I come to the Davis Square location because it is close to home. Love the attentiveness, care, patience, thoughfulness, and friendliness of Dr. Galaal at this location and some of the staff. This is the reason why I give this review 2 stars. However, there is one receptionist staff member who is there (and I don't know how many years) who is very consistently rude, arrogant, unprofessional, and lacks customer service skills. I am surprised she is still there and this issue of customer treatment has not yet been addressed concerning customers who solicit your location. She is rude on the phone and I have experience her even more so rude in person. I tried to brush it off from my last visit as her having a bad day, but this seems like it is constant. She refuses to help clients and abruptly hangs up phones without making sure a customer is OK with any unresolved issues or concerns they may have. The issues with customer service should be addressed, especially with this one particular receptionist. Customers do not feel welcomed there and will decide to seek services elsewhere. read more

Harvard Square Eye Care - Harvard Square Eyecare - 198 Elm Street, North Cambridge, MA 02140 - Eyewear & Opticians Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

The experience started with the manager emotionally abusing and gaslighting me, making me doubt that my concerns were legitimate. Things escalated when the optometrist shouted and screamed at me--verbal assault that was both humiliating and intimidating--and the initial exam was done incorrectly, giving me the wrong prescription and wasting my time and money. I am filing complaints with the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Optometry and the Attorney General's Office - Consumer Protection Division. I strongly advise anyone considering this business to proceed with caution. read more

Used to be great. This year they were a disaster. Multiple billing mistakes and delays getting glasses. I don't know what changed, but after being very happy with them for 10 years, I am never going back. read more

I would highly recommend Harvard Square Eye Care in Davis Square. I was in a panic after losing my contact lens while traveling from CA to Boston. Dr. Shah saw me on short notice, did an eye exam, and immediately got me a replacement contact lens. He was professional and helpful. So grateful to them! read more

Fast service, nice people that were effective at solving my issue and getting me the product I need in not too long of a time

I had an extremely frustrating experience with this office and wouldn't recommend it to anyone. I went for a contact fitting, and the Rx wasn't quite right, so the doctor ordered some replacement trials. A month later she called to tell me it would be another month because of COVID supply issues. No problem, that is understandable. A month or so later I was called and told that they still weren't in. Ok, fine. Can you just give me the Rx so I can order the lenses elsewhere? Nope, doctor needs to see them on you. Ok, fine. I never heard from them again (though they claim they contacted me once more). After another few months of anxious waiting I called to ask about status. They wanted me to come in for an entirely new contact fitting (which I'd have to pay for out of pocket) because the Rx date would be up too soon. My Rx hasn't changed significantly in over a decade, and I'd be damned if I was going to pay twice for a Rx I never even saw to begin with. The final straw was the extremely combative Operations Manager who insisted that all these issues were my fault for not following up more actively. That may be partially true, but after she talked over me throughout the entire call I wasn't even able to explain the full situation. She had no interest in hearing me out, so I thanked her for her time and started shopping for a new doctor. read more

I saw the amazing dr Galaal in the Davis sq branch. She was so patient and thoughtful and thorough! She helped solve a problem I was having and didn't stop till she was sure it was fixed. Incredible!!!! read more

I got my first exam + prescription glasses and sunglasses here at the Harvard Square location 5 years ago and while they weren't inexpensive they were far superior to subsequent glasses purchased elsewhere. The staff at the Belmont location are nice and I'm probably going to return to them for my next glasses. read more

Great experience with Dr. Galaal. She's patient, considerate, and warm. The business's software portal is clunky, and that presents some problems. On a few occasions messages or uploads were late. Replies were sometimes more brisk than was warranted. If you have an exam in the shop there isn't pressure to buy frames there. However, there may be a hint of upselling. That may work for a business in the short term, but doesn't leave a good impression on the customer in the long term. I bought my frames elsewhere, and was happy to do so. read more

We've been using Harvard Square Eye Care in Davis Square for two years and have always been very happy with their services. Recently they went above and beyond and I want to send a special shout-out to Kathy the office manager in Davis Sq. My glasses broke unexpectedly and I stopped into the store to see if they could be fixed. Unfortunately they could not and I needed a new prescription before I could order new glasses. Kathy put me on the cancellation list and I got an eye exam scheduled within a day. Kathy also expedited my glasses order since I will be leaving town shortly and was hoping to get the glasses before I left. The whole team in this office is terrific and the customer service was just outstanding. Thanks Kathy!! read more

