Helmus + Baker Optometry

Very impressed with both the thoroughness of the eye exam and the selection of quality frames — especially Oliver Peoples.

Though not (yet) a patient at Helmus + Baker, I went to them because they had a better selection of frames than my optometrist. I found the ideal frames and they did a great job finishing them with lenses. But my optometrist’s prescription was too strong. I returned to him to request lenses that matched my previous glasses. He wouldn’t do it. So I returned to Helmus + Baker and asked them. They very graciously agreed to redo my lenses at the strength of my previous prescription. They are AWESOME! Thank you all at Helmus + Baker.

I came in to get a pair of lenses replaced for a new prescription on my glasses. They broke my glasses and would not even accept responsibility. They kept blaming the «lab». I left them a perfectly fine pair of frames in their care. In all the years I have been doing this at other businesses, I have never had this problem. The rep did not even offer to make it right. She suggested that I come in and use my eye glass and frame allowance which had reset for the new year. They broke my glasses and she is now asking me to bring them more of my business. If they cannot guarantee their work, why should I trust their service. The arrogance of their reps is amazing.

I’ve been going here for years, I think almost a decade, even though we have moved from Davis to West Sacramento. Totally worth the drive; they are great. Highly recommend.

I’ve been seeing Helmus & Baker for at least 5 years, even when I moved to the east coast for a couple years I would make sure to get my H&B exam in when I visited home in CA. They have a very organized appointment flow and the doctors are cool people. I always have a good chat with them. They also have a few parking spaces (I can usually find a free 2-​hour spot in downtown Davis, anyway). This is definitely the best optometry office around.

Dr. Baker is great, professional with the right amount of personable! I live in Sacramento and still go out to Davis because of their excellence.

In ⁵⁄₂₀₁₄ I got new glasses from them. They just gave me the glasses and didn’t check if the glasses fit correctly. Fortunately I have been wearing glasses since I was 10 and knew that the fit was just fine. Since I have received my glasses, I haven’t dropped them or stepped on them in anyway but cracks from the frame started inching it’s way into my view. I have had many glasses over the years and this has never happened with previous glasses. Now I am going to get new glasses this year because of this optometrists poor craftsmanship. I would of tried to rectify the situation but I live in Texas now. This is so frustrating and disappointing!

Dr Joanne Helmus and Helmus Optometry go above and beyond to provide excellent service to patients. They are organized, helpful, friendly, flexible, and professional. The technicians are very patient as they expertly guide patients in selecting and fitting frames. I wholeheartedly recommend Helmus Optometry.

I just recently moved to Davis and was in need of a good eye-​care specialist. One of my friends from the area recommended Helmus + Baker as she knew the Helmus family from childhood. I am very happy that she did.
The location is good; right downtown, not too far from Central Park. It can get crazy in this area (especially when there is a farmer’s market), but you should manage to find parking nearby if you drive. The facility is rather clean and presents itself as slightly upscale, and the service follows suit. The staff was friendly and welcoming. The doctors are knowledgeable, take careful notes, and really listen to you as a patient.
I updated my contact lens Rx here; that experience was nice. There is a large selection of frames as well; I would certainly turn here to find a new set of frames.
All in all, I would readily recommend Helmus + Baker to anyone looking for an eye care specialist in Davis.

As a student here in a college town, as well as being an athlete. I have a high dependence on contact lenses when I need them.
I came here last year to get a contact lens prescription, which I did.
Fast forward a year, I called the other day to ask and see if my prescription has expired because I had remembered they had given me a 1 year lens prescription. Therefore I had assumed it was expired and called to make an appointment. The lady I was speaking to (I won’t mention her name because that’s not my intention) told me that my prescription HASNT expired and that I don’t need a new one. She even placed me on hold so that I get to speak to the optician to order contacts from them (business).
I let both of the ladies who had been telling me that my prescription wasn’t expired know that I’m going to order from 1800contacts.
I happily placed my order to receive my contacts.
However, this morning I receive a voicemail from 1800contacts telling me they can’t process my order because Helmus&baker revoked my prescription.
Very unprofessional.
First off, my prescription hasn’t changed. I’ve been wearing the same prescription for years.
Secondly, the minimum prescription length given to patients is 1 year. 2 years with the approval of the doctor. However, it’s understandable that they just want to keep having you come in for checkups. It’s a business and they will do whatever they can to schedule more appointments.
Unprofessional to have two separate opticians say that my prescriptions NOT expired only to revoke it when 1800contacts call.
Anyways I called today to ask what in the world is going on. The lady behind the desk told me that they care for patients eyes and want them for yearly prescription renewals. Do my eyes really lose vision in a matter of a couple days for it to be risky to renew my prescription?
Making matters worse for a low income college student who needs contacts for the upcoming soccer playoffs, the lady said that Dr. Helmus will call you back today before we close to help you.
I got no call.
If you don’t believe this review, feel free to read other reviews stating the unprofessionalism of the staff. They really don’t want to help.

