Image Optometry

I booked an eye exam with this clinic because my post-​secondary health plan covers the entire visit. As soon as I walked in, someone greeted me and took my health card number and insurance information.
Dr. Andrew Chan provided a thorough eye exam and addressed some of my concerns with eye strain. I was written a prescription even though it was not essential I get glasses.
I was assisted by 3 lovely female sales associates who assisted me with filing my insurance claim. One of the associates, mentioned that I get up to $ 100 coverage on sunglasses if I did not want prescription glasses. She helped me find a pair of sunglasses and had them fitted for me.
Although the selection isn’t large, I am happy with my final purchase of the Ray Ban Erikas. I’d recommend coming here for anyone who is looking for a laid back environment for glasses shopping.

My first time in this location was looking forward to buying new glasses with image with my 2016 insurance coverage. I just wanted to browse and look around to find the right fit. However, I was made to feel very uncomfortable (almost criminal) for wanting to just look, and I was the only one customer browsing. Keep in mind this is like the McDonald’s chain store of eye wear and depending on what you buy, it’s still expensive prices for mediocre /​boring looking glasses.
— Walked in the store today at 2 pm and was aggressively told to «sit down» after 1 minute by middle eastern lady. I understand maybe she was trying to be helpful but she took my glasses to measure, which wasn’t necessary, and if she asked me for my info it’s all in the computer as a repeat customer. All of this unwarranted, in my opinion, as I have an eye condition and require thorough/​prior exam and wasn’t buying that day just looking.
— I felt «mobbed» by the other middle eastern lady, who wore the veil, following me the whole time, and made me feel uncomfortable. She asked: Do u need you eyes checked «we can do it quickly right now» I was like excuse me: «Your pupils need to be dilated with drops and I am driving» Her response: «they don’t even need to be dilated only if you want to» I just don’t trust things are done properly at this location. It is also a different set up as there was some older people getting their eyes checked in the middle of the store. No private exam room? Very strange.
— I feel image has become the McDonald’s restaurant of glasses. People now go there with Groupons and the company think they can treat people like cattle because most customers are using coupons now. It wasn’t like this before. Business is very competitive now with many choices to go elsewhere with 10 different eye wear store on Broadway including
where you buy online and try them beforehand on at west 4^th store for half the cost.
— She pulled out one pair of glasses. Just one and the $ 200 Ray ban pair from the glass cabinet ok but not quite what I want. Seriously, only had ONE pair (square) in the entire store? very little to no selection, in their store.
— The last straw was when I was looking at a display drawer and the other sales lady looking at display the same time told me abruptly: «wait and please sit down»
Wow. Sorry, I didn’t know I wasn’t allowed to look. Service here is just outright rude and it’s actually not very acceptable to treat customers like this so I just left. There is a difference between being helpful and rude and I assure you this was rude.
PLEASE CAUTION: This store is about the aggressive store clerks choosing glasses for you, offering you one or two styles, and making quick sales and not you genuinely choosing or liking them. Very shady and high pressure!
— This is NOT the place to shop at. They have zero respect for you and are control freaks. It’s one thing when you have nice products but when you have ZERO selection and the staff is in your face and outright rude and expects sales in 5 minutes it’s always a red flag. I also feel they compromise the quality of eye exam and it’s not done very properly here.
I am have been a lifelong customer of 15 years and is sad to see what image optometry has become. The East Hastings and Kingsway with (Gerald) are much friendly with genuinely helpful services but not coming back at this time.
Take this feedback to self improve. Please do not tell customers to «sit down!» Within one minute of walking into a store. Maybe if you are less self imposing and rude maybe customers might want to actually shop there.

Sorry to read the bad reviews but I waited until I had been 3 times to Image Optometry and cannot fault them. Twice I’ve used a Groupon with them and they have always been extremely accommodating in getting me in. So many businesses treat Groupon customers as second class but not the case here. Everything was fast and efficient. The range of frames is decent, you probably could find more elsewhere, but they even bent the rules so I could get frames not officially part of the deal. Always helpful and attentive, all of the staff.
I used my second Groupon to just upgrade my designer sunglasses to prescription. They even copied the gradual tinting on the lens to get it just right. They also always make it clear what any extra cost is for and never, ever do a heavy upsell. They make it clear, for example, why to get the best scratch-​resistant coating on lenses but always leave it open for you to choose. Today I had a minor fix with my glasses and both ladies were super-​helpful and dealt with this with no fuss and no charge. Honestly would go back again, even without a Groupon.