I had the best experience here just now. Denise helped fix all my old glasses. I had an old pair that was broken due to a punch to the face. Another optometrist had given up on them -- Denise used a few strategic screws to bring it back to life. She taught me how to think about gasses sizing. Dr Burke also did me a solid. She measured my through my old glasses and told me point blank that I could indeed wear them without fear of making good my eyesight worse. Throughout this, everyone (Denise, Bobby, Kathy, Dr Burke) worked around my schedule, were patient and polite, and answered all my questions. I felt treated like a human being. A+ would come again. read more

I am writing a review literally years after my last visit because they will not stop emailing and calling me, no matter how many times I "unsubscribe" and/or ask a human to take me off of their list. Since I am here, I will add that their exams were "OK", but it had turned into a revolving door of optometrists when they moved from Porter to Davis. The front-desk staff, as mentioned in many other reviews, were not the best bunch to deal with, whether it was scheduling an appointment, asking a question, and also perhaps being removed from their email/phone list. read more

Somewhat saddened by multiple aspects of the care I received at this visit. Upselled me to 1.74 lenses when I've always gotten 1.6 or so (actually... they just filled them so they could bill my insurance more). Made an error in how they charged me for glasses but graciously admitted and refunded me later. Went to get a retinal scan as directed by them at their sister office in Harv Sq and the staff there repeatedly insisted I owed payment - even though Davis Sq and I myself checked my insurance to confirm it was fully covered. Took me logging in to show them my mobile and then suddenly "oh you're all set never mind.." what were you going to do - just double bill me and insurance? Most importantly - THEY MISFILLED MY GLASSES :( :( :(. After headaches and having another independent check I took them back (apologizing thinking I must just be crazy...) and they said they were very sorry, the glasses were filled incorrectly. WOW! 35 years of wearing glasses never once, even with ONLINE purchases have I had an issue of such clear quality issues in dispensing. Finally, it took me a few tries and asking to get a copy of my prescription uploaded (I left the office with them saying "it will be there"... waited till next day... asked again.. suddenly i get a message "it's there). I From ftc.gov: After you get an eye exam for glasses or a fitting for contact lenses, your eye care prescriber has to give you a copy of your prescription -- whether you ask for it or not. It's the law. In fact - you cannot have to ask for it. I suggest they just print it out and hand it to people... then they can be proud to comply with federal law. The staff are VERY VERY nice as is Dr. Dickerman. No complaints there. I like their harvard series, style selection is good (quality basic). Very very nice people - but the above issues are not insignificant. Appreciated the sincere apologies about the misfill. But it was just too many issues, too stressful to manage. I'm still anxiously awaiting the corrected glasses. In the meantime I ordered a pair elsewhere which i already have in hand :( read more

I actually logged in specifically to write a review, because it's depressing it's so low. I've been going to them for 5 years, and everyone is super nice all the time and really accommodating, whether I walk in with broken glasses (they fixed them immediately) or if I ran out of contacts and didn't notice (they ordered more and gave me two weeks worth to have immediately). And if I have an issue, they always see me right away. Recently I had tons of problems with my insurance not going through for weird reasons, and they were SO nice about it. The woman called the insurance repeatedly for me - over the course of a week! - and kept calling me back to update, and when we realized it still wasn't going to be for a few days, she made sure to find me some trial lenses to bring home so that I had some. We finally just ordered a bunch and they came the next day. Super fast and friendly. The only reason I'd dock them maybe 1/3 star is the glasses side - once when I ordered glasses, I asked for transition lenses (the ones that get dark during the sunlight) and they got me regular ones - I had to wait an extra day to get the right ones. And my glasses when they showed up didn't *quite* fit - the nose wasn't quite wide enough, despite his measurements - but again, they fixed that right away. I like them and will always go back. :). read more

