Poor Customer Service at Spec Savers Paarl Mall

I am writing to formally express my disappointment regarding the service I received at Spec Savers Paarl Mall.

Upon entering the store with my two children, we were neither greeted nor acknowledged for approximately 10 minutes. There were only two customers ahead of us. When the first customer was finished, the staff member assisting her (Magda, if I recall correctly) did not once look up from her screen or acknowledge our presence.

When the second staff member (Bianca) completed her consultation, she also did not acknowledge us and instead went to the back of the store, leaving us alone with no assistance.

After waiting further, I approached Magda to ask whether anyone would be assisting us. She looked up in a frustrated manner and responded sarcastically by asking how she could help. I explained that my daughter’s frame had broken and that during a previous visit, I was assisted with a replacement frame from the rack at a cost of R249. Magda dismissed this, stating the cost was R500, and proceeded to fetch a frame.

Shortly thereafter, Bianca returned, and Magda told her to assist us as she did not want to. Bianca asked how she could help, requiring me to explain the situation again. Bianca then sold us a replacement frame for R399. When I handed it to my daughter, Bianca remarked, “Oh, it’s for her,” which was obvious, as I had already clearly explained this.

My concerns are as follows: 1. I was charged R399 for a replacement frame, whereas two months ago I was charged R249 for the same service, with no explanation for the significant price difference. 2. Both staff members were unwilling, unfriendly, and dismissive, and at no point did we receive service with courtesy or professionalism.

This experience made me feel like a burden rather than a valued customer. Especially during a busy time of year, customers should still be treated with basic respect and friendliness. If staff are unwilling to assist customers professionally, they should not be in customer-facing roles.

As a result of this experience, I left feeling extremely dissatisfied and uncomfortable, and I do not intend to return. Next year, I will be taking my daughter’s eyewear needs elsewhere. I hope this feedback is taken seriously and that steps are taken to improve customer service at this branch.