High Prices, Poor Service, Many Complaints

Think twice before dealing with LensCrafters

Here is a brief summary of my problem to date, following is info from an employee then additional info on my issue:

LENSCRAFTERS - Avoid this chain! 

Not getting satisfaction at the local store or their Internet site, I escelated the matter via my BBB complaint and then had input from David Bauer at HQ and it was agreed that LensCrafters would make up just one lens. (dbauer@luxotticaretail.com Rx Operations Manager (678) 472-8481) 

On Sat. 10/26/14, I returned to the Kennesaw location and had extensive discussions with the Manager and an Associate regarding a price issue. I had been told on 10/17 that the cost for 2 lenses would be $110. 

On the 26th I was told that they would, as per their HQ, make up one lens and the cost would be $110!  My opinion was that the cost should be in the area of $55-60 or half what they had wanted for making up 2. 

They would not agree to this and decided to take my contact info and contact HQ for further instructions. It is now a 'don't call us - we'll call you' situation as they will supposedly contact HQ for guidance.   At this writing I am still waiting to hear from them but I doubt this will happen!

Their treatment of a returning customer who had last year purchased 3 pair of lenses and glasses from them and had been impressed enough to tell the manager of that time that the associate helping him had done a great job, tells me that this firm has absolutely no concern about customers and no desire to encourage customer loyalty to their brand and from many complaints this attitude goes back many years. 

They seem to exist entirely for what goes into their cash register that business day and never mind any long term concepts of taking care of 'old' customers or encouraging future visits, they are just interested in how much $ they can wring out of customers that day. 

As you can see from the information I have posted here I have determined that there is great dis-satisfaction with consumers regarding this firm, with 447 complaints to the BBB over 3 years and 96 complaints on the site http://www.ripoffreport.com/.


Misc. I see from my sitemeters that LensCrafters HQ in Mason, Ohio IP Address: Luxottica (66.161.213.180) has been looking at my sites. I hope they learn something from my comments. As things stand now they have a very poor reputation and have some really stupid corporate policies. 


Misc.  Complaints about LensCrafters go back at least a decade and on Nov 5, 2007 ABC National News broadcast an investigative piece slamming the most expensive provider, LensCrafters, saying in part that the LensCrafters glasses were the worst of any chain they tested (Costco was the best chain). 

Note:  Target contracts with the same company that provides LensCrafters and those glasses also failed.  

See the Diane Sawyer Report at:   http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=3820536&affil=katv

I see from my sitemeters that LensCrafters/Luxottica HQ in Mason, Ohio IP Address:  Luxottica (66.161.213.180) has been looking at my sites.  Luxottica operates in two sectors: manufacturing & wholesale distribution, and retail distribution with 7,000 outlets worldwide. Their brands include: LensCrafters, 
Pearle Vision, 
Pearle Opticians, 
Sears Optical, 
Target Optical,
 and many others.   

They have both 'house' brands and unnecessarily expensive 'designer' brands. Their US competition seems limited but includes WalMart/Costso.


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I had hoped to register the blog name of 'lenscrafterssucks.blogspot.com' but found an employee of the firm had already posted using it.  Here is that post FYI:

Lenscrafters Sucks

 From:  http://lenscrafterssucks.blogspot.com/  

Introduction

I am a current employee at Lenscrafters, and I am tired of how we treat customers and force them into paying for things they don't need. I am also tired of this company and how horribly they treat their employees.

So I created a blog to vent my frustration at such a horribly run retail store.

I have worked for the company for over 2 years, and I have hated every moment of it.

Prices

Our prices are ridiculous! We are expected to "make plan" by selling overrated lenses, and pushing for anti-reflective coatings and special order jobs for each customer.

FRAMES
Our frames are so overpriced, and most of the time I wish I could tell the customer to just buy it online! I do understand that brands like Versace and Burberry are going to run more expensive, but their prices are so incredibly high (~$220-$325), and that's not even counting brands that my store doesn't carry (tiffany, chanel, etc). Those frames aren't made any nicer than normal priced frames. But that's just the high-end stuff, and if someone wants to shell out the money for it, then that is ok. What irritates me is our regular priced frames, and what the company is trying to do. We started getting new frames in such as "Lucky Brand" and trying to sell them for the same price as Anne Klein's and Vogue. I don't think our store has sold more than 3 of our new frames, because they are unattractive and customers don't like them.

I am all for the company getting cheaper frames to attract customers. That sounds like a smart business plan, to bring in the demographic of customers who fall just under our average price range. But no. These new cheap frames that we have, are REGULAR priced!

