then said that he didn’t know and it wasn’t relevant. Then he just stopped, said he felt I wasn’t happy with his «service» and that clearly he wouldn’t be supplying me with contact lenses. I sat there and he just left! After that it went from bad to worse. He admitted that he had no idea I was coming in (so no-​one had told him that my glasses were already ready and that I was coming in, or that I had come in already that morning and would be back or, perhaps they had, and he’d forgotten!). He didn’t recognise me. By his own admission he said he had no idea what lenses I was already wearing and wasn’t prepared to find out as he would have had to go into «the back» (a small shop!!)… so how could he have tested my sight not knowing this? I left feeling terribly upset and only a few moments earlier everything had been absolutely fine. He had just «turned» on a sixpence when I asked for a simple piece of factual information that he really should have known. I think he felt threatened that I had discovered he didn’t know this. I think he is forgetting a very great many things. He is a lot older than my husband and I, and we are within a decade of retirement, so… it SEEMS as if he MAY be a bit PAST it… perhaps… Anyway, don’t waste your time going there. My glasses are varifocals and they aren’t good either. My husband phoned him and he wouldn’t listen to him at all and so he ended up shouting at him. I am going to ask for a return the entire value of the lenses.

This is a family business, who pride themselves in providing the personal service to customers. I have been a client for about 20 years now, and I can honestly say that he is the best optician I have come across. They don’t try and force you to buy anything. The prices are very cheap. They have a good selection of glasses, soft lenses and coloured as well. I have recommended them to my friends and family as well.