Site for Sore Eyes

Saleswomen were extremely rude. A new kind of contact lens was recommended for me by their doctor. I hated the trial, said no, ordered something else (my old brand). They sent me the ones I said no to and won’t take them back. Awful.

DISHONEST!
They offered to file my insurance reimbursement claim and then kept a portion of the money without telling me.
Their «discounted» prices are a way of jacking up the retail price and then offering a «discount» so that they can claim the discount relieves them of their obligation to pay out the insurance reimbursement. They never mentioned this when I was purchasing and when they were telling me they could file the claim on my behalf. Had i filed it directly with the insurance provider, I would have received the full amount.
In addition, they sold me a set of progressive lenses (this was my first time buying prescription glasses) and they called them «bi-​focals». In reality, they are not and are in a different, and much lower, category altogether when it comes to insurance reimbursement.
THESE PEOPLE ARE DISHONEST and you should not get glasses here if you are expecting any reimbursement from your insurance.

To be clear, this is the review for the retail portion of the store, NOT the Dr. I needed glasses, and they recommended progressive lenses. When looking at the return policy POSTED IN ALL CAPS ON THE WALL, it says for store credit only (even though Warby Parker, a online retailer, has a full refund, no questions asked policy). I assumed that if the progressive lenses didn’t work out, I’d get store credit. I’d never had progressives before and they’re not for me. When I asked about refund, they said the manufacturer doesn’t do that — that SFSE policy doesn’t apply to the manufacturer. Ugh.
So then I went with bi-​focals, from the same manufacturer, and those didn’t really work either. So then I wanted to try an intermediate prescription, which the manufacturer charged me an extra $ 20 for (because they only do one «exchange»). Ultimately, I have a pair of $ 450 intermediate glasses I could have had online for $ 95. To boot, the folks at Warby (where I eventually ordered a 2^nd pair) are MUCH nicer than the folks at SFSE. Frankly, the staff at SFSE act as if they are doing you a favor by doing any kind of customer service. I am admittedly old school when it comes to that.

First time ever having an eye exam and first time I can honestly say i learned something and didn’t feel taken advantage of. This office and its employees are very nice, straight forward and down to earth. I was able to get my exam and pick out glasses painlessly and best of all there wasn’t a several day wait. I was able to pick up my glasses within the next hour and was offered a cupcake ! Definitely felt comfortable and I most certainly was taken care of. They have my recommendation fersure.

Had a pair of glasses purchased at another location adjusted here. They really don’t fit all that well, they made no effort to check the fit on my face, I guess the receptionist is NOT an optician. To top it off, after the adjustment, my glasses were «cleaned» with a dirty rag, scratching the lenses. Oh well, there are some higher end stores all over that street, with better selection and friendlier help — next time I’ll save the disappointment and go elsewhere.

Thought about purchasing contacts here again today, but when I called to ask a few questions the person who answered was just unfriendly and unwelcoming enough that I decided to order from 800 contacts to avoid having to drive over and deal with her in person. I was hoping to pick up some samples to get me through till my order came, but it’s not worth it. I just paid a little more to have it shipped overnight.
Will pay extra money to avoid unpleasant people. Yep.

I don’t understand all the negative reviews! I had a great experience here. My exam was great, the Dr. Suttonn took her time and didn’t make me feel rushed and now I am wearing the most comfortable contacts ever! As to my glasses, I received them in two days! They look great, and the women who helped me pick them out where fabulous! I seriously felt like I have known them for years. I love my glasses and contacts. I highly RECOMMEND this place. Oh and let’s not forget Daisy the cute cocker spaniel that greets you.

I am giving this place four stars based on the service I have had there from all but one employee. I have been coming to this place for years and both of the eye doctors I have had there were wonderful and very patient with me. I can be a bit troublesome, which I admit, but I always am polite. Michele and Susan are patient and kind with me, as is the gentleman who works there (sorry, I forgot his name). The other front desk person is, however, very rude — as has been noted here before. I avoid her. Go in, see Michele or Susan, visit with Daisy, and you will have a good experience.

I was really hoping to write a glowing review for this place after my first visit. Susan and the other lady (with a cute dog named Daisy) were very nice and got my glasses done for me very quickly. It was an emergency… I got mugged, I didn’t have spares from this decade. They got me the glasses in two days. I was elated at first.
Then I noticed that the anti-​reflective coating on both lenses had splintered. I have seen this happen before. I wear thick, black frames that require some heating to get the lenses put in. This seems to cause the AR coating to mar in some cases. It was annoying to have to go back in and deal with this, but it was an honest oversight so I wasn’t upset at first.
The younger woman (I think her name is Maria) who I dealt with was terrible. She should not be in the business of providing customer service. You couldn’t put a smile on this woman’s face even if you tickled her. She kept saying «I don’t see the marks on these lenses». I get that she’s a receptionist, not a lab tech. Maybe she didn’t see the marks. That being said, even my girlfriend could clearly see the marks on the lenses. Whatever the case, the lenses should have been checked before they called and told me they were ready. I already had a horrible week and this just made it worse.
In the end, I got the lenses re-​cut without the AR coating. They were pretty sloppily cut on the outside edges. I guess I have to keep driving back down to LA to see Tony at Happy Eyes. I’m sorry I had to stray.