This is for the Davis Square location. The eye exam itself was okay, though the optometrist didn't have the best social skills. She wasn't rude at all, but answered my questions pretty curtly and wasn't a very warm person. The really bad thing is that the prescription she recommended is totally off. One of my eyes moved a significant amount since my last eye exam, and her prescription said that I should keep it at the same place. I ended up paying out-of-pocket for another exam at Perrelli Optical, and the prescription they recommended was a world of difference. I would have spent over $600 on new glasses with no improvement in my sight, which really is the sole result needed from an eye exam. The optician was friendly and didn't push too hard on selling glasses, but a heads up that I didn't see anything under $500 including lenses. The woman at the front desk was laughably rude. I made a silly error where I asked about their other location under the Brattle Theatre (that was actually Brattle Square Optical, but an easy mistake), and she said "Um, we have been in the same place in Harvard for 30 years, and were never at that location". Eesh...Just trying to make conversation. One week later, I received a snail mail letter on letterhead asking me to leave an online review of my experience. Third strike. You've got plenty of choices for optometrists in the area, so give these folks a miss. read more

My husband went here and loved the experience, so when my Ray-Bans (purchased in Florida) needed adjusting, I stopped in to see if they could help. Matt took care of me on the spot. Within minutes I had a perfect fit. Matt is Awesome...super courteous and professional! read more

I broke my glasses after 10 years on Friday night and needed a replacement for work Monday, so I made a same day appointment on Saturday for an eye exam. On the eye exam, Dr. Lam took the time to think through my distant history of eye trauma and carefully evaluate my current function. (I'm a health practitioner, though not an optometrist or ophthalmologist, but I feel I understand when someone is doing things on the exam that make sense and I know that time doesn't come cheaply.) After the exam, I went to select a frame. I was torn between a pretty bold titanium Kio Yamato frame at $600 before insurance versus a very conventional set of stainless steel Oakleys at $300, ultimately went for the Oakleys. They had the lenses on site and were able to have the eyeglasses ready to fit in 20 minutes! Awesome. As mentioned by people reviewing the other location, it wasn't cheap but I really appreciated the courtesy and thoroughness, and I was really happy about the turnaround time. Not the hugest selection of frames in the store, but I was able to find three or four frames that I really liked and left feeling like I look contemporary but professional, which is what I wanted. Also, Yelp attached a survey about bike parking at this location. I didn't see dedicated bike parking but with the snow in the last few weeks, I've gotten pretty used to parking on top of snow piles. I locked to the guard rail on the ramp at the front entrance and people at the desk were fine with it. read more

Easy to get an appointment and it was fine and painless. Nice clean store and although they do have parking spots in the lot, they seem to never be free when I'm there but there is fairly easy street parking. My only complaint was that in switching to a new brand of contacts that I was told they were "competitively priced" compared to online retailers. I ordered went ahead and ordered half a years supply without double checking and when looking later noticed that it was $20/per box more expensive than if I had gone with my older supplier. I understand they would likely be marked up but a $40 difference in cost for half a year adds up. When its time to order more, I'll likely go back online. read more

I've been here a couple of times, the first was a few years ago and I didn't have the best experience. There was a guy who worked there who just didn't seem to care. He manhandled my glasses and got annoyed when I kept telling him they have a wonky fit. I recently went back and am glad to report that guy is gone and has been replaced by much more personable people. Dr. Florence Lee was extremely knowledgeable and took her time to explain things and answer all my questions. There was a Scottish woman who helped me choose my frames and she was a riot. Happy I gave them a second chance because I had such a positive experience this time around. read more

Like another recent reviewer, I logged in just to write this because it's depressing that their rating is low. I have had great care here. They are so thorough with the eye exam--in fact, they found an internal eye issue that my old place never found (after many years with them). I now see an eye specialist every 6 months to keep on track with it. They're very particular about getting the contact order correct, too. I've gotten many trial pairs to make sure they're ok, and then I order. They're great. read more

I went here once and it was ok. The vibe I get is that they want your business/$$$... They will try to convince you to get your glasses from them. My doctor was very young (maybe recent grad); I asked her a few questions and she gave me very vague responses. And the eye exam she gave me felt rushed. I didn't look too hard to find a place, so if you find better options, go there instead. Otherwise, this place is ok. read more