Not to mention, that our CLEARANCE section is such a joke. It would normally be a somewhat decent incentive to sell a multiple pair, but the only frames anyone can find in there are 10 year old frames that are speckled grey, perfectly round, and plastic. If we are lucky, we will have one decent frame in there. And if it is broken in the lab, then what? Nothing, the customer has to pick a new one out from one of the remaining SHITTY frames in the pile. Hell, our Gift of Sight frames are better than our clearance frames. Talk about customer service and "delighting the customer". What kind of sales idea was that, sounding like we want to "service" our fucking customers. I guarantee the last thing someone will walk out of our store with, is an orgasm. It'll be a kick the nuts with the prices.

The other big beef I have with new policies, is with shipping between stores. It is NOT ALLOWED anymore, and if we need it down to ensure customer satisfaction, it will sure as hell take some time. The GM has to send out an email asking our regional manager if it is "ok" that we get a frame shipped from another store. This is after we call the other store and see if they the frame. Sure, our warranty covers breakage for 1 year, but if your frame isn't in the store anymore, you are forced to pick out an all new frame. It'd be fucking pissed as a customer because for some peope, finding the right frame is very difficult. I know that my pair of glasses is the ONLY pair that has ever looked good on me (and I've tried on a lot while working there).

We can't do shipments to bring in a frame for a customer, instead we tell them to DRIVE to stores up to an hour away to find another frame. What kind of CUSTOMER SERVICE is that? Big old Luxottica can't afford to pay shipping on a small package containing a frame?

I'm sick of hearing about delighting the fucking customer, because when it comes down to it, we can't do anything to help them.

And that is just the rip-off you get when you buy a frame. It if breaks within that one year warranty, you still aren't guaranteed to get that same frame at half price. Not even if a store in our region carries it, you are either going to drive your ass down to another store, or are going to pick out an all new frame. My advice: check online, buy it for half the price, and come into our store to have us change out those lenses for you!

Next post: Lenses, Sale Incentives, Repairs

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Put LensCrafters into the search bar of the Rip Off Report and you get 81 complaints. 

Here is mine FYI:

http://www.ripoffreport.com/r/LensCrafters/Kennesaw-Georgia-30144/LensCrafters-Lens-Crafters-Unwanted-Upsell-of-Service-for-Existing-Customer-Kennesaw-Geor-1183643

If you input Lens Crafters you get 17 more complaints.

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Oct 18, 2014

MY Rip Off Report COMPLAINT ABOUT LENSCRAFTERS IN KENNESAW, Ga. 

LensCrafters 

Town Center At Cobb

400 Ernest W Barrett Pkwy Nw Ste 100

Kennesaw, GA (770) 421-0507

13 months ago I purchased 3 pair of glasses (frames and lenses) for about $550-600 from the LensCrafters store in Kennesaw, Ga. Got good service from Dave at that time.

A recent eye exam from my optometrist revealed that my right eye prescription had changed while the left eye remained the same.

I went to the LensCrafters on Friday Oct 17, 2014, Dave had just left and I spoke to another sales person. I wanted to obtain a replacement for the right lenses but they tried to 'up sell' the matter wanting to do both right and left lenses.

My optician had warned me that I should expect this and firmly told me that I did NOT need to replace both lenses, just the right one and she put this onto the script.

I was not interested in buying something that was not needed and left.

My complaint to the customer non-service people at this chain got an unsatisfactory reply.

I want my complaint to be on file so that future potential customers will know that this chain had no interest in customer service for existing customers and is only going to charge the most they can from customers as they attempted to do in my case.

Wm Harris

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Here is the BBB information on this firm, 447 complaints in 3 years.  Do you really want to do business with this company?

See:  

http://www.bbb.org/cincinnati/Business-Reviews/opticians/lenscrafters-inc-in-mason-oh-730/complaints

THIS BUSINESS IS NOT BBB ACCREDITED
LensCrafters Inc.
4000 Luxottica Pl, Mason, OH 45040
Phone: (513) 765-6000
Fax: (513) 765-6294
http://www.luxottica.com

View Additional Web Addresses
http://www.lenscrafters.com
http://www.sunglasshut.com

447 complaints closed with BBB in last 3 years  (148 closed in last 12 months)

Complaint Type Total Closed Complaints
Advertising/Sales Issues 49
Billing/Collection Issues 14
Delivery Issues     24
Guarantee/Warranty Issues 30
Problems with Product/Service 330

Total Closed Complaints 447

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My original purchase was from LensCrafters in 2013:

I already had a script for them to use in making up the glasses, this was from a more reasonably prices optomitrist.

Addl. Info FYI:  
In case you read this site and decide that you should go instead to the chain called "America's Best" you might want to know that the BBB rates them at a 'D' with 283 complaints closed with BBB in last 3 years, 77 closed in last 12 months - See more at:  http://www.bbb.org/atlanta/business-reviews/contact-lenses/americas-best-contacts-and-eyeglasses-in-lawrenceville-ga-760