Extremely Disappointing After 10 Years I've been a customer of Pro Optical for nearly a decade, but this latest experience was unacceptable and ended any future business with them. Despite my insurance covering services, I was billed extra fees just to receive a prescription and for services clearly marked as included. I ordered glasses and specifically requested they use my current prescription. The doctor had provided a placeholder for a stronger option, but I told the associate I did not want to use that for at least one pair. They ignored my request and ordered the glasses with the stronger prescription anyway. My wife returned the glasses on my behalf and explained the mistake. They dismissed her and insisted the order was correct. I couldn't get there myself without taking time off work, so I waited until my next appointment. When I explained the issue in person, I was told flatly: "That's your problem." I was stunned. No accountability. No apology. No interest in fixing their error. This business prioritizes billing over patient care. After 10 years, they showed no regard for loyalty or basic customer service. Avoid Pro Optical and take your business somewhere that values its patients. read more

Dr. Cheryl DePaolo Jost is one of the most honest and dedicated health professionals I have ever met. They are committed to the well-being of all their patients and go above and beyond every single time. I have been seeing Dr. Jost for years and look forward to seeing her for many years to come. read more

Dr Rabkin in particular is great and very thorough. I have a (somewhat) complex case and he's my go-to optometrist.

Highly professional and personable! Fully integrated optical shop that gets you the best deal and eye care. read more

Go see Dr Nguyen for your exams (skilled and hilariously funny) and get your glasses from Linda. Linda has great suggestions, knows everything and is super patient if you're not sure what you're looking for. read more

I had an excellent experience with optometrist, Dr. Rabkin and recommend this clinic for eye appointments! Regarding purchasing eye glasses here, I didn't find a great selection of affordable eyeglass frames here and felt a bit rushed by the staff to choose a frame. read more

I absolutely LOVE the team at ProOptical! When I arrive for an appointment, there is never a wait after checking in. The front desk staff and Kyle, the optometric tech, are all very friendly and attentive each and every time! When I ran out of contact lenses and had to wait for my next appointment with Dr. Jost for a checkup to obtain another lens prescription, Sandra, the patient care coordinator, was nice enough to provide me some trial contact lenses of the exact brand and strength I needed to hold me over until my appointment - and all FREE of charge!! Finally, Dr. Jost always answers all of my questions and listens to my concerns. She is very caring and knowledgeable. Overall, this is one of the best optometrist teams I've ever had the pleasure of dealing with! I would definitely 100% recommend choosing ProOptical for all of your optometry needs! Wonderful patient care, always!! read more

I had an EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTING experience with Dr. Cheryl DePaolo Jost. During my annual eye exam to update my glasses prescription, I was offered a retina scan for an additional $39. I agreed, and after reviewing the scan, Dr. Cheryl claimed to see something unusual in my left eye and asked me to return for a follow-up. A week later, at the follow-up, she couldn't even recall why I had been called back. After reviewing the images again, she ordered an OCT scan. After making me wait for quite some time in the waiting room, she eventually told me I had to go to the EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT because she suspected elevated intracranial pressure. Despite her insistence, I didn't have ANY SYMPTOMS and didn't feel like I should go, so I suggested she refer me to an ophthalmologist instead. She refused and even called the ER herself. Given the cost of the ER and my lack of symptoms, I decided not to go and called her back to request a referral. At this point, she seemed much less concerned about my situation but arranged the appointment. After a thorough evaluation at Ophthalmology Consultants of Boston, I was informed that my optic nerve was completely fine--the original scan had artifacts that Dr. Cheryl misinterpreted. I can understand that Dr. Cheryl might have had concerns about the scans, but, as a non-MD optometrist, she should not have made a diagnosis or pushed me toward the ER without symptoms. She should have referred me directly to a specialist. Instead, she caused unnecessary worry and demonstrated inconsistency in addressing the seriousness of the situation. Offering optional tests that are poorly executed, without the proper expertise to interpret the results, and causing unnecessary alarm is very UNPROFESSIONAL and UNACCEPTABLE. read more

This is a wonderful optometry place. The staff are kind, attentive and hard working. The optometrists offer great advice and really take the time to listen to the issues. They have a large selection of glasses which is great for me! It can be difficult to get an appointment here since they are well booked up for months! I can see why they keep busy! read more

I'm on vacation from San Diego & my son sat on my glasses & I lost a screw. I've been banging on their door begging for help not once but twice. Not only did they fix my glasses in less than 10 minutes but they're so kind! Thank you read more

