Brookline Vision House

Ouch. These guys told me my insurance was valid, then after the exam, a $ 130 charge ended up on my bill. Whoops! When I asked them to fix it, they sent me a copy of an exam contract saying they have the right to make all necessary charges and fees. I wish I had my lawyer with me before I signed such a legally — binding agreement…
Now that I have had a $ 130 exam, I would think that I could at least get my contact lens prescription from them, so I could buy lenses from another place. Wow, how silly of me! I can’t get in touch with them, and I think they went out of business.
So, I spent $ 130 dollars on crappy service, with absolutely NOTHING to show for it. Not even a valid prescription. Literally $ 130 out the window. If they went out of business, I can see why, but schadenfreude cannot refund my money.

I’m a fan of their frames and service, but not their price. Can you blame me? I’m just a college student. I’m writing this review reflecting on my experience there a year ago. While it may seem like ages ago, I still remember the kindness and friendliness Manny and Paddy gave me which is something I rarely see these days from businesses.
Coming here, I knew that BVH would charge higher for their frames and services but I couldn’t settle on the kind of frames Lens Crafter had. None of them really flattered my face. You know when you’re looking for frames, it’s already weird seeing yourself in a new pair and at the same time you feel lost at the overwhelming selection. There were a couple from Lenscrafters that were okay, but do I really need them to be from Tiffanys or Burberry? No.
So I went a couple stores down to give BVH a try and see what frames they offered. Manny was very attentive and helpful. The fact that I had a particular style of frame I liked helped loads in making the choosing process easier. The annoying thing is all their frames are in a glass case so you can’t access them yourself. Manny promptly chose 3 – 4 based on my preferences and I tried them on.
The one thing that was outstanding about Manny was he critiqued how you looked with each frame-​you don’t have the generic, sugar coated «oh you look great.» He commented how I have a wide facial structure and recommended that rectangular frames would better complement my face. I’ve never gained such insight before and I totally agree with him after trying a couple of rectangular and circular ones. Pretty amazing how after more than a decade of wearing glasses and going to countless lens stores from different countries, it took Manny to give such useful advice.
Paddy, the optometrist, was a joy to work with. I never felt nervous around him as he had this aura of cheerfulness that made it comforting during the eye exam. We managed to talk about myopia and he asked about my studies in college and why I chose my major. Effortless conversation. At the end of the eye exam, he said he’d be more than willing to have me as an intern or shadow there if I ever wanted to in the future!
Manny gave me a couple of free pens on my 2 visits there. He made it a point for me to take them. I still have them sitting in my cup of pens to this day :)
When I came to pick up the glasses, he made sure it fitted right. It was slightly unbalanced so he used a special machine to heat and curve the rims so it hooked well in a balanced fashion to my ears. I’ve never had that done before even though this was not my first time wearing plastic frames.
I think it’s pretty amazing how these 2 can run a optical lens store by themselves when Lens Crafters has a big team, but falls short on customer service. While BVH does have a retro look to it, don’t let it deter you because they’re just as capable in running a business compared to corporate chains.
The only real short fall is the price which is really not budget friendly. Came to around $ 400 with the eye exam. My school insurance is lame and doesn’t cover lens wear. Had I had more ‘dough’, I would rank BVH 5 stars without hesitation.

Avoid these guys at all costs!!!
I called the store manager an «incompetant boob» to his face. I have never had a worse experience at a retail establishment in my 33 years.
I went in here about a year ago to buy glasses. I knew what wanted when I went in, gave the clerk the model, color and prescription. I paid and was told it would take about two weeks. I was a little uncomforable b/​c the manager was rude, didn’t really seem to know what he was talking about and frequently berated his assistant, a friendly Ukrainian girl.
I never heard from the store so I called to check in. I was told they had lost the order and could I possibly go into a LensCrafter and find out what the model number was again. Reluctantly I found one and supplied the information (I was in Chicago on business at the time).
After a week I got a voicemail that he talked to the factory and they wouldn’t sell him the frames without a «color number.» Shocked I told him that there are only two colors blue and black, buy that the one that isnt blue!” He asked me to go back into LensCrafters and find out the color number.
At this point I was fed up and went back to the store to ask for my money back. He actually refused. I had to call American Express and have them reverse the charges before he finally relented and gave me back my money.
I am writing this now because I just bought a new pair of glasses in Boston at Envision in Boston (who was fantastic) and I learned that Brookline Vision House never told the Insurance Company that the order was cancelled so VSP said it was too early for me to buy another pair. I suspect he kept the money they reimbursed him at my expense.
Once again avoid Brookline Vision House at all costs!!!