Dr. Wong has a hesitant and unsure demeanor. He did not make me feel that he could confidently assess me. He barely spoke. When I told him about my vision problems, he listened… and then said nothing. Instead, he laughed nervously. Umm, quoi?
I paid $ 100 for the exam, and $ 35 for 3 pairs of samples daily contact lenses. When I got home, I saw that they had given me the wrong prescription ones! I only noticed when I was already on a plane back to the East Coast.
Then, when I ordered my contacts online through VisionDirect, the company told me that Dr. Wong’s office wouldn’t respond to their request for my prescription. I called Dr. Wong and the receptionist said she would send it immediately. I verified that she had the correct number. The next day, I called to ask why they still had not sent it. She said she would try and fax it in the next week. Next week? She never did send it and I had to get a new exam at a a new Optometrist where they would comply with my request for my prescription.
Finally, the store is in dire need of a updating. Currently, it appears shabby, and even dirty.

Absolutely horrible service at this location. In my last contact order from these guys, I’d received an empty case (containing no lens). When I called to make a re-​order, I mentioned this to the employee, who without hesitation responded, «There is nothing I can do about that.» Overall her tone was «I couldn’t care less.» Seriously? There is a lot you can do. You can call the contact company and let them know. Or how about just giving me a replacement and apologizing like any other good business would do?
I promptly decided to take my service elsewhere. (Going to try Clearly Contacts). In this day and age, if your customer support policy is «There’s nothing we can do,» you are going to lose out big time in an increasingly competitive and digital market.
Also, the store is outdated and has a generally sad, ‘80s mall feel to it. The optometrist was pretty nice but due to the prices, quality of product, and ESPECIALLY the level of service I will never return.

Love the comment from the owner of this place. What they failed to see (as was the problem in the complaint) is that they cheated and charged way more than any other image optometry location. Have since tried the Kingsway and Hastings location. and they are GREAT there. hardly believe it was the same company. Same glass, same groupon, same everything yet my lenses were only additional $ 90? Can’t see why anyone would want to go into the Broadway location to pay $ 100 more for the same thing. Perhaps its the employees. but a bad employee is really a reflection of bad management. Definitely do not go to this location unless you want to get scammed. But do try the Kingsway or Hastings location.
Unfortunately the person who replied from image opt on broadway to my initial review just cannot count. They cite some $ paid to have some scratch lenses. but really, no one asked for that. the same glasses, same prescription at a different location cost $ 90 not $ 190.

the dreaded phrase «I came in with a coupon» applies here.
Despite the amazing savings promised by the coupon, I ended up spending nearly the same as I would normally have expected to pay for a set of frames and lenses.
Nonetheless the service was so good (eye exams make me nervous, but the staff were very good here!; I am always suspicious of sales people but he made me comfortable choosing frames that I like that didn’t ‘seem’ too costly) that I didn’t even notice until I later reconsidered the bill.
After reading reviews from Unilocalers who use social coupons and end up getting bad service or worse, I believe that I might have gotten the same service, frame package etc. for nearly the same cost without the coupon (though I might have chosen a different store without it) and therefore have decided not to use social coupons generally ANY where!
edit: i think it is in extremely bad form (reading other reviews) for an owner to accuse other reviewers of ‘fraud’ based on the reviewer being out of town!
I recall, as an example, comparing the cost of frames while in JAPAN!
it happens– and that reply to the other reviewer just lost the owner another star, and definitely my repeat business.

