If you are researching opticians and the best eyewear for you, you are in the right place. Just like every face is different, optician practices are different too. In your search for finding the right optician for you, you most likely will find similar options. That being said, not all eyewear experiences are the same.
At Bottomley Opticians our mission is to serve our clients and deliver an effortless eyewear experience. There is no better reward than seeing how happy our clients are wearing glasses after we help transform their eyewear.
To help support our mission and to help you choose the right optician, even if it is not us, I put this report together, The Top 10 Things You Must Know Before Choosing Your Optician
When you are ready, I urge you to schedule your free eyewear styling consultation and experience the Bottomley Opticians difference for yourself. There is no obligation to purchase and you will get lots of practical advice and guidance that will make choosing eyewear easier no matter where you go.
1. How Long Is The Eye Exam?
The average eye exam appointment in the UK is 20 minutes in length. While that may provide enough time for an optometrist to examine your eyes, it allows very little time for discussion and personalisation to your individual requirements.
At Bottomley Opticians you get a 45 minute eye exam so that the optometrist can take more time to find out about you, what your preferences are, how you use your eyes, what type of work you do and more. And that means you’ll get effective advice and solutions because it is tailored to you. There is a big difference between getting 20 minutes with the expert and then being rushed out the door versus getting 45 minutes with the expert to discuss everything thoroughly.
2. What Type Of Eyewear Do They Specialise In?
Most ‘designer’ frames are produced for the mass market and made by the same global company who stamp a different logo and designer brand name on the side so they can charge a premium for it. These bland but branded frames are then distributed all over the world in mainstream opticians.
However, a select few independent opticians specialise in niche eyewear, made by small eyewear design companies who are truly passionate about creating eyewear that you’ll love wearing. Handmade and of the highest quality, they are designed for individuals who want something superior. If you are looking for something different than the frames you see in most opticians, then niche eyewear is for you.
Ask the opticians where they source their frames from. The good ones will passionately tell you about their travels to Milan, Paris, Antwerp, and Copenhagen all in the name of discovering the very best eyewear in the world and bringing it to you!
3. Do They Offer You A Free Styling Consultation Without Any Obligation Or Pressure To Buy?
There are a lot of people who hate shopping for glasses and it’s mainly because they find the process of choosing new glasses painful, difficult and time consuming. Thankfully, at Bottomley Opticians there is a more sophisticated way to choose eyewear than just trying frames at random. An eyewear styling consultation means you get better advice and personal service. And it means that you don’t have to scratch your head and browse and try on lots of frames that neither fit you nor suit you.
In an eyewear styling consultation, the styling optician should first ask you about your preferences, advise you on face shape and frame style and what will suit you, and then show you all the possibilities you could wear from a cutting- edge collection of eyewear.
The eyewear styling consultation is an opportunity to discover the right style of eyewear for you in a no-pressure, relaxed environment with the help of an eyewear professional.
Making the right choice of eyewear requires some thought and consideration and the right expertise to guide you through the process effortlessly and enjoyably. You should never be made to feel obligation to buy after receiving this service.
4. Do They Guarantee Their Prescriptions And Eyewear?
In addition to normal product warranties, ask if your optician will guarantee that you’ll be happy with your eyewear. Do they offer at least a guarantee where they will change the frame and lenses for you, free of charge, if you are not completely comfortable with the glasses you selected? Do they have a process and service that is so good that they are happy to guarantee it? This tells you a lot.
At Bottomley Opticians we provide a 30-Day “Love Your Glasses” Comfort Guarantee. If, for any reason, you are uncomfortable with your new glasses, you can choose an alternative frame and/or lenses that will be more comfortable for you. All at no charge. We guarantee you will love your glasses!
In addition, we provide ongoing aftercare service to look after your eyewear for as long as you have them.
5. Are They Truly Experts?
While optometrists must be professionally qualified and undergo continued education and training every year to be registered to carry out eye examinations, It is a different story when it comes to the sales people who are employed to sell you glasses when you leave the eye exam room.
