I always have excellent care from everyone who is a part of my appointments. The technician is very careful and pleasant, my doctor couldn't be better and I get wonderful with my glasses in the optical shop. I feel very comfortable knowing that they are taking care of my vision and eye health. I highly recommend the St. Paul Eye clinic on Grand Avenue in St. Paul!! read more

Excellent care but appt took too long! Had a 1 pm appt; Front ofc staff were very helpful & efficient. The tech took me back at 1:30 for initial assessment (it took ~ 1 hr); once eyes were dilated it was another 45 mins until I was put in a room to see the Dr. Saw Dr for ~10 mins; left the clinic at 4 pm. THREE hrs seems like a long time to learn my eyes are healthy & my glasses Rx hasn't changed. read more

I went to St Paul eye clinic today on Grand Avenue. Had purchased my glasses there about a year and a half ago and I needed some help. I was treated with rudeness dismissiveness, unhelpfulness by the two women at the front desk . And it was worse than the last time I had been there. I would not recommend this place at all. They would benefit by instilling some positive Customer Service skills and by showing that they appreciate your business and aren't being a nuisance. (I was the only customer there). They were very unhelpful and uncaring. read more

If I could leave zero stars, I would. I will 100% echo the other negative reviews about the billing practices being predatory. On top of that, I dealt with three people at the office, the receptionist, a nurse and Dr. Stefonowicz. I waited for probably 20-25 minutes later than my appointment time. Not a great start. The receptionist was incredibly terse and rude. Whatever, fine. People have bad days. The nurse who helped be was genuinely nice and welcoming. I thought we were back on track, until the doctor saw me, spent all of five seemingly very annoyed minutes being in the room, and did nothing to help me. I was inquiring about a potential blocked tear duct -- which I've since confirmed I have, elsewhere. He came in, grumpily asked: "So, you're here for some ... watery eyes?" as if it was an annoyance, and then proceeded to continually tell me it's probably allergies while clearly not listening to anything I was saying. (I know this, because he asked me questions that I had already answered earlier in our conversation.) He gave me a tube of eyedrops and a $5 off coupon for some second eyedrops if the first set didn't work. (It didn't.) It was basically just a coupon to take to Walgreens to get them. He said if those two sets of eyedrops didn't work -- again, doubling down that they probably would, because it's probably allergies -- I could meet with their specialist. He then left. I was planning on going ahead and meeting with the specialist until seeing that even after insurance, my visit was a comical and offensive $276. That's $276 for one of the worst and least helpful experiences I have ever had at any healthcare facility ever. One nice, friendly nurse does nothing to offset the awful experience I had here. Avoid this clinic at all costs. They don't make low enough ratings to encapsulate the miserable interactions with the staff and the egregious and selective nature of their billing and insurance practices. Awful. read more

Do NOT go to Dr Bachmeier at the Maplewood clinic. He barely gives you the time of day and is flip about answering questions even if he asks you if you have any. He is literally in and out of the exam room In 10 mins. He tells you one thing and does another and then your bill comes and its for things you didnt even have done! He cannot communicate clearly and he is more interested in spending as little time as possible with patients thank taking care of their vision needs. AND the staff at the reception desk at Maplewood is THE worst!! You will be the only one in line waiting to be checked in and they are all busy chit chatting and ignoring you. When they finally acknowledge you they are short and curt and act as if how dare you interrupt our gab session! Whatever! Try a little kindness and put your patients first! Overall, this is the worst eye clinic! Please do not waste your time going here. You will be VERY disappointed! I will be going elsewhere now for my vision needs as I do not appreciate being treated the way I was at this clinic! read more

The scheduling/phone staff has been rude for years. How can this continue and not be addressed? I've had scheduling staff sigh when I ask what locations are available to schedule with my doctor, etc. It's been this way for many years. The doctor I see is great but some of his nurses/assistants are also not the nicest. I'm off to find a new eye clinic after putting up with rude phone staff for many years. read more

The people who work there seem to be genuinely very nice and concerning. Their billing practices are close to criminal, Even if you have a problem with your billing which can be corrected, they totally refuse to help you with that. Even with two types of eye insurance, one pair of glasses was going to be over $1,000. Their prices are totally inflated, And they are very unwilling to negotiate, Even if they know they're in the wrong. Customer service is non existent when it comes to resolving any issues you may have with either insurance or eye wear. They definitely look pretty on the outside. They're very hard to deal with. read more

Before you get a ROUTINE eye exam at St. Paul Eye Clinic, My insurance covers an annual free of charge. Well with St.Paul Eye Clinic this is the cost cost I was charged for my free exam cost $168.18 The first code on my bill is a 90214 $415.00. The second code on my bill is 90215 for $98.00. They did give me an 'insurance adjustment' for $318.91 putting my bill for a Routine FREE Eye Exam at $168.18. I was told though by St. Paul Eye Clinic that they are a 'specialty' group because you actually see an opthamologist. I spent 90% of my visit with a tech and 10% with the Opthamologist which equated to about 5 minutes. Very little transparency, very little time with the 'specialist' and overpriced. Feel chumped! Service was good, bait and switch billing is a crime. read more