It’s been about 4 years since I’ve had my eyes checked and gotten my prescription updated so I figured I’ve got some insurance benefits through school and it was time to use it or lose it as it were. After calling a few places for quotes on eye exams and reading the reviews on a few I decided Image Optometry was for me.
I was downtown on a Friday and decided to just walk in and make an appointment and I went back on the Monday for my exam. I went in around 3pm and waited while they were finishing up with another person’s exam and probably went in about 3:10pm a little behind but not bad, they’re a small shop, I understood. Anyway, did all the fun stuff (colour-​blindness check, depth perception check) and then onto the fun array of machines (including the one that puffs air into your eye, slightly less fun but hey, the things you have to do for good vision). Then went into the exam room and talked with the Optometrist about any of my vision concerns (I have dry eyes a lot and noticed lately that my glasses just aren’t doing for me what they used to). Then we went through the process of «1 or 2?» «better, worse, or about the same?» you know, the usual stuff. At the end of it all we talked a bit more about my dry eye problems and the doctor gave me a sample pack of these fantastic eye drops (Systane) that help lubricate my eyes and are recommended for use with contacts as well.
As a student I don’t have a ton of money but luckily that’s what student discounts help with! It only cost me $ 60 for the exam ($ 50 of which my student health insurance covers) and they quoted me the cost for new contacts. I didn’t have the money to do it all right then and asked if I could come back and order everything when I had the money but also if I could have my prescription (so that I could shop around) and they said sure, no problem.
I really didn’t want to buy new glasses somewhere because I hate shopping for new frames, I’ve had my current frames for 4 years and they’re pretty much a part of me. So a week later on pay-​day I went back and asked how much it would cost to replace the lenses, $ 99, sweet! They happened to have my prescription lenses in stock so they could do it for me right then and there and that it would take maybe about ½ an hour, awesome! In the meantime I decided to also order some contact lenses (6 months worth because that’s all I could afford at the moment) and it turned out to actually be cheaper than ClearlyContacts! It was $ 109 for the Acuvue Oasys 24 pack and CC’s price is $ 125. They didn’t have my prescription in stock but gave me a sample pair of my usual biweeklies to try out while I wait for the order to come in a few days later as well as some contact solution to try. They also gave me a sample of dailies and suggested I try them because I work as a painter and it might be easier on my eyes to just have pairs for work that I can throw away at the end of the day (being that I work with some noxious stuff). Fifteen minutes later I had my new lenses in my old frames and could see crystal clear again, I walked out elated! I was literally walking down the street with the biggest smile on my face and practically yelling on the phone to my boyfriend about how beautiful the world was (I was pretty damn excited, haha).
A few days later I had been testing out my new biweeklies and noticed the left one felt odd so I went back and they took a look and couldn’t find anything wrong with it. They suggested I try a brand new lens in that eye, they gave me a new one and everything was fine, just a randomly bad lens. They told me to keep this new pair for another week to test out and make sure everything was alright before picking up my order. Everything seems pretty good and I think I just need to get used to wearing contacts again (it’s been a few years) so I went in today and picked up my contacts and again they assured me if there was any problems to come back and see them about it. In addition they gave me a different contact solution to try for sensitive eyes (woo-​hoo!) and some more samples of the lubricating drops that I really like (the Systane ones, awesome!).
Also, I would like to mention that while I didn’t purchase any new frames I did take the time to browse their selection (they have quite a few designer brands) and I don’t think I saw anything over $ 180, maybe? Most of the frames I could see were around $ 100, so pretty good prices being that I’ve spent a *minimum* of $ 200-​$ 400 elsewhere in past.
All in all, my experience with the staff and Optometrists at Image Optometry on Broadway have been great! They’re so helpful and really care about what they do. I really feel welcome and comfortable there, they’ve been so good to me and take the time to explain everything to me and answer all my questions. I really like places that feel like a community and Image Optometry definitely made me feel that way, I wouldn’t go anywhere else!

Went hunting for new lens and frames, stopped here as I strolled by on the street — my first stop was my last stop.
I was welcomed by very personable, attentive and knowledgeable staff who took as much time as I needed, even offering their own opinions without being intrusive.
To top it off I got a killer deal as did my wife who didn’t even go in looking for glasses but left with some anyways.
Bottom line, it is 100% worth your time to at least check it out.

It’s no secret that my vision sucks. While I usually wear contact lenses, I noticed recently that my glasses were no longer okay for me to go out into the world with. Are trees in the distance supposed to be that fuzzy? No.
Being back in school has its benefits, literally, in that I have vision benefits again. I skimmed through the vision network listings in class in an attempt to block out my property law lecture and picked Image Optometry on a whim, mostly because of its easily accessible location (it’s RIGHT at the Broadway-​Heather B-​line stop if you’re heading eastbound). I booked an appointment online for an eye exam and received a very timely confirmation. I was dreading going to my appointment because I hate eye exams more than I hate going to the dentist. At least at the dentist you just sort of lay there while your teeth and gums are brutally assaulted by sharp picks; the optometrist makes me work for it by forcing me to attempt to identify blurry black dots as comprehensible letters and numbers and arbitrarily pick between negligible differences in improvements by repeatedly asking me, «do you prefer 1… or 2? 1… or 2?»
Fortunately, Image Optometry doesn’t suck. I saw Dr. Karen Lee, who was super friendly and professional. The other staff working there were all really nice as well. Turns out I needed lenses a great deal stronger than I was currently rocking, no surprise there. The prices they quoted me were fairly high (I guess normal in context, but high for my budget) and I ended up turning to old reliable Clearly Contacts, so I can’t really speak to the frames they offer here or their service when it comes to lens replacement. However, I would definitely come back here for an eye exam.

I’ve been wearing glasses since age 11, I’ve had all sort of experiences with glasses and optometry services, and I must say this this place is by far the best I’ve been to. They have fancy designer and budget frames and their service is excellent… I got glasses here, my husband got glasses here and yesterday i brought a friend who was just as impressed as me. Dont wanna sound like I work there but I am very happy with this place.