If you want to complicate your life, you should buy your contacts here. If you want your prescription to be held hostage so that you can’t order from 1 – 800 contacts, you should go here. If you have the time to return your contacts because they ordered the wrong prescription, look no further. If you like paying an extra $ 10 fee to have your contacts shipped to you after you’ve been told your rush order is, «on its way direct from the manufacturer» you should pick up the phone right now and try and get through to their ever «busy» line. If your lack of understanding around what you need and want is typically responsible for the gross incompetences of businesses you like to patronize, this is the shop for you!
In all seriousness, this place is a circus. The woman that pretends to work here hates customers. She knows who she is. She’s super arrogant and unapologetic about her F’ups, which is what she pretty much specializes in.
Things like eye appointments and reordering contacts should be uncomplicated and seamless because they are at every other shop. You sell a service not a product. If you’re the new Optometrist that just set up shop here, you’re going to be challenged to develop a thriving practice. Your front counter is literally working against you.

What a racket. All about the money, not about the customer for these people. Instead of telling me what you can’t do, try telling me what you can do for me!

Wow. I should have listened to the other reviewers here. The woman who answers the phones and handles the front desk there, Sue, is insanely rude.
After a hellish week of business travel, I realized I was out of contacts. Called to place an order and when I learned there were no options for expedited shipping, I asked if they could help me out with a sample while I waited for my order to come in. Instead of help, I promptly received a snotty lecture about how I shouldn’t have let myself get into this situation. The last time anyone talked to me like that, it was my mom and I was 15 years old and I deserved it. I have thick skin and don’t get easily rattled, but this conversation made my blood boil. When I asked if she could just fax my prescription (because I decided right then and there that I will order lenses online in the future), she was all too happy to give me the Rx and get rid of me. I then asked if the doctor could give me a call (my doctor here was fantastic, actually), she asked me why (literally, she said «why?») in very accusatory tone of voice (maybe she thought I wanted to lodge a complaint, which I do). I told her I wanted to talk about my prescription (it’s new and the lenses are uncomfortable, which is why I haven’t placed a large order yet). She said she’d leave a message for the doctor, but somehow I’m not so sure that she did! It’s been 4 hours and I haven’t got a call back yet.
Sue spoke to me with so much venom in her voice, it is clear that she is an angry person who thoroughly enjoys every last bit of what little power is vested in her by her position as a receptionist. It is just unclear to me why anyone would want her to represent their business. I will never be back.

This place gets negative 5 stars. The only reason I went back to this store was because of the great results the first time I went. I should have walked out when I saw the doctor was new. I don’t have a complicated prescription. But she couldn’t get it better than, «this is as good as we can get it.» I’ve been getting readers for about 20 years. I’ve never heard that before.
When I picked up my readers, they, all the staff kept telling me, it’s what you like, it’s what you said you wanted. If I knew I was an eye doctor and glasses expert, I would have quit my day job.
Somehow, their failure to get my glasses right is my fault. They tried four times to get the lenses right, with the owner holding up magnifying glasses in front of my old glasses. She’s not a doctor. To back track, the rude younger girl who helped me, told me when I picked up the first set of lenses, when I told her i could tell they were wrong, «your brain has to get used to it. To which I replied, «I didn’t have to do that for any other glasses I’ve ever gotten before. They just worked.» Then she said, «well maybe you don’t remember right.» I said, «are you telling me that I don’t know my own memory? Are you challenging me on knowing how I perceived reality?» At that point, before I got more pissed off, I said, «fine, I’ll try them out for a week like you suggested, but I want to make an appointment now for next weekend, because I have a feeling it’s not going to work.» She said, «you don’t have to make an appointment, we’ll fit you in.» I tried the glasses for a week. Couldn’t focus my right eye at any distance. I then called on Saturday to get «squeezed in.» She said, «you should have made an appointment.» I reminded her that I talked to her before and tried to. I told her I tried, but she had told me not to. To which she replied, «oh. I remember you.» «Well I didn’t know you’d need a whole appointment.»
So I go back and wait for an hour after my appointment time. They ask me if I want to come back because the doctor is running behind. I say, «no.» Not my problem. So I get re-​examined and am ultimately told, «that’s as good as we can get it.» That wouldn’t fly at my job, and I think it’s bulls*** coming from a doctor or a health care related service. Long story shorter, I get the lenses redone two more times. Now I can’t focus out of my left eye. The owner said’ «I’m not changing the lenses again.
Then I point to the customer service guarantee, «we’re not happy until you’re happy.»
Well, I’m not happy. I asked, «am I the only person who has had this problem?» And she says, yes you are. To which I think, people don’t stand up for themselves considering the other crappy Unilocal reviews. The staff tried to be solicitous but was ultimately dismissive, like they’re doing you a favor. And the owner tried to put it on me that her doctor and her efforts were a failure. (And I heard the guy changing out the lenses say, «I’m not changing then again!»)
If the previous doctor had had that attitude and made me crappy glasses, I would not have gone back. I know it’s possible to make glasses right because of that store, and for the staff and doctor to actually be the subject matter experts and not put it back on the customer about what they «like.» F*** that. Like I said, that wouldn’t fly at most business. I feel ripped off, belittled, and disrespected. And I still need new glasses. Do not go there unless s and m is your thing.

