Harvard Square Eye Care

Dr. Phillips saved my eyesight!!! I've been coming here to buy glasses for years since they carry…read moremany european frames that are small enough to fit me nicely (which most eye doctors do not carry btw), and was going to a more local eye doctor for my exams until recently. Finally I switched to Dr. Phillips fully and got my first eye exam with him this year, and I found out my prescription was -.75 TOO STRONG!!! And that is why I was tired all the time, getting frequent headaches, and having trouble focusing when switching from small to big or big to small screens, and was struggling to drive in the dark or when tired. I am SO MUCH MORE COMFORTABLE and my quality of life has improved IMMENSLY. Dr. Phillips told me he starts from scratch to avoid bias, and I am so so grateful for that. He will take his time to make sure the precription is correct, not just lazily bump you up -.25 and call it a day like my previous eye doctors would. The customer service is also amazing. Everyone is so helpful and warm. And also, I've not experienced the feeling of being "ripped off" as some have claimed. My insurance covered nearly everything just as it should--actually the exam was cheaper than at previous eye doctors. It was my previous eye doctors who I felt wanted to rip me off, as they kept trying to charge me for an expensive preventative exam to "check on" a freckle in my eye, at every visit, which I did not need. Dr. Phillips did not seem interested in upselling me. Yes the frames are mostly designer, and therefore are expensive, but you don't have to choose them. There are other options. However the quality of the designer frames are second to none and they really care about getting it to fit just right and making sure everything is perfect. I do not understand the negative reviews. BEST EYE DOCTOR EVER!!

I have been a loyal customer for a very long time, which makes this experience especially…read moredisappointing. The customer service I received was unacceptable. I felt dismissed, disrespected, and treated differently than I believe other customers would have been. When I respectfully voiced how I was feeling, the manager responded by asking me to leave the store instead of addressing my concerns. That only made the situation more upsetting. Over the years, I have spent an incredible amount of money at this business. Not only have I been a loyal customer, but so have all of my children. It is truly heartbreaking to feel that our loyalty meant so little. I left this place with tears in my eyes. A loyal customer should never leave feeling this way. I truly hope you realize you've lost a great customer, and I sincerely hope you change.

Practice area for contact lenses

Frames

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Chanel frames

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SEE

4.2(166 reviews)

Like a dedicated employee, I went into the office where I inadvertently set a notebook on my…read moreglasses. Smush.... I brought my glasses into SEE where the arms on my glasses were realigned. They were straight and stayed on my face. I was ready to replace them but they were able to straighten them. :) If I need glasses, I am returning. They get my vote.

XLent, XLent, XLent Service, styles and Staff!…read moreNow, lets talk about their corporate design department... they are a little slow on creating new styles. For those of US who buy glasses for THAT reason it makes one want to stray but then there's Staff and Service at this location -Trang and Rob - the best. OH way, we'll just have to wait out the season and HOPE to be surprised by the mothership.

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The Eye Store

4.9(150 reviews)

3.3 mi

Committed to satisfaction

Locally owned & operated

I am shocked to read the (couple of) negative reviews here. This is the best optical store I've…read moreever been to, both in Boston and New York City. John is so sweet, kind, cooperative, helpful (on and on), and Dr. Shah is thorough and kind as well. I can't fathom someone feeling "degraded" or having any kind of negative experience at this store.

Wow! My partner needed glasses in 24 hours for an event. Searching for someone who could manage the…read moreexpectations of a rocket scientist is not easy, but we found the utmost professional in John Bejakian! He made the glasses in 24 hours and they were perfect. Not only perfect, but John patiently stayed at least an hour after closing with a science geek and perfectionist to get the glasses exactly right! This is not typical perfect, this was unflappable extraordinary above and beyond excellence and professionalism, perfect! If you need glasses and your seeing well is paramount to your work, see John, he will give you exactly what you need! If I could double his stars, I would!

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Custom Eyes

4.2(197 reviews)

2.1 mi•Central Square

Friendly service with reasonable prices. I go in often to try on new frames and never feel any…read morepressure to buy. Kevork Tinkjian is lovely to deal with.

Friendly guy running this place. Unfortunately, I had 1 major issue and 1 smaller issue…read more I came in for a same-day lens replacement for a scratched lens. 1. He gave me the opposite prescription at first (I have a positive number for my spherical, and he gave me a negative number). I immediately knew it was wrong because it was incredibly disorienting, and he told me that my old lenses were prepared poorly and this is what they were supposed to be like and I just needed to keep using them and adjust to this. He confidently showed me the measurement on the machine behind the counter to prove it, but luckily I happened to notice that the number was wrong and pointed it out. To his credit, he apologized and fixed it, but it took an extra hour of sitting in his shop to wait for it. I can't get over how badly this would have messed up my eyes if I did as he said and just used them until my eyes adapted, which would have never happened. I have new glasses now with allegedly the same prescription, and they feel shockingly better when I compare them one after another. So I am concerned that at the end of the day, something was still wrong after all that. Perhaps it was the pupillary distance which he measured in a rush using a device which I may have been looking into wrong since I didn't have an explanation. 2. The whole process was expensive, and the lens quality was poor. I think they were the lowest quality lens material with no or poor antireflective coating. I accept that this is to be expected when buying on short notice, but there was no discussion of what i was buying or what options were available. This is mostly poor judgement on my part, and does not contribute much to my low score here besides the subpar price/quality ratio. He seems like a really nice guy, and perhaps service is much more accurate and faster on a day that isn't as busy as the day I went in. However, I wish that I had just put up with the scratch for another few weeks and waited for my glasses from the internet.

Kevork Tinkjian opened Custom Eyes in December of 2003. Kevork has been a licensed Optician since 1998.