There is clearly a certain type of customer that is very welcome and receives good service here. Given that this place is across the street from Beacon Hill, it's not surprising that the clientele that I saw receiving great service consisted of people whose clothes and plastic surgeries bespoke lots of money. So: if that's you, this is your place. If you're not wealthy, though, you might have an experience like mine: wait for half an hour because someone messed up the paperwork and have nobody apologize to you for the mistake. Then see the doctor, whose amazing professionalism led him to a) diagnose my daughter before he'd examined her eyes b)not perform the eye exam the neurologist recommended and c) go running into the street yelling because he saw a guy who looked like Ralph. I am not making this up. (who's Ralph? Perhaps he's one of the people who gets good service here! I don't know because, much to everyone's disappointment, the guy in the street turned out not to be Ralph.) We had to make a new appointment with a doctor who actually cares enough to do their job. We will not be returning here, but clearly they didn't want our business in the first place. read more

(Update) Sandra, the manager reached out after I left a review on fb. She was timely and professional. I wish there is more training for their staff. I would go back if this was Sandra handling one the first place. but the original incident still made me feel a little bit uncomfortable. read more

ProOptical - "Excellent " customer service.... - Eyewear & Opticians Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

If you plan to take your frames to ProOptical, beware. I am sensitive to the fact that COVID-19 has negatively impacted many businesses; however, it is important that I fairly rate my recent interaction with the staff at the Beacon Hill location in an effort to inform others of the poor treatment they may receive as a patient. Let me preface this with the fact that ProOptical requires that you sign a document which waives them of any liability in the event that they damage your frames (if you do not purchase the frames in-house). I never challenged this waiver or accused them of damaging my frames. I called to discuss the methods used to fit lenses so I could better understand why scratches were present on the inside and outside of my frames considering this was not the original condition. I spoke with one of the opticians, Linda, who from the beginning of the conversation was combative and downright rude. She repeatedly interrupted me while I tried to explain the situation and my reasons for concern. I could not get a complete sentence out during the entire call. After I mentioned that my frames are very expensive and that I simply called to inform them they *might* have damaged the frames when fitting the lenses, her response was the following: "I know exactly what kind of frames you have, and they're not any nicer than any other frames I work on. And you can't prove that we damaged them." I wish I was kidding even as I type this review. At this point in the conversation, I was aware that no matter what I said, she was not going to apologize or hear me out. The conversation, well more like argument, ended so poorly that I called back to speak to another employee, Sandra, about the incident. I've been a patient at ProOptical for a couple of years now, and I'm extremely disappointed at the patient/customer service I received today. Even if you call to share that their practices might inadvertently damage frames, they will not listen to you. My #1 concern was to inform ProOptical of this potential damage so they could prevent future occurrences for other patients, but my concern was not acknowledged. Yes, I should have called sooner to discuss the possible damage but how can I be at fault when I just noticed the damage after wearing the frames for the first time since they've been fitted? Did I deserve the poor customer service that I experienced today? No, absolutely not. Both Sandra and Linda displayed overt bias today. Just because someone has over "20 years of experience as an optician" does not mean that person is immune to making mistakes. My impression is that ProOptical does not value their patients and considering how expensive their services are, you are better off taking your time and money anywhere else in Cambridge/Boston. According to Linda, they don't care whether your frames are $20 or $600. End of the story: The issue was not resolved, and I would not recommend ProOptical as I most certainly will not be returning as a patient or customer. read more

Just to be clear: I only get my eyeglass frames from this place. I have no idea how the eye exam services are. Personally I only get my eyes checked by an ophthamologist and not an optometrist so I go elsewhere for this service and for my contact lenses. I have been coming regularly however to Pro-Optical for glasses with my prescription in hand. Over the years I've had great success in picking out glasses from a very wide array. You can count on Pro-Optical to have a great selection of frames from any of the designers you can think of as well as a nice assortment of run of the mill frames. I'm a fan of the eyewear design manufacturing company Oliver Peoples and indeed that's what I gravitated toward and ended up ordering a pair today. Style=Wacks (crazy name I know) Color= Sandalwood. Great frames make wearing glasses something other than a necessity and more of a fun fashion accessory. The downside of this visit and cause for the removal of a star was that Anatoly (the gentlemen who was helping me) tried to sell me the frames in the display case by saying: "Your glasses will be ready tomorrow". I was surprised at this quick turn aound time and told him that it had always been my experience that the glasses took at least a week to be ordered and so I asked if they were carrying the frames I wanted in stock. He said no, that he was just going to use the frames I had tried on to make my glasses. Now let me just say, these were not inexpensive frames; not in the least. Nor was he offering me any kind of discount to take the ones in the display case. Needless to say, I refused the display case frames. He then made a call and said the frames were on "back order" and would take a week and a half. He said this in a tone that would make you think he was really saying my glasses would be ready sometime during my next lifetime. I know we live in an instant gratification society but a week and a half, even two weeks is not a long time to wait especially since I still have my old pair. So that said, my new O.P. glasses are in the works and I'm very excited. But boo to Anatoly who while patient as I tried on loads of styles and was helpful with suggestions, should not have tried to slip me the display glasses. Eeew! read more

