Yesterday Ginny said it looked as if the problem was doing my income taxes. In fact, I don’t dread working on income taxes…we use TurboTax and I can work on it a little bit at a time. No, this one was getting some computer and reading glasses made.
I got my new distance prescription February 1, and ordered my distance glasses from their optical department right away. There was no hurry about upgrading my computer and reading glasses. It’s usually easier to do that online after I’ve confirmed that my new distance glasses have the right prescription. I have figured out the right corrections to be made and in the past I’ve just put them in on the website, ordered the glasses, and received them in a couple of weeks.
But this time I received an email from them:
Thank you for your order! Before we can get started, we need your help clarifying something.
It appears that you’ve ordered frame 125423 (with Sph values -2.00/-2.00) for reading and frame 125423 (with Sph values -4.50/-4.50) for distance. Normally, the near pupillary distance (PD) for reading is smaller than the distance PD, 3 mm less for a single PD or 1.5 mm less for each eye if it’s a dual PD. Please verify the correct PD with your doctor and reply to this email with the information.
Oh, shoot. There’s no way my eye doctor can measure the PD when I’m reading. They would use the distance PD. But Zenni (the company) always sends out this PD ruler with every pair of glasses they send.
The trouble is when I tried to use it in a mirror reading-distance away I couldn’t see my eyes, they were in a shadow. So I took a picture with my iPhone:
Then I used Photoshop Elements to enhance the eyes in the slits:
I took and enhanced six or seven pictures, took an average of the PD values, about 30 for the right eye, 26 for the left and confidently put those numbers in. Nope, I got an error message. So I had to phone and was told for my frames the total PD had to be 57 or more, and the difference between my left and right eyes was too large, just put in a single PD of 57. Since my left eye was the one causing the problem I wanted the PD for my right eye to be correct, 30. So I said to heck with it and put both glasses in for a single PD of 60.
All done? Sense of relief? Not so fast. I received the same message from customer service that I should correct the PD for my reading glasses. I answered:
My right eye PD is 30, the left about 26. You won’t let me put that in. If you could do right 30, left 27 that would be all right. Or any value for the left up to 30. Otherwise please use a single PD of 60.
They didn’t understand, they thought this was for my distance glasses, so I tried again, being more specific for the two pairs. The problem has changed from my understanding my PDs to practicing my communication skills. It’s all good. They’re trying to be conscientious, and that warms my heart. If worse came to worse there would be other ways of getting glasses that I want, but I’ll try sticking with them as long as they’re trying.
Update: I did write and they answered in 15 minutes, saying they’ll start making the glasses right away. How cool is that?
March 19, 2023
You are brave to order then online. But I guess that’s the wave of the future.
I’ve been doing it for quite a few years now.
Your self exercise is above my pay grade, but kudos for perseverance! I’m sure YOUR attitude went a long way in them wanting to make it right.
I think not getting frustrated and taking it out on customer service is one kind/friendly thing we can do in these crazy times. We don’t even have to leave the house to do it.
My gosh, this is all like Greek to me, and has made my head swim. Congrats to you for even being able to tackle it!! I have regular glasses, which are bifocals. And I also need a mid-range for the computer.
Thanks! I can’t use bifocals because I need prisms in my glasses. That makes bifocals and progressive lenses hard to make.
I always wondered how they could get the glasses right when you order online. I would be in trouble because I don’t understand half of what you were saying…lol
I was a bit nervous the first time I tried it, but now it’s easy to copy the numbers from my prescription to the website. 🙂
I had no idea what is involved in on line ordering, I see it advertised a lot and a few bloggers have said they order, but I want mine done for me. like Ginny I got lost and my head hurts just reading the calculations. so glad you got it figured out and you do have patience and it must be a good company to be so careful.
I’m glad you have no problem getting the glasses you need. That’s the important thing. 🙂
well that was all double dutch to me – she who had so many issues last time I went to optician that I “walked” hoping that the current specs never have to be replaced, although I don’t wear them indoors and seem often to have them off when out and doing things…the woman said they could make some that would mean I would leave them on!
I’m sorry you had problems with them. That has happened to me before with my eye doctor…it’s a nuisance.