Kevork Tinkjian

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Warby Parker Cambridge

3.5(17 reviews)

A coworker recommended purchasing glasses at this location. In under an hour on my lunch break,…read moreJason helped me find my new pair, explain the coverage/lens/sizing options, and provided a quote with insurance. I went home to think on them overnight, and returned today to purchase. I walked back in knowing I'd be greeted by kind staff, and felt confident understanding my insurance coverage and expected payment.

The people at the store are great. But The company stinks…read more i called the store (617) number and got aomeone probably in southeast Asia to ask whether id lefty wallet at the store and they would not connect me. Not Possible. Rather I was asked, " Do you have an account with us? For your problem you should send an email to the store". I wil never do business with this company

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Central Square Eye Care

3.9(110 reviews)

2.1 mi•Central Square

I have been going to Central Square Eye card for years. Dr. White comes across as patient and…read morethorough, taking time to measure and test and then explain the results in an understandable way. I feel fortunate to have a quality optometrist so conveniently located. Many things are equally good online, but optometry is not one of them.

This is a review for Dr. White. I'm a former patient, and now that I've moved out of the area I…read morereally appreciate his competence. I have, I guess, a more complicated prescription: I have convergence insufficiency, and I like to wear contacts plus glasses with prism, but I also like to have the option to wear just glasses. Dr White made this so easy. He's the one who first suggested the prism, which is a huge help for me, and he wrote my several different prescriptions each year like it was no big deal. He made it so easy I thought this was pretty simple, standard stuff. Apparently not! My new optometrist, uh, to put it politely, does not seem to have Dr. White's skill or understanding of prism in glasses. I now realize Dr. White really knew his stuff, which made my optometrist visits a lot easier!

How gorgeous are these???

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Harvard Square Eye Care

2.6(126 reviews)

I came here for an exam a couple weeks ago and was so happy with my experience that I was shocked…read moreto see the low overall rating on here. But it looks like the 1 star reviews are at least a year old. If you're in the Cambridge area and need an optometrist, go here! Truly. I stopped into and called several optometry offices around Harvard Square, and this was the only one where I immediately felt a genuinely welcoming, no-nonsense vibe. That was NOT my experience elsewhere. Harvard Square Eye Care is clearly not trying to scam you or push overpriced frames. I never felt pressured to buy anything, and I really appreciated having the option to do traditional dilation instead of being steered toward the more expensive imaging option that my insurance doesn't cover - something most other places didn't even offer. It's such a relief to find a practice that understands the simple need for an eye exam and prescription, especially for those of us who just want the most affordable pair of glasses possible. Honest, transparent, and refreshing. Ignore the negative reviews and go here!

Friendly, knowledgeable and quick. Not aggressive with their sales tactics, which is a huge turn…read moreon. Easy parking or a short jaunt from alewife station.

0.2 mi•Porter Square, North Cambridge

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Karen Lewis, OD

5.0(3 reviews)

2.1 mi•Central Square

I have been going to Dr. Lewis for many years now - she is always professional and helpful…read more The first time I saw her I needed my prescription fixed because Lenscrafters had fitted me into the wrong size contacts and I couldn't wear them comfortably (and they treated me like I was some kind of idiot for telling them they didn't fit right). Dr. Lewis immediately noticed they weren't the right size for my eye and fixed my prescription - I could see again and wear contacts comfortably! I knew right then I would keep coming back and always get the right prescription.

Dr Lewis is the best eye doctor I've ever had (and I've needed eye doctors for 15 years). Here's…read morewhy I like her: 1) She is empathetic and makes you feel she truly cares about you not just your money. You can tell she loves what she does. 2) Her office hours are flexible and she has evening and Saturday hours. 3) I was really having trouble with my eyes and she let me come in as much as I needed without it costing an arm and a leg each time. I can't say enough about her but I've already recommended a few people her way. I guess that's the biggest compliment she can get!

General Optical

4.3(66 reviews)

I had gone to General Optical many years ago and was very satisfied. The staff has changed. I…read morebought glasses and got sunglasses to go with them. In order to put the sunglasses on your must take off your glasses and use both hands. Obviously this cannot be done when you are driving a car. If I had been warned I would not have bought them. Genevieve C.

Dr. Klaahsen is fantastic!! Here's why. It had been about 7 years since my last eye exam and I…read moregenerally viewed these interactions as transactional until I met her. She explained to me the importance of eye care in a super loving way and walked me through everything she was doing and why. She uses state of the art tech and actually teaches you about your eyes. Dr. Klaahsen really took the time to find the right contacts for me and WHOA...I didn't realize how much I couldn't see anything before! That's a long story BUT the point is that Dr. Klaahsen is a great Doctor. She really cares about her people in a way you don't often get from physicians. The staff is really helpful and inviting when you walk in. I can't recommend Dr. Klaahsen enough! If you don't go to her...switch. It's totally worth it.

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Eye-Q Optical - Cambridge

4.1(154 reviews)

Certified professionals

Offers payment plans

I had a great experience here for a vision exam. The customer service was excellent and they even…read morehave a special machine that can detect changes to your eye health which my insurance covered with a small co-pay. Highly recommended!

Let's start by saying -- thank you, Lord, for always making room for a second opinion…read more I went to Eye Q Optical as a first-time customer, armed with good insurance and high hopes. But it quickly became clear that having great coverage doesn't mean much in a place that prefers to sell the Ferrari of eyewear. Now, to be fair -- the optometrist knows his craft. Truly professional, skilled, and thorough. But if you know the glasses game, you can spot a commission-based shop from a mile away. Here's where things went off track: a thousand dollars for a single pair of glasses after insurance. That's not just unreasonable -- it's why online retailers are thriving while brick-and-mortar shops are losing ground. Eye Q Optical, if you're wondering why people are turning to the internet for eyewear -- look no further than your own price tag.