The billing practices here are predatory at best. I have been going to eye doctors for vision related issues for over 20 years and have never had a negative experience like with St. Paul Eye Clinic. The staff completely refuse to provide any insurance coverage information or billing support. This office is selective about what insurance they take for which services. This means that if you go in for a routine eye exam + something else, a big part of your services may not be covered even though your insurance is technically accepted by the practice. You don't know what will be "billed" at the time of services or even prior to making an appointment so there is no true way to know whether what you experience will be covered. I originally received a bill for over $500 for what was supposed to be a routine exam. I had to call billing several times to get adjustments to things that were incorrectly billed to the insurance. Even with two insurances I paid well over $150 for a routine eye exam. Aside from the complete scam of billing, the office did not tell me ahead of my appointment that they would need to dilate my eyes. They offer no alternative ways to check the eye, so I had to get this done. I was unprepared and did not have anyone with me who could drive home which was extremely uncomfortable. I also lost several hours of work time that day that I had not planned for. The staff who did my exam was visibly sick. They were coughing and blowing their nose in the office in between checking my vision and I got sick a few days after. read more

I highly recommend St Paul Eye and Dr. Sheridan for lasik laser surgery. I am roughly 16 hours out from the operation and my vision is significantly improved. Dr. Sheridan is very detailed, thorough and takes immense pride in his work. The entire team at St. Paul Eye is wonderful - helpful, caring and easy to work with. At this morning's post-op consult, my vision was re-tested and I scored 20/15 (133%)! Prior to the procedure my vision was 7/20 (35%). Dr. Sheridan stated my vision would continue to improve as the week progresses. So... I'm going to have superhero vision! My initial operatory appointment was scheduled for the day of the blizzard. Dr. Sheridan proactively communicated the potential for the clinic to be closed, and offered to reserve a spot for me on his next surgery schedule - just in case. The clinic was in fact closed due to inclement weather and I am very appreciative he held a slot for me so I didn't have a long wait. I am also especially appreciative of scheduler Sandra, who worked around my crazy schedule paired with the blizzard closure and took the initiative to reschedule all of my appointments autonomously, and of Nurse Anna, who held my hand and kept me calm through the Lasik procedure. My only regret is that I didn't have the Lasik done years ago! read more

Just so you know AHEAD of time, before you get a ROUTINE eye exam at St. Paul Eye Clinic, here is the cost I was charged (also, I thought my insurance UCare covered it but it turns out they didn't which I was not told - my bad? Maybe. Either way.) The first code on my bill is a 90214 $415.00. The second code on my bill is 90215 for $98.00. They did give me a 'courtesy adjustment' for $179.00 putting my bill for a Routine Eye Exam at $334.00. Google searches suggest eye exams are $150-200. I was told though by St. Paul Eye Clinic that they are a 'specialty' group because you actually see an opthamologist. I spent 90% of my visit with a tech and 10% with the Opthamologist which equated to about 5 minutes. Very little transparency, very little time with the 'specialist' and overpriced. Feel chumped! read more

I WOULD CHOOSE NO STARS This place is a big scheme charging Medicaid. You are unable to get glasses if you have this insurance. The place is runs on appointments every 10-13 mins. meaning they book 20 people for the same slot. You will sit for hours,The staff is rude. When you get into eye exam they rush you. Anne Paulson litterally gave me a prescription that was double my normal script. I They dialate eyes with out explanation. My Axis is 60 she put 160. Im glad I have the paper script for proof. She needs her certification revoked. This lady was trying to harm me. DONT GO TO THIS CLINIC. YOU MAY END UP BLIND read more

This is one of the worst in customer service. The clinic was clean and organized, but the friendly atmosphere was non-existent. I have called back to their office twice to get a prescription for computer vision work. That was over 3 weeks ago and no one has called me back or mailed me the script. AND I would highly warn you NOT buy eyewear from the optical department! Hughly overpriced! and I had to go back 3 times to adjust my glasses to no avail. I ordered two pair - one for everyday wear and one pair of sun glasses. The sunnies arrived bent and unable to correct the damage, then when I expected a new pair - three weeks later they tell me that the glasses are no long available and if I wanted to come in and pick out a new pair. I immediately said NO - and asked for a credit back on both pairs. Their communication is sub-standard. read more

Major rip off artists! I thought I was just going to have my eye pressures checked which was what I was referred to have from Vision Works. Instead, I was getting another full eye exam that was unnecessary since I had a full exam 2 months ago and they knew it and did it anyway. I kept telling them, but they wouldn't listen. Kept saying it's there policy, I guess to do unnecessary eye testing so they can get paid. I won't be back. read more

I have worn contacts since I was 15. For all of that time, the process was simple. I wore pretty much the same lens the entire time. But things changed this year. My vision dramatically changed, and so did my comfort with the "old faithful" lens. I saw another technician who dismissed these concerns, was intimidating and not coming up with viable solutions. Meanwhile, I had discomfort and could not read street signs until I was directly in line with them. Gah. Then Jennifer began to help me. She was kind, very thorough, addressed my challenges respectfully and partnered with me to find the best solution. My experience with Jennifer was in complete contrast to the previous person. I am grateful for her caring, her skills and her commitment. Thank you, Jennifer. (Eagan location) read more

I couldn't be more unhappy with the service I received. I went in for a ROUTINE preventative eye exam. It should've been coded as routine/preventative with insurance. They coded it as "medical" instead, and I'm now being charged out of pocket for this appointment. Their excuse was because I told the doctor about a floater, and he suggested I come in for a follow-up. This changed nothing about the actual appointment or