The sales clerk, who based on other reviews was likely Manny, was incredibly rude earlier this month. Unless he’s involved with ownership, it’s amazing he still has a job after this many complaints.
I’ve done a lot of research into the purchase of eyeglasses, so let me lay out a couple things here:
* The store is miserably over-​priced. You attempt to take down a model number of glasses, you’ll get the glasses snatched out of your hand. Literally. Two frames he was selling at $ 289 go for $ 110 online. I understand in-​store mark-​up, but nearly 300 percent is insulting to the consumer. So, too, is the thought that a customer should not be able to shop around for the best price. If there’s a stereotypical example of how a small business should not attempt to adjust to the online world, this is it.
And to reiterate: you do not EVER snatch something out of a customer’s hand. Ever.
* Next — the insistence on hi-​res (thinner) lenses. Manny must make more money off of them, because while hi-​res lenses are good for strong prescriptions (I’ve seen varying accounts of at what strength they become necessary), the widely accepted opinion heard everywhere else and from all the other opticians I talked to is that you do NOT need hi-​res lenses in the -/​+ 3 range –with the lone exception being if you had particularly thin frames where anything but thin lenses would look bulky. Yet Manny says he doesn’t do anything but hi-​res. Really, pal? What if the customer doesn’t feel they need hi-​res? It’s an insistence of up-​charging.
* Last, the doctor. I never went to the one at Vision House. But I know this: LensCrafters, about 40 feet away, charges $ 75 for an eye exam. Vision House $ 125. Unless you have a history with either doctor, why would you ever pay $ 50 more?
If you feel you’ve gotten a good deal at this store, you’ve done no research at all. There are several other optical stores in the Coolidge Corner area, including independently owned ones, if that’s what you’re beholden too. Take your business there.

While the doctor was very nice, the retail side was extremely rude and uncooperative. I would definitely stay away from this place. They will cause you (and by they I specifically mean Manny) a great deal of issues with your insurance company. This place is not worth the hassle it provides – especially given their poor selection of glasses.

Boo. I walked in here today, and though I can’t say they had an awful selection, it sucked bc all the glasses are held in a case like you would see at a jewelery store… Any pair that interested me, I had to ask to try on, and the guy would put the previous pair I’d tried back in the case so that I couldn’t compare several frames together. It felt like they were paranoid that I might steal them or something. So stupid. Also, no designer frames, which was what I was looking for. Finally, the place stunk of stale cigarettes, which was pretty gross.

I think this place is absolutely great. Dr. Kalish is so nice and professional. I would highly recommend Brookline Vision House.

I’m surprised at all of the negative reviews, since my experience here was great. I hadn’t had my eyes checked in almost five years (sad but true), and my glasses were on their last legs. I stopped here on a whim, and I was able to get an appointment with Dr. Kalish later that day. He was very nice and gave me a number of eye care tips along with a thorough explanation of why I needed to do these things. He was also very patient when it came to helping me pick out my frames. I have a difficult time finding frames that fit, but he was incredibly accommodating. I got my glasses just two days later, and Dr. Kalish asked me to make a 5 minute
appointment so he could ensure that the glasses fit properly. As an added bonus, I got an excellent deal on my glasses.
All in all, the stellar service and the incredibly reasonable prices made going to the eye doctor and picking out new glasses a pleasure (rather than a dreaded chore).

There are several reasons for me giving 1 star to this establishment, but the most important reason is for the incredibly rude serice I received. I was so appalled when I left this store that even though I have never been one to write reviews, I’ve created a Unilocal account and am giving this place a review just to let others know how horrible it was.
i was looking for new frames, told the man (i think his name was marty or manny or something like that) a few details for what kind of frame i wanted, and he started to show me some frames. i am a very picky person and frames are a big purchase, so I wanted to make sure I got ones I really liked. So with each frame that I didn’t like, I told him no, tried to say what I didn’t like about it but sometimes couldn’t, and he would try a different one. I told him specifically that I wanted plastic frames because my skin is so hyper-​allergetic and reacts to everything that it is better to steer clear of metal ones, yet he made me try on 2 metal pairs anyways insisting I would be fine. We only went through maybe 5 – 6 frames when he abruptly said «Your problem is you just don’t like glasses! I’ve shown you a few perfectly nice frames and you rejected them all. I can’t help you.» Wow. I was your only customer at the time and you just yelled at me and accused me of not liking glasses rather than helping me find a pair that i would like. So I said «fine» and I left.
My problems was his immediate defensiveness when I said i didn’t like something — I’m sorry, but this is a purchase that will be prominently displayed on my face — I want to browse, I want to find something that actually flatters me, and I don’t want to settle for anything less. I’d never been to a place before where if I didn’t like a pair but couldn’t tell exactly why I didn’t like it, I would be yelled at and accused of just not liking the product because how else could it be that I didn’t like theirs! I’d never been to a place like that UNTIL I walked into Vision House yesterday. So I said «fine,» turned around and left, went to Studio Optics on Berkeley St between Newbury and Boylston St. instead, proceeded to find 3 frames I liked within 10 minutes, and made a purchase.
Other reasons for the low rating — store was dimly lit, every frame was in a glass case so you could not browse on your own and try on frames at your own leisure, and they change their store hours frequently and only post a sign on the door and not on their website — i live nearby and have tried to go there several times only to arrive and find they’ve closed up early. I guess I should have taken that as my first sign that coming to this establishment would be a bad experience. I would only go back to show Marty/​Manny the new frames I love and purchased right after I left his store to show that in fact, I do like glasses, I just don’t like your rude service.

