Has anyone bought progressive lenses from Costco recently?

[RescueAPet]

Oh, I know that customer service even within the same company can vary from store to store. It's the nature of the beast, unfortunately. Costco isn't alone with that! I do trust their product, though, and as a rule, Costco has always been good about their service overall in the main store, at least.

As for the type of anti-reflective, these opticians didn't even know the name of Crizal Alize'. Not sure why and I can't explain why they weren't altogether versed on the products they do carry. They did mention Vivix for the coating. I still don't know what their Essilor short corridor lens is called. Nor do they, it seems. :-) From what I've read, Costcos don't always use the same products. It varies from store to store. I even called another Costco in a nearby town and they seemed to be more knowledgable. I almost considered going there for my glasses, but decided to stay locally.

And, as I said, I felt I came away with what I had hoped for---a decent pair of short corridor progressives in a frame that I bought elsewhere (they don't carry it.) I will definitely go back, although I might mention to them that I thought there was some customer service lacking. They could just need a little nudging or perhaps even a wake-up call. :-)

Thank you for your reply!

Interesting thread - I am an optometrist with Costco in the UK where we use several Essilor varifocals and a couple of Zeiss models depending on the frame desired by the wearer, their visual needs and their previous history. We have very few problems compared to previous companies I have worked for (I have 12 years locum experience under my belt befor deciding to settle down last year) because we use very good products. The coating we use here is the top of the range Essilor Crizal Alize by the way - maybe a different name in the USA?
This is the first company I have worked for where I can happily recommend the best products for people in the sure and certain knowledge that they are not being ripped off my huge mark-ups.
I am just disppointed by the customer service aspect you mentioned because our store is a generally happy place to be and we genuinely care - my support staff know an unbelievable number of customers names and faces and which lenses they wear and how many children they'vem got etc. So please don't take that as a general attitude - some of genuinely enjoy what we do!

[Bill West]

I would strongly recommend against getting your second pair of Costco. It's going to be a different progressive from your first pair and you may not be able to adjust to the different progressive. It's better to have all of your glasses in the same progressive.

I wear Definity and Solaone and Percepta and can switch with no problem.

I have been using SS No Line as a second pair for sunglasses for years with no complaints. Great lens for price..

[For-Life]

I wear Definity and Solaone and Percepta and can switch with no problem.

I have been using SS No Line as a second pair for sunglasses for years with no complaints. Great lens for price..

The Super No Line is still a great, underrated lens.

[Optical Enigma]

It is my understanding that in unlicensed states, Costco ONLY employees opticians with ABOC and NCLE ~

This is not correct... In California, an unlicensed state.

[nickrock]

I interviewed with a local optical within Costco and was told that all opticians have to be ABOC and will need to NCLEC by 2008. No exceptions. You also need to be able to lift a crate of Depends and know how many slices of pepperoni go on the large.;)

[Dykota]

I have been a Costco Optician for nearly six years and can say that I have never felt more integrity working for ANY other optical company. I have done private and chains, and when your paycheck depends on what and how much you sell, you sell what and how much you can. Costco does NOT do commission based sales. We sell based on the needs of the patient. AR can benefit most anyone. And Vivix is one of the most advanced coatings on the market right now. Crizal has great name brand recognition, but so does Kleenex. We fit Essilor products, Ovation (generic varilux both made by Essilor) and the Short Corridor Progressive. By Essilor also. We use Seiko Hi -index lenses in alot of applications as well, and have computer lenses available. Costco does strive to employ ABOC certified licensed Opticians and does want its staff to complete NCLE training, and will pay for it for us ( Which is great). They also have us do monthly continuing ed. And reimburse us for ABOC and NCLE credits to retain certification.

I admit I am a BIT of a Costco snob. I love it there, the pizza has 90 slices per pie.....LOL not sure about that

But after working ther for so long I can tell you where most stuff is, and yes they do get a chunk of my paycheck back each year. How can you possibly pass up a gallon of ketchup???????

It is nice to be respected for what you do by the folks who employ you. :D

[Lorelei]

My current pair of glasses are from Costco albeit they are single vision with Crizal anti-glare treatment. My Optometrist recommended I get the Crizal brand and Costco has an excellent price on this product.

However my frames from Costco are of fair to poor quality - they broke in two right where the bridge meets the right lens opening. Plus I find that the coating on the arms, where it rests over your ears, are not securely fastened. They constantly catch and pinch my hair, as well as it causes the glasses to not sit straight.

The lenses from Costco are superb! I am getting my next pair of progressives from them in the next week or so. But I am getting my frames elsewhere - I have narrowed it down to two different frames and just need to make my final decision. Their selection of brands meets/exceeds my expectations.

I had bought my glasses from those two-for-the-price-of-one chains before BUT never again. They only will use their own brand of lenses which only seem to last until the day after the warranty expires .

However as far as customer service at Costco, the one I deal with is always so busy that you have to wait a long time to get any service. I would not say they are any less or any more knowledgeable then any other optical retailer - they all seem to be on a even keel, here where I live.

[Stephen Grabowski]

Has anyone purchased progressive lens glasses at Costco? I am very tempted to get a second pair, but don't want to spend as much money for "spares".