I used a Groupon there today, and they were quite friendly. The actual exam itself was better than any I’ve had before — Dr. Wong was really fantastic & thorough.
I was a bit skeptical about this offer, because I bought the deal that included exam/​$ 200 toward glasses/​6 mths of contacts, but when I called I was told an additional fitting fee would apply. I completely understand that they need to make money (and how can they not be losing money with Groupon?) but I do wish that this had been stated when I bought it initially… (I still would have bought it, it just made me wonder if there would be a lot of extra costs/​upselling once i got there). At the time of actually arriving, after the exam & realizing I had worn contacts before they gave me the option of waiving the fitting, and spared me the additional cost. I suppose they just have to tell people there is an additional fee, just in case?
Overall, it was a good experience. Because I don’t really wear glasses except around the house, I didn’t really want to spend a bunch of extra money on a pair of frames that I wasn’t going to wear just to use the $ 200 Groupon credit. Although they didn’t have a very big selection of the types of frames I would choose at a cheaper price point, they did carry a lot of nice frames, but I really bought the deal for the exam/​contacts (which was an amazing value on it’s own). Would absolutely recommend for the actual exam itself — out of the few optical stores in the area, this one was better, for sure.

The girl that was there was decently helpful, but the selection for glasses really sucked.
Had to pay a visit to a few other locations instead.

I have been needing glasses for awhile but since I only need them for reading the board at school, when i’m not in school they disappear to who knows there. So when acquiring my next pair, I knew that I did not want to spend too much money.
Then I came across this deal on
for Image Optometry. It was $ 69 for an Eye Exam & One Pair of Glasses, including Lens with Pentax Anti-​Reflection Coating at Image Optometry ($ 340 Value).
I couldn’t pass up this deal!
I went to the Broadway location. The staff there were very friendly and they didn’t even try to push me to spend an additional dollar. It took about a week to receive my glasses since their in house glasses maker person [what’s it called? lol] was on vacation so they had to send it to another store. It probably would have been sooner if he wasn’t suntanning in sunny Mexico [so jealous].
I would definitely recommend purchasing an online deal for glasses especially if its from Image Optometry.

I recently took advantage of a groupon being offered here. The deal was $ 65 for an eye exam and a $ 200 credit towards ‘any glasses”.
I bought two groupon for my bf and I and booked appointments for the afternoon. I was skeptical about the validity of the «any glasses» offer.
The minute we walked into the small mum and pop store, we were immediately served by two very helpful employees.
They worked efficiently with the pre-​exam and the optometrist was young, fun and very accommodating. He *seemed* fresh out of optometry school, yet I was not concerned at all at the quality of my exam. It was perhaps a bit faster than I expected (and he didn’t dilate my eyes like every other doctor has), but he made sure before I left, that any questions or concerns I had, were answered clearly.
Right after my appointment, I headed down to choose my frames. Truly, the $ 200 credit would apply to any frames in the store, but obviously, all the nice, brand name ones cost over $ 200. If my prescription had been lower, I would have gotten away with a pretty sweet deal, but unfortunately, I’m blind as a bat, so I ended up choosing $ 200 frames, which the credit paid for, and essentially only had to pay for my lens (which came to $ 208). Anti-​glare was thrown in for free, as well.
The very kind man who was helping us, heard me humming and hawing over whether I should even buy any glasses and asked me what kind of contact lens I wear. I told him and he said «Well, tell you what. Buy the glasses you want, and I’ll throw in 3 pairs of contact lens, free.»
Sold.
I also appreciated that, as he was ringing us up, he didn’t hesitate to tell us that he understood that small places like this, can’t compare to Costco and online, in terms of contact lens prices. He also gave us a sweet tip that if you wear extended wear contact lens, never buy Bausch & Lomb solution for them (even if they state they are for extended wear). Apparently, many have complained about this brand of solution.
Amazing customer service. Halfway through our visit there, so many people were coming and going, picking up their orders. They all seemed like repeat customers (on first name basis with the employees) and, to me, that’s always a good sign of a great business.
Even though there were only two people in the store, everyone was served in a timely manner and we were both able to have our exam, pick our glasses and be out the door in a hour. And much of that time was just our own indecision.
Absolutely impressed. Will definitely be back here again!

I am guilty. I purchased glasses from Lens Crafters in the past. I fell prey to convenience and disgustingly overpriced plastic frames. Never again though, my friends. I vow to support independent optometrists from now on.
I always avoided the slew of small optometry shops along West Broadway, between Oak and Cambie. I had a bad experience involving Harry-​Potter-​esque blinkers at one of these stores about ten years ago and wrote them all off as slingers of sub-​par specs. Then… at the recommendation of my dear mother… I found Image Optical.
I would say that Image Optical has an average selection of frames, but the employees know what they are doing and the manager — Jerry — is extremely accommodating. He let me put my latest pair of glasses on layaway! I can’t see Lens Crafters, the Starbucks of optometry, allowing layaway.
Buy local! Support small business! Eat your vegetables!