After a very poor experience at Boston Eye Group, Dr. Kalish saved the day for my six-​year-​old. She had been very excited to get her first pair of glasses, and Dr. Kalish handled the job admirably. You can look for my review of Boston Eye Group if you want more details on how the whole thing unfolded. But I think we were better off in the end.
Dr. Kalish was very sweet and patient with my daughter. His instruments are all adult-​size, so she sat on my lap for most of the exam, which worked out very well. He explained things as we went along, and often asked if we had any questions. My daughter had a great experience.
When it was time to choose frames, I wasn’t sure if he would have a good selection of child-​size frames, but he did. And once he heard that my daughter’s favorite color was purple, he unearthed a whole bunch of purple frames for her to choose among. At the end, I asked how long it would take to make the glasses and was completely astonished when the answer was «about an hour.» Wow.
Dr. Kalish was really a pleasure to work with and I would highly recommend him for parents looking to get their kids a first pair of glasses. I also felt great about giving my money to a locally-​owned business — an added bonus, especially in this economy.

the doctor is a nice enough guy — kind of a funny man (though perhaps unintentionally) — and i guess i was satisfied with the exam, etc. but the man insists on rationing my contact lenses. i have to come back every 4 – 6 weeks for 3 months, just so he can peer in my eyes and change my lenses, until he’ll give me a 3-​month supply. and then i have to come back 3 months later for him to give me the rest.
listen, i didn’t sign up to participate in a longitudinal study on my optical health. i’ve worn contacts for nearly 15 years. i know what i’m doing. just give me my lenses and let me go on my way. damn.

My insurance co was charged for things that didn’t happen and I was charged full price for every part of the exam even though I already had my prescription and he only spent about 15 min with me. When I set up the appointment, the doctor led me to believe that he would work with me considering that I had a recent exam and prescription, and that he would work with me until we found a pair of contacts that fit me best (I have troublesome eyes). What he meant was charging me full price for having to do ¼ of the work, which included charging me for every potential trial pair of contacts (unlike my previous doctor who only charged me when we found ones that worked).
When I tried to call and express my concerns, the man on the phone argued with me and was aggressive in proving me wrong. No reasoning or willingness to negotiate.
Besides, the shop is cramped and the «help» is unprofessional.
I do not recommend.

Strangely enough, I had trouble finding a place that was not Lenscrafters where I could get glasses, contacts and eye exams all in one place in the Brookline area that accepted VSP insurance and was open on weekends/​evenings. However, the Vision House did not disappoint.
When I arrived for my first appt, they were busy and running behind schedule. They don’t have much of a waiting area and it is small. However, Dr. Paddy Kalish was extremely nice and did a quick and through exam. He gently reminded me to take out my contacts a few hours before bedtime, don’t put them in the am until I’ve been awake and let my eyes rest more (5 minutes between glasses and contacts and don’t stare at that computer screen so much, uhh, so much for that!)
After my exam, it was time to pick out frames. There is not a huge selection, but as someone who does not wear glasses often and who didn’t want to spend all day trying to pick out frames, I did not mind this. Dr. Kalish personally helped me pick out frames that compliment my face and I now have snazzy pink/​brown frames. My frames were ready for pickup in 2 business days. The older gentleman who works in the shop and adjust glasses was very nice and accommodating.
I also had a follow up appt to check on my contacts — it turns out my prescription was a tad too high, so Dr. Kalish dropped the prescription a bit and now I can see oh, so clearly! They had the new prescription in stock so I was able to walk out with a year’s supply of contacts that day. He also gave me some lens solution and new snazzy contact cases. He encouraged me to stop in anytime if I needed solution, cases or replacement contacts — as they always have these on hand.
The prices a little bit higher than I was used to paying and I could probably have saved a bit if I shopped around, but I think I got a good deal with the service.