Update per the Pandemic, you now have to make an appointment to see a Tech. My tech was Danielle -- she was fantastic as always -- helpful finding me glasses to fit my face/my issues and going over options. They texted me when the glasses were in, I called and made an appointment for pick up with a tech. They also have a curbside pick up if you like. All safety protocol followed. read more

Came in to just take a look at the frames and found a great pair of glasses. They have a wide selection of frames and they allow a person to browse without being bothered. That is perfect for me. I like my independence when I'm looking. The sales people were really nice and stayed that they'd work with me until the glasses were perfect. I'm hopeful the outcome will be as good as the initial experience. read more

I have been a patient of ProOptical for over 2 years now. Dr. Jost is very thorough, caring and friendly. Linda is the Optician that I have worked with at ProOptical and she has always been nothing less than EXCELLENT! Linda is honest, patient and detail oriented each time! To be honest, the entire staff works together so nicely, it always feels like I have an entire TEAM helping me each time. They are professional, knowledgeable and upbeat! I highly recommend Dr.Jost, Linda and the ProOptical staff. read more

Had an eye exam with Dr.Cheung. She was not thorough and the exam was rushed. She charged me $40 for additional Digital retina exam but she didnt even bother to tell me anything about it. I wasn't even sure if she looked at it. To add to that, the front desk staff were extremely rude. I don't think I'll go back ever again. read more

I liked Dr. Nguyen, but the opticians provided some of the worst customer service I've had in a while. It took forever to get their attention, as they were apparently overwhelmed by the ratio of 1 customer to 2 opticians. When I finally did have one of the optician's attention, he apparently thought I would enjoy it if he laughed at my name while muttering "Americans..." I wasn't a bad customer by any means, I was just waiting patiently. Selection also looked to be extremely poor, and apparently is entirely self-service, even though many of them are attached to the rack. I was informed that the frames on 2 walls were $10, the others were 20% off plus an additional $45 discount, and that was it. He never came back. He must have been overwhelmed by the workload created by 1 customer being served by another optician. I won't be back... and I work in the same building. It's a shame, it would have been so convenient. read more

I've been seeing Linda for years and I LOVE coming to ProOptical now for my appointments! She has so much experience, knows exactly what she's talking about and always has the newest styles from my favorite designers. My whole family sees Linda now and everyone just loves her!! The store was recently renovated and is gorgeous, safe and clean, and the staff goes above and beyond to make sure you feel safe with all of their protocols. I cannot recommend ProOptical enough, and absolutely ask for Linda if you make an appointment - she's the best! read more

I had an exam with Bao-Kim Nguyen and she was awesome! But the staff at the counters in this place were just plain awful. The staff in the glasses section here just ignored me the whole time. After being handed over by the doctor and waiting ten minutes for a bunch of women to do nothing, I decided to pay my medical bill and buy my glasses somewhere else. It's a shame, they had some nice frames in there. read more

Really friendly and professional service. I was seen by two optometrists, one for an eye exam and another for a contact fitting and had great experience with both. For my eyeglass exam, i was sure that the previous place i went to did not do my exam correctly because i felt as if my prescription was straining my eyes. I was seen here and they realigned my prescription and in fact it was incorrect. My headaches went away and i finally had the correct prescription For my contact fitting, i had been using oasis acuvue dailies and when i explained to the optomitirst my dry eyes she provded me sample ehe drop and some contacts to go and try at home read more

This is where I got my sexy Tina Fey glasses. Well, really, they are just tortoise shell frames, kind of like hers, and I look nothing like Tina Fey when I wear them. But, my guy says I do and he's got a little thing for her (who doesn't, right? men, women, gay, straight). Anyway, now I can see when I take my contacts out. I don't know if the prices would be all that great if you didn't have really good vision insurance, like I do. I got a really great pair of glases with lots of high-tech glare resistance and stuff like that for only $150. And I get to indulge my guy in his Tina Fey fantasy. read more