Since I heard they sell products from Essilor, they can't be too bad can they?. The lower price is what I am after here, however a somewhat decent pair of glasses would be nice, too. I'm not expecting to come out of there with the same caliber glasses that I paid for through my optometrist/optician's office. But a nice little pair of extra specs would be great to have without breaking the bank.

I would appreciate anyone's recent experience at their friendly neighborhood Costco optical dept.

Thanks!

Dear RescueAPet,
Well, I would differ from Chris a bit in my opinion, even if Costco is actully using Essilor lenses. First, even Essilor has newer and older generation lenses, with vast differences, the newer ones being generally much better with less distortion, for example. The older generation (more distorted) lenses are much cheaper, so there's a very good chance that a big discounter might be tempted to give you an outdated lens.

Second, Essilor makes many different lenses for different needs and different kinds of patients. What guarantee do you have that if the discount optical (which Chris says uses only one make and model of lens to save money) will give you one that you can use? Or that is compatible with your other pair, so you don't have a lot of adaptation trouble when you take one pair off and put another pair on?

Third, I have seen many patients come in who can't use their progressive lenses because they were fitted poorly, or made poorly. If your optician or his lab sets the lenses too far apart or too high, or too low, or gives you a pair with a hard design when you're used to a "soft" design, chances are, you won't be able to use them. A good lens made poorly is still a bad lens. You need an expert taking your order, and working in the lab making your lenses, and also an expert fitting your glasses and doing the follow-up. Any weak link in the chain spells disaster.

My advice is, if you've picked a winner already, stick with him or her. Maybe they'll give you a discount for a second pair (and even if not, paying more for a pair that works is cheaper than buying a pair that doesn't work.) And above all, you should know that in many states (like mine), you have to have a licence to cut hair, but not to make or fit eyeglasses. By all means insist on a certified optician to fit you. If the place you're considering doesn't even have one, go somewhere else. Does this make sense?

Steve

[FVCCHRIS]

I have seen many patients come in who can't use their progressive lenses because they were fitted poorly, or made poorly. If your optician or his lab sets the lenses too far apart or too high, or too low, or gives you a pair with a hard design when you're used to a "soft" design, chances are, you won't be able to use them. A good lens made poorly is still a bad lens. You need an expert taking your order, and working in the lab making your lenses, and also an expert fitting your glasses and doing the follow-up. Any weak link in the chain spells disaster.

My advice is, if you've picked a winner already, stick with him or her. Maybe they'll give you a discount for a second pair (and even if not, paying more for a pair that works is cheaper than buying a pair that doesn't work.) And above all, you should know that in many states (like mine), you have to have a licence to cut hair, but not to make or fit eyeglasses. By all means insist on a certified optician to fit you. If the place you're considering doesn't even have one, go somewhere else. Does this make sense?

Steve

Nicely put Steve, this is soooo important. It's a precision medical device, not a 2nd pair of socks, Chris..

[k12311997]

Nicely put Steve, this is soooo important. It's a precision medical device, not a 2nd pair of socks, Chris..

Guys she already bought the glasses three months ago.

[Chris Ryser]

A good lens made poorly is still a bad lens. You need an expert taking your order, and working in the lab making your lenses, and also an expert fitting your glasses and doing the follow-up. Any weak link in the chain spells disaster.
Steve

That is a pretty good statement with which everybody will have to agree.

Now coming to the point........how many are NOT experts while claiming they are?

What and which are bad lenses ? How you define them? By their country of manufacturing...........or by the manufacturer ?

There is no way for optician to study the new designs in details till the progressive mapping machines become affordablle and common place nor is there any inclination for the big lens making compaines to provide complete details of there designs ..

How much more of an informed decision an optician could take if he, for example, had the reading zone width at 21 mm below fit point for all the progressives he dispenses ?
Or the max astigmatism present in a particular addition lens?

But giving this kind of information is not in the interest of the big lens companies as it will result in there designs being compared objectively and result in errosion of the absurdly high margins, they have got used to...

I think above quote is also a valid addition to the conversation.

[de retiree]

My Rx is around a minus 9 spherical, 2 diopters of cylindrical with a 2.5 add. I purchased a pair of clear 1.67 progressives with AR and with their higher end Perry Ellis frames from Costco for about $220. Were fine. My Rx changed, went back to Costco after about 9 months .. the remade the lenses at no charge!! I was extremely impressed with their high level of customer service. Still could not see "perfectly" so went back to my opthalo and he made a slight Rx change. Costco again made a no charge remake. Better customer service than I expected and better than any private shop I've ever been to! Still could not see perfectly so went to the optician at my opthalo's office ... got a pair of Phisio 360's in 1.67 clear ... can see "perfectly" out of them (lenses with Crizal, AR, rolled and polished edges plus very light weight Silouette frames were $981).

My conclusions:
Costco - great price and fantastic customer service and good quality; I could see 95 on a scale of 100.
My opthalo's optician - very expensive and great customer service and excellent quality - I could see 100 on a scale of 100.

You decide what is most important for you. I wear the pricy specs and use my Costco glasses as spares as vision quality is THE most important thing to me.

Just my 2 cents worth.

[Steve Machol]

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