All our dispensing staff have years of experience in frame and lens choice. They are passionate about only dealing with the very best eyewear manufacturers and will likely have personally been involved in the choosing process while at eyewear shows in places like Paris, Milan and Munich. They are very knowledgeable about each range and in most cases will have had training directly from the manufacturers.
In short… we only employ Eyewear geeks who constantly research and consume all things eyewear and optical so that whatever your needs are we are well placed to deal with them.
6. Do They Understand Style?
If you need to wear glasses then chances are you want to look good, feel confident and make the right impression with your glasses. Unfortunately, most opticians see glasses as just a functional requirement and it’s clear they do not understand the style issue.
If you want to look your best in your eyewear then it’s essential that you get advice from someone who actually has a good sense of style. Look at the environment the optician has created in their practice, what they choose to wear themselves, and pay attention to whether they have a passion and flair for good design when they advise you on frame styles.
At Bottomleys, we believe you deserve more! We give you the best information we can about eyewear so that you can confidently select the right eyewear for you – the perfect pair or pairs of glasses that will match your personal style.
7. Do They Give You Free Flexible Payment Options?
Your optician should consult with you and give you several options and guidance as to what eyewear will work best for you. In addition to choices when it comes to how much you want to invest in your eyewear, we believe there should also be free flexible payment options.
You’re going to be wearing your new glasses for a few years so the best opticians will also give you the option to spread the payments for your glasses over 6 to 12 months without any extra cost or interest or credit checks.
At Bottomley Opticians we give you easy payment options without any hassle or charges. We aim to make the whole eyewear buying experience as easy as possible for you. From your taste in eyewear, to how you like your coffee, to how you would like to pay.
8. What Do Their Reviews Say? Do They Have A Great Reputation?
Does the opticians have many testimonials and five-star reviews from happy customers? If they do have a few it is reassuring. But there is a big difference between having a handful of generic testimonials versus having a huge quantity of sincere and enthusiastic testimonials. Do your research and check their Google and Facebook reviews. Look on their website to see if they have any video testimonials from existing clients.
As of this writing Bottomley Opticians has quite a few Five Star reviews across Google and Facebook We have a five-star rating on both platforms.
9. Are They Highly Successful?
Why is this important? Why choose someone who is busy and who is not bargain- priced? When you discover a practice like Bottomley Opticians that has looked after thousands of client’s eyewear needs here in Halifax and Huddersfield for over 70 years, you’ve discovered a practice built on referrals. Clients don’t enthusiastically refer if they feel they were let down or disappointed in any way. Clients tell their friends and family about great opticians because we earned their trust and because they were delighted with the whole customer experience. When it comes to your eyewear and eye-care we never cut corners or take shortcuts. Our opticians and optometrists are highly trained to produce state-of-the-art outcomes.
Nothing less.
When you come to see us, you are in very good hands.
10. What Do They Stand For?
Specsavers advertise glasses from £25. You can find glasses even cheaper online. What is most important to decide is whether you want cheapest prices or the best quality and expertise and to choose the appropriate opticians that can deliver that for you. Make sure you understand what your chosen opticians stands for.
Here at Bottomley Opticians, in additions to our guarantees and five-star reviews we stand behind these 6 promises to you…
• We promise we will only supply the highest quality frames and lenses – so you can rely on your glasses and get a good lifetime from them.
• We promise that our eyewear collections will be current and represent the best of independent, niche eyewear design from around the globe – you will have the world’s most appealing styles to choose from and all under one roof.
• We promise to constantly invest in state-of-the-art lenses that will offer you the sharpest possible vision.
• We promise to supply niche eyewear in limited quantities so that your eyewear will be more exclusive to you. So you’ll have something individual to you.
• We promise to invest in industry research, ongoing training and professionally qualified eyewear experts so that you receive the best advice.
• We promise to deliver a customer service experience that is personal, friendly, helpful and that makes your day!
And finally, here is some more eyewear inspiration for you from our clients who recently went for a new look!
Real people in real eyewear!