Think twice before you go. The doctor was nice for exam. My experience and what my colleague experienced was, they will tell you that you need to pay for certain exam procedures. Which may be because of your insurance but be ready for up sale. I brought my own frame there, and picked almost the best lens possible. The glasses came back, I went to pick up. Oh wow, those people working there do have attitudes. They were not super friendly compared to Newbury Vision in the first place. The front desk girl never smile at me. She was useless because she doesn't know how to adjust my frame for me. The person inside came out to help me, but even bigger ego! This person basically was like, oh, I cannot adjust your frame, I am afraid it will break. It is memory metal, I can twist it, but it will come back. Total BS! The nose pad metal is not memory, and he kept twisting towards the wrong direction, of course would not fix my problem. And he looked at how the glasses fit on my face and nose, apparently doesn't care and refuse to see how it doesn't work. Keep saying it looks fine. And you know why? Because he also kept asking where did you buy this? They know they don't carry this frame. So it is like, I don't want to help you, because you didn't buy it from us. But seriously, with this shop, I don't expect them to help me even if I bought my frame there. I am just glad I didn't buy my frame there. They don't deserve mine or your business! They are located near MGH, but doesn't mean they are good. Think twice before you going in there. You are seriously better off going to some other places with better ratings. It is not accident they only have three stars. Pro: - Good location, but don't let convenience fool you. Con: - Relatively poor selection of frame - Expensive frame - It's all about money: Davis Vision Collection: they don't even clean those because they can't make money off them: all smudge and awfully dirty - Most staff won't even smile at you - Serious attitude problem - Totally not helpful and refuse to help me - Try to sell me "insurance/warranty" read more

I got new glasses at ProOptical in 2018. Not cheap. I contacted them this year to price changing one lens due to cataract surgery. They quoted me a cost equal to (possibly more) than the original purchase price to redo both lens. I email back and repeated that I only needed the one lens changed. No response. I won't be back. read more

I have no qualms or concerns regarding the quality of health care provided by Pro Optical - Given this, I will continue to go there, as it just too convenient not to switch eye doctors. However, I must give a two star review - for attitude and service. First, I feel like there is an excessive amount of up-selling for a doctor's office - I know they need to provide thorough care, but I'm not quite sure if I need those extra tests. . . And I really don't need to check out your "fine array of sunglasses." Expensive sunglasses. Attitude at the front desk is also spotty. . . Help with selecting frames has always been great though. And they do have a very good selection (although a bit on the pricey side). read more

I was travelling from San Francisco to Boston and forgot to pack my contacts. I called Pro Optical and they confirmed they had stock in my RX (albeit monthlies, not dailies which is my current Rx). Maria helped me out and gave me a trial pair to hold me over plus a box of sample sized solution and a contact lens case (since there were only monthlies in stock, I now additionally needed to disinfect and store the lenses) -- both gratis. She even validated my parking. Thank you Maria and Pro Optical! You'll be my optical choice if I ever move back to Boston. read more

They are really friendly, understanding, and professional. I am from out of town and had a contact issue and they were the only place I could find that we're understanding and helpful. read more

I have had an eye exam here and purchased glasses twice. The selection of frames was just OK to me. This year I had an eye exam elsewhere, but came in with my prescription to get new frames. The staff did not seem willing to assist me and kept steering me towards less expensive frames, despite telling them I had previously purchased a designer pair from there just 2 years prior. I ended up buying another pair in a hurry, since every pair I wanted to look at was under lock and key and I felt rushed to make a decision. My glasses are fine, but I probably wouldn't go back due to the service. read more

The visit with Dr. Bao-Kim Nguyen was amazing. She is very sweet and humble and extremely informative. And she also sees my husband and son. I highly recommend her!!! I've been going to pro optical for a few years now and have always been greeted with a smile, thank you Sandra S. The only reason I did not rate pro optical 5 stars was because at this particular visit licensed dispensing optician Anatoly was extremely pushy. I admire that he was trying his best to offer me certain things for my glasses but would not take no for an answer. Fallon on the other hand was a doll. I should have continued waiting for her. She was nice enough to hold a pair of glasses for me, that I really liked, while I waited for my pupils to be dilated. Would I come here again? Yes! But only to see Dr. Nguyen and Fallon. read more