Why am I not surprised to see the 2.5 star average? When I first walked into the store I felt the negativity right away. Then, two of the 3 women working started talking about people out on the street – it was so unprofessional. If I didn’t absolutely need a new pair of glasses, I would have left. After being greeted, two of the 3 were helpful and friendly. The other, snobby. In fact, when I returned to pick-​up my glasses, the snobby woman argued with another customer then me. She has no customer service skills and obviously does not like her job. Since she couldn’t control her behavior, she let the manager (at least, I think she’s the manager) help us.
I would not recommend this location to anyone. My glasses were ridiculously priced, and they didn’t want to give me an itemized receipt. I had to repeat my request and the reason several times. In the end, they still didn’t get it, but produced something better than what I was originally given.

Yep, I just called to make an appointment. The woman on the phone so brisk, so flippant, acted like she was bothered I was calling. Im canceling my appointment because of her crappy customer service. I suggest this store look over these Unilocal reviews because it seems most of the negative comments are probably about her and not the optometrist. Im assuming they are losing customers because of her (its got to be this one person, and not the whole front staff who’s rude???)

Dr. Is great! Girls that work at he counter very rude on the phone and in person. And not to just me. They were very rude to an elderly women & her daughter when they asked very reasonable questions! Worst customer service EVER! I didn’t know how spoiled I was at the Site for Sore Eyes in SF on Bush (for 14 years!). Won’t be back to this location, ever! Should have followed my gut when I read the reviews and from my first phone call…

To the fellow Unilocaler’s who gave the staff at Site for Sore Eyes on Piedmont Ave in Oakland, CA the five star reviews, you were «Spot-​on «on your reviews. It is the end of the year and I had some FSA (pre-​tax dollars for medical coverage) money to spend before the end of the year. I was at work reviewing a list of 50 optometrists and I notice Dr. Kharrazi was a member of the five stars club. I set a Saturday appointment at this Site for Sore Eyes.
Meeting with Dr. Kharrazi was a breeze, I informed her that I needed glasses so I could look at my two large screens at work and I let her know I had Lasiks approximately ten years ago. She set-​up the corrective lenses so I could see what would work best for me. One of my worries was the glaucoma test, the part where a puff of air is blown into your eye. Does not feel good, fortunately she has a new device where they don’t do that anymore. She had great recommendations, she even set-​up a mock computer screen so could I visualize the distance.
I had my own set of Oakley frames and the staff was very accommodating in having the lenses installed. I wasn’t sure what to expect. Her assistant Marina was very helpful in helping me select the anti-​glare and other options for my glasses. It matter a fact I also ended up buying a pair of Ray Ban glasses too. The staff is friendly and accommodating.
This is customer service at it’s best. I highly recommend them.

Wanted to adjust my glasses and they refused just cuz I bought them online! Big woop. Lame

I seriously do not know why this place has such bad reviews. I got my glasses with an exam here two years ago. Everyone was so helpful and sweet. Not to mention the price was under $ 100 for nice frames. Once the eye doc examined my irritated eye for free.
Since then, my screw on my glasses has came out a few times and they fixed it in 2 minutes with no charge. Not to mention I work near by and my doctor who I work for, his glasses lost a screw and they fixed it for free so fast we got to see our next patient on time!
Def recommend this place.

Came in to look for new frames — won’t be coming back. EVER.
Owner (manager?) asked if I needed help. I started to tell her what I was looking for. She interrupted me mid-​sentence and then walked away.
Stayed long enough to try on a few frames (and overhear the same woman sass another customer) but had to leave when I heard her berating and belittling another employee.
I simply will not support a business that not only makes it clear they don’t need me as a customer but mistreats their employees as well.
Shame on you, SFSE.