…it doesn’t mean that we are able, or obliged to repair any spectacles, ever sold, anywhere.

We never cease to be amazed by how many people arrive to us with spectacles clearly bought elsewhere, Cavan and Navan- you know who we are talking about?

“I need them straightened”, a “lens has just fallen out”, “I sat on them”. (AND I DID NOT KNOW THAT THERE WAS AN OPTICIAN IN THE TOWN!!!)

Amazing that all of these people did not know that there was an optician in the town until they required a screw inserted into their spectacles, or an adjustment, or straightening and they couldn’t be bothered returning to the place they got them.

I once had a woman in, on a busy Saturday afternoon, wanting me to adjust both of her child’s spectacles- she had called to us as the child’s (Pepsi) specs were broken beyond repair, and we advised that she would be entitled to new spectacles under the replacement scheme from the Cavan Community Clinic. She went to Cavan to get the voucher, purchased the spectacles elsewhere in Cavan, but then called to us to us to have both pairs adjusted, because the optician’s chain she had bought them from was far too busy to do the adjustments on them for the child!
“Is there a charge for that?”

“Oh I didn’t know you were here, I will come to you the next time!” Do you think we are that stupid? You must, because we remember you said that the last time you called in for a repair with your previous spectacles…

In all seriousness, we recently had a lady in Kingscourt wanting us to adjust her (branded opticians chain) rimless spectacles. We advised her that we were willing, of course to try to attempt to straighten them, but it would have to be at her own risk – should they break, we could not be responsible. “OF COURSE you would be responsible!, if you break my spectacles when trying to straighten them [after I sat on them]”. As we would be unable to source parts for a (branded opticians chain) spectacle frame, we politely had to refuse to touch them- were they to break during adjustment, the lady would have expected us to to replace them at no charge, despite not getting them from us, and admitting to having sat on them. Sometimes you can’t win!

Bailieborough to Cavan is 62km round trip. 3 litres of diesel minimum.

Kingscourt to Navan is 65km round trip, about the same – 3 litres of diesel.

Plus parking.

Sandra in Kingscourt recently had a lady in to have her “branded opticians chain” spectacles repaired. As they were broken, Sandra advised her she would have to return to “the chain” to see if they could supply a new side for them – we could not get a side for that pair of spectacles.

This was “exactly what I was trying to avoid doing – I don’t want to spend over an hour, or more in the car to have my spectacles repaired!”

She was not happy.

We will do our best to accommodate people, but sometimes we do have to say “Have a safe journey”.