The Not-So-Great Executive Optical Mix-up.

Last Saturday, while in the middle of grocery shopping at SM, I suddenly remembered that I was almost out of contact lens solution. Though I usually resort to Vision Plus - a local optical store here in San Pablo City - for my eyecare needs, I had no choice that day but to buy elsewhere because

1) the solution I had at home was almost running on empty, 

2) Vision Plus was all the way across town and about 10 minutes away, 

3) both Yue and I were not feeling well and I wanted to go home as soon as we were done with the groceries.

So before heading for the exit, the little man and I made a beeline for Executive Optical. One of their store attendants was more than happy to attend to me the moment we walked in. I asked for a bottle of SeptoCare; store attendant wrapped it in a brown paper bag then wrote the receipt. I paid for the item, thanked the attendant, and then left.

Covered my details in not-so-happy smileys, lol.

Now imagine my stupefaction when I opened that brown paper bag at home. Inside was not the SeptoCare which I bought, but this!

EO FlexWear Solutions?!

I called EO right away to inform them about my missing SeptoCare; the staff who attended to me earlier realized that she must have switched my purchase with another customer's purchase by mistake. I was miffed, of course. But I managed to contain my displeasure and asked as calmly as I could, "So what do we do now? Are you going to ask me to go back there and return this?!" I went on saying, "I'm sure you've noticed that my son and I were sneezing and coughing, and I really can not go all the way back there. Especially not now."

Amenable to this mix-up and apologetic with her mistake, the staff asked me for my home address and told me that she will deliver the SeptoCare to my place right away. Unfortunately, no staff came over, and that night I had to squeeze my lens solution bottle down to the last bubble just so I could have something to soak my contact lens in.

The staff came over the following day - Sunday afternoon, to be exact - even more apologetic. She gave me my SeptoCare, while I returned the EO Solution to her.

THIS was what I paid for.

I'm thankful that she really went all the way to my place for my lens solution. But then again, it was her mistake - not mine, nor the other customer who also bought a lens solution the same time I did.

If there's one thing commendable about this incident, it's the fact that she owned up to her mistake and did something about it. I appreciate the gesture, Executive Optical SM City San Pablo.

But please be careful with things like this next time. Going back and forth your shop for a product exchange can be quite bothersome for anyone, most especially for moms (like me) who attend to so many different things each and every single day. Not to mention the fact that I always have a kid in tow to practically anywhere I go. And I'm pretty sure there are lots of moms out there that know exactly what I'm talking about.