The doctor seemed inexperienced and sounded uncertain, using "Um, I think" to talk about my eyes and did not give me confidence in her prescription or advice. Furthermore, the receptionist was incompetent, and unable to do basic arithmetic to give me a price quote for my contact lenses. She also just assumed I would buy the contact lenses directly from them and attempted to charge me accordingly. When I cleared this up and explained that I need to do a price comparison, she became defensive and told me that I had to pay for the services and contact lenses. Overall, it was a very messy experience, and the receptionist was unfriendly and uncooperative. Dr, Patel just stood by looking uncertain, which was unsurprising, and they neglected to give me a prescription when I left. I was never even told what my eye sight prescription was. tl;dr: unprofessional, uncooperative, and didn't even give me a prescription read more

This is one of the few opticians that takes Davis Vision insurance, so that is a huge plus. The eye exams are fine, efficient and smooth. The real problem is their front of house. It is extremely irratic and variable - Sometimes it is fine, sometimes not. You really have to make a fuss to get any sort of adjustment made to your brand new glasses, even if they are so maladjusted that they won't fit on your face. No attempt to ensure the glasses actually matches the prescription. They are busy selling high end glasses to someone else, and you are just another problem that has already paid. read more

Don't go there! The listed hours at Harvard square location is 9-6 on Wednesday. I am standing in the wind chill morning from 9-9:30, no one shows up. Extremely bad customer service and do not respect that customers' time! read more

The eye exam went well. Doctor was very professional and experienced. However, they are so slow in releasing my prescription, which is super annoying. I had to call multiple times and turned out they got my contact info wrong. read more

Terrible experiences with multiple locations of this store. Several issues with billing. Glasses I ordered were slow to be delivered (and indeed I had to follow up to find out when arrived.) Final deal breaker - just now unable to get my contact lenses renewed, even though I had an eye exam there six months ago, as I supposedly "waived the contact lens exam when last in" (no I didn't, why would I? Just for the joy of paying for another exam in less than a year?). It's clear this place is not really interested in giving you good service as much as just getting as much of your money as possible. read more

Fantastic service. The secretary staff was efficient at finding my insurance info. Dr Pena was on time, very nice and amiable The person who helped me with the choice of frames was very clear in his explanation of the options and prices. I received emails and notifications at each step of the process. I am pleased! read more

This is for the Davis Square location. The front desk staff person was rude, unprofessional, and extremely unhelpful in scheduling. He scheduled me for the incorrect month. I have been going here since 2015 and have had nothing but wonderful things to say about the optometrists here; but, I will be going elsewhere from here on out. Perhaps, this particular staff person was having a bad day when I attempted to correct the scheduling issue, but from the other reviews, it looks like I'm not alone. read more

I was visiting from out of town and stopped by to get my eye glasses fixed. They put them back together at no cost and right away. Nice!

First I'll start by saying that the eye doctor I saw is a 5/5 and the BEST eye doctor I have ever gone to. He explained everything he was doing and was very professional throughout the entire visit. The reason why I am only ranking the office at 3 stars is that even though I had an appointment, I still had to wait to see the doctor. And while I was in with the doctor, he was also tending to another patient, which dragged out the appointment and made it last 30-40 mins longer than it should have. Parking is tough (mostly on-street meter parking) as the parking lot is small (only 2-3 cars at most). read more

Really awful service. Doctor could not take the time to help me get contacts in, could not let me take contacts home if I couldn't get them in, charged me for them anyway. Couldn't schedule another appointment. Took the money and ran. read more

I found everyone very friendly at the store, and the customer service was very good. The eye exam from Dr. Dickerman was competent, and I received good advice from Dr. Dickerman and one of the opticians on picking out frames. I am getting my glasses paid for by MassHealth, which means that I can't get any special features on the lenses like thinner lenses. Dr. Dickerman advised me that small plastic frames would look the best with thicker lenses. The optician helped me pick out a specific pair of small plastic frames that would look good on me. Overall, I enjoyed my visit to the store, left in a better mood than I had come in, felt that I had received a good eye exam and am satisfied with the frames that the staff assisted me in picking. read more