new glasses: $180

9/6 I get up, go to work, leave for an eye appointment. The optometrist is comprehensive, nice, and I'm excited to finally get my eyes checked and get an updated prescription. The reception-man is sassy, funny, and plays a big part in convincing me to drop my black, thick-rimmed glasses for a pair of sleek, pink-rimmed glasses. Very chic, very cosmopolitan, metropolitan, and other politan.

I leave my appointment excited that I'll break away from the current trend of choppy, short-haired web 2.0ers and cut a path for bolder, light glasses with a punch of color. Aren't I a trend setter? [scoff]
9/13 I'm not able to get my glasses- long story short, I make plans to show up Saturday, when the office is open from 9-11, a mere two hours.

9/15 Saturday- I'm running in at 10 30, and wait for about half an hour. Apparently, I'm not the only person trying to ignite their crusade on fashion by picking up their new pair of glasses. Baby steps, baby steps. The reception-man picks a beige plastic box from under the counter and just stares into it. I'm not sure if he knows whether or not I'm supposed to take the glasses and explain what they're for...or if he just remembered he left the stove on and has to rush home lest his house burn to the ground.

In any case, he stares at the box, then looks at me, then I look in the box, then we look at each other, then we both look at the box, then I look back at him, he looks at the box- What is it!? I look at the glasses and notice 2 things...1) the company sticker is still on the lens and 2) any light shining on the lenses doesn't come off as green. Basically, those aren't my lenses, that's not my pair of glasses. My glasses were. not. made.

He stumbles to explain that oh, well I tried to log into the site on Saturday and couldn't make the order...Mind you, my appointment was Thursday. The reason he couldn't access my health care provider's website is because apparently, my lovely health care provided decided to discontinue their vision plan coverage. Not cancel, discontinue, like an old car model that nobody buys anymore. Ummmm hello!? Luckily for me, the cancellation discontinuation went into effect exactly one day after my appointment. Bottom line, receptionist-man, it's not my fault you didn't put the order in on the damn day I came into your offices!

How am I supposed to wow my coworkers with my exceptional taste in up and coming eye wear!? Does he not understand how un-cute I'll look in all my Japan photos!? Why wasn't I called when they couldn't place the order!? Why wasn't I notified when my health care provider dropped my vision plan? Shouldn't somebody from our HR department at least brought it up? No? Oh ok, my bad.

We had a catty conversation, of course. And I made sure I would only pay the original price I was quoted on these glasses, that they would be IN MY HANDS on Monday, before my flight to Japan, and I let him know that I was not a happy camper.

Lesson one in customer service: apologize. By that, I don't mean this last pathetic line on their printed out 'notice' about the cancellation of eye coverage, "We are sorry this has happened to you." Seriously.