Dr, Duane Smith is excellent. He is very knowledgeable and shares his rationale and information with patients in an approachable way. He looks beyond just prescriptions and speaks about the importance of holistic health to your vision. Dr. Smith is also caring and funny - making your appointment enjoyable. Beyond his excellence - this office also has weekend hours, making it incredibly convenient. They also validate your parking for 90 minutes (Whole Foods parking lot), and go out of their way to accommodate you. You can even book your appointments online and they do have the imaging machine so that you do not have to go through manual dilation. I also had a great experience with the optician who helped me pick my frames - she was knowledgeable about their inventory, kind-hearted, and got me to try frames I wouldn't have otherwise chosen. One of her picks ended up being the pair I liked the most. Overall - this is the best experience I have ever had with an OD office and I cannot recommend them more highly. read more

Pro Optical happens to be the closest optical shop to my home. I am glad it is! Dr. Duane Smith is my eye doctor and his professionalism and caring attitude is a welcome rarity. He takes the time to get to know his patients and their optical needs. What I really like about this business is they do not try to sell you items you do not need. They make an effort to stay within the limits of your vision plan insurance, and if that is not possible, they help find ways to keep any extra costs down. They are in business to make money, but they seem to be focused (excuse the pun!) on building relationships first. This is a hallmark of a true customer-focused business. The team is knowledgeable about all of the products they carry and everyone displays the same caring and helpful attitude. I highly recommend Pro Optical. read more

I recently went into ProOptical to order new lenses that were covered by warranty. Angela was very nice and helpful. I really appreciated her great attitude! Last year I came here for my eye exam. Dr. Smith was great. He was friendly, talkative and really helpful. read more

I've been going to ProOptical for over 17 years now, ever since I moved to the Boston area. Dr. Kublin has seen me through 2 eye surgeries and many, many pairs of glasses. I've never had a bad experience at this practice and can recommend it to anyone. The free parking validation is also a plus and has kept me going here even after I've moved from the city to the suburbs. read more

My husband I can here to get glasses and contacts, they over charged for things we didn't want, then told me certain treatments would be covered that weren't. The receptionist was rude and unhelpful when trying to work it out I do not recommend! read more

I scheduled an annual eye exam with Dr. Jost, which is covered by my insurance. During this exam, Dr. Jost also did a contact lens "fitting" without mentioning that this was outside of the normal exam and cost extra. This consisted of putting in the same brand of contacts I already have, looking in my eyes and then having to take out the contacts to have my eyes dilated. This cost me $70 and nothing was gained from the experience. I also did not request it. In addition, when I mentioned that I would need to come back with my stepdad to help me pick out new frames Dr. Jost responded "I love that. I love when gender roles are not traditional." She then asked me if my stepdad was a straight man. I won't be returning. read more

Horrible customer service and they overcharge for everything. You get the feeling they're more in the business of making as much money as possible rather than genuinely concerned about your eyesight and helping you. read more

Like Carol O., I also spotted the random $50 charge. When asked about it, they say that it's for "evaluating" your lens type. However, when I was being seen by the doctor, this is how the conversation went: Doctor: "You know, we have lots of new lenses on the market now!" Me: "Sounds great but I've had the same lenses for the past 12 years and never had a problem. I think I'll stick with what I've got for now. Thanks." At that point, the doctor should've said: "Okay. Well, just so you know, this short conversation just cost you $50." ... I HATE when businesses sneak charges in...it's just not good business. It's sad too because I thought the place was nice and I was seen right away. They definitely have a nice selection of glasses but I don't think I could go back after that. read more

Clean and profession, but this place is a pain when it comes to tacking on extra services, fees, and creating obscure rules regarding filling contacts (to generate more money). 'You need this test every two years' or 'this exam every nine months,' or 'we can't fill six months worth of contacts because your prescription expires in 5 months.' Everyone hates being taken advantage of when it comes to needless tests. They are my eyes so let me dictate what services fit my life and don't try to force me into tests or exams by holding out on filling my contacts. I went here for almost five years and I'll be moving on. As everyone else said, their quality is great, but they are lame when it comes to the cost of service and doing business. read more

The receptionist gave me such a hard time for a refund that they suddenly adding fees on contact lens. I have been told several times that i am aware of the fees, which i dont recall. They refused to give me a contact lens Rx to fill it somewhere else, because i did not pay the fee. I did pay for the exam for the contact lens, but there are "other fees" for the contact lens Rx, plus other hidden costs,etc. I even explain to them i wear the same contact lens for years now. Anyway it was unbelievable. if you paid them they are nice to you, if you dont paid them, they pressure you to buy them. read more