I had such a positive experience here! The doctor and staff were welcoming and polite and really helped me understand my insurance coverage. They took their time and helped me record the frames I liked so I could come back to purchase them. I would definitely recommend Helmus and Baker to a friend!

Professional, friendly, prompt, reliable. Been a patient here for 20+ years and always enjoy my visits. Highly recommended.

My son was seen here several months ago and received new glasses. The service was polite out front, but the doctor himself was very friendly. When we had to choose frames, they wanted to choose for us a small number to see out of those which were covered by our insurance. When I called to make myself an appointment, they said they were no longer accepting new patients with Partnership Health Plan. After reading other reviews, I have concluded that this business is more concerned about making money than providing healthcare services to their community. Too bad. I guess if you like being exclusive, they’re perfect for you.

Over the years, I’ve been very pleased with the service and selection at Helmus + Baker. I recently had to bring back a pair of semi-​rimless glasses that kept breaking — a design fluke, not the optometrist’s fault! They allowed me to exchange the unsatisfactory pair for a new pair, no questions asked, and their staff was extremely patient and helpful in guiding me to an excellent replacement pair. I am very grateful for that and am glad to continue my enthusiastic recommendation of this optometrist.

I’ve been visiting Helmus Optometry for over 20 years and I look forward to each annual visit. I began with Dr. Mark and have transitioned to Dr. Joann over the years. I especially liked my retinal scans/​xrays — this was new this visit. In addition, the frame selection is great!

I have been going to this office for almost 13 years, since before they redid the building. I’d been to another optometrist once before that, but have always been to Helmus and Baker ever since.
I am so pleased with my experience here. The staff are always friendly and knowledgeable, and every time I need to get new glasses + contacts, they explain my insurance coverage and my options thoroughly. If I ask them to clarify the math because I don’t understand (I’m terrible at math), they break it down for me even further and put me at ease.
Last week, I went in to pick out glasses frames and was helped by Susana. I was torn between two pairs and how they looked on my face, and she went back to the computer three separate times to see if different colors and sizes were available. She even called one of the companies the next day and got back to me right away. Not only that, but she gave her own opinion of how the frames looked on me — which I really appreciated! It helped to confirm which pair I would ultimately purchase, but she also offered to find out some information on the other pair I was considering.
So, tomorrow I will be going in to finalize my frame decision and pay for my new glasses, and to pick up contact lenses. I have seen Dr. Mark and Dr. Joann, but I prefer Dr. Mark’s calm, soothing demeanor. He’s a great guy! My dad has seen Dr. Baker too, and was really pleased with him as well.
All in all, I recommend them! They’ve been with me growing up, so maybe I am a little sentimental, but their service is ace too.

Great staff and fast service!
I started going there last year and went back this year. I got glasses this time, and they arrived within one week.
Jessica was extremely helpful both when I was picking my frames and when I had to get them adjusted.

Fantastic place and easy to get too with a friendly staff. Did I mention Unicorns? That’s right they have unicorns in the lobby and you can ride on them while waiting for your appointment.

Do yourself a favor and do not come to this establishment.
After being a faithful patient for 10+ years, this week I have chosen to no longer be a patient with Dr. Helmus. While I loved Dr. Mark as my eye doctor, his staff has proven to be incompetent, unprofessional, and lacking any kind of customer service. It is truly unfortunate as the service has only declined over the last few years, and personally it got to be so bad that I can no longer bring my business to this establishment.
The tipping point for me began 7 months ago when I needed to re-​order contacts. What would have been an easy task turned into a frustrating and impossible one due to the staffs lack of competency toward understanding my insurance, combined with rude and disrespectful service. While nothing had changed on my insurance end and I was well within the timeframe of my prescription to re-​order, they refused to let me purchase any new contacts. At the time I was able to speak with Dr. Mark and he graciously let me get what I needed. Only for his staff to then tell me that I was covered and no longer needed to pay. This week I got a call saying that they were wrong and my insurance did not cover me, so they would be invoicing me 7 months after the fact.
I had called to make my annual check up and did not get a call back to make an appointment until more than 3 weeks later, upon that phone call they did not even make an appointment with me but tell me about their errors and invoicing me for their mistakes. Being very frustrated I told them I no longer desired to be a patient and to please close my file to which the highest office manager replied that that was «no problem, have a nice day» and hung up on me. There was absolutely no apologies, no condolences or any type of customer service to try and keep me as a patient, and I am completely floored.
TLDR; Dr Mark Helmus is a wonderful eye doctor but his staff is not worth putting up with in order to see him.

Ive been going to Helmus Optometry for 3 years and I love it! Not only is it easy to get appointments, but you dont have to wait long to be seen on the days of your appointments. Dr. Baker is my optometrist but all of the staff is very friendly and ready to help out. They have a wide variety of eyeglasses as well.
I highly recommend them for any of your eye needs!