Cyril & Dayne

Was waking by and went in because my glasses were bothering me to ask for a quick adjust on my frames. Nice selection. Won’t go back. Not a warm welcoming atmosphere. Reluctant to help me so I just left.

I live in the Berkshires and am thrilled that I can get such a gorgeous selection of frames. My husband and I are also hard on our glasses. I cannot tell you how many times I have gone back to Cyril & Dayne to fix our frames and they have always been accommodating without batting an eye.

Fabulous eye wear for the fabulous crowd on Main St in Great Barrington that wants to be Manhattan so bad.
You may think you’re in Manhattan dressed like you’re from rural GB when the owner scowls at you while begrudgingly bringing you out eyeglasses to try (hey, what about all the ones displayed around the store?) and even sneeringly asking me: don’t you ever wear eye makeup? After I bought two pairs and spent over $ 1,200 he warmed up to the level of some-​of-​the-​chill-​off and became almost, but not quite, civil.
Who needs this, one might ask? Indeed. Obviously they have a clientele since they’re still in business — maybe there are plenty o’ masochistic gay men who enjoy this treatment from this gay couple. (I’m a woman, so don’t get pissed — I have gay male friends.)
In the end I must give them 4 stars because I liked my eyeglasses quite a lot — they’re unusual — and have received many compliments on them. Then the noseholder piece broke when I was out of town and I went to an optician who replaced them and told me the ones on my glasses initially were universal and not fitted to me or the frames. And in fact the frame pieces (to the ear) were too small for my head. Indeed. Didn’t hear that from C&D before they were writing up the $ 700+ sale.
I tried to go back for new eyeglasses a couple weeks ago but the store was closed. For a week, a piece of paper on the locked front door said. Huh, and I drove a distance too and there was no notice on their website that they had in fact left town for one week and closed the store. That just kinda fits their attitude towards customers: come in and spend money if you insist. But don’t expect us to act like we like what we’re doing or, for that matter, you.

Whatever you do, avoid this «store» (if you could call it that). The arrogance, snobbery, rudeness, and literal disdain that these people transmit to anyone unfortunate enough to enter is outrageous. As a resident of the Berkshires, I am embarrassed that this store exists in Great Barrington – a town that prides itself on being progressive and welcoming. If you think we’re exaggerating, give it a whirl. Other GB store owners told us they knew how awful the behavior was in this shop and said they rely on their wholesale and simply don’t need to actually sell anything in their retail store… What? Why have a store? We told them we both needed glasses and they literally ignored us until, after looking at each other, we bailed. EW!

This store has fabulous frames but I’m not sure how to purchase them because no one in that store seems interested in selling them. I have never been treated so rudely in a retail store EVER! Just a brief example… when I asked for help in choosing a frame, the salesman, while not even bothering take his nose out of his computer screen, told me «The frames are on the wall.» and gestured to the wall. Thanks for that!

I recently moved to the Great Barrington area and purchased more than one pair of glasses from this fabulous store. The owner was patient and showed me as many frames as I required before making a decision. I’m ready for a pair of sunglasses and will go back for their able help and fabulous selection.

Nice looking store w/​fabulous, hip selection. That’s where the accolades stop. Having over 40 years of retail experience, my partner was appalled at the merchant’s apathy and rudeness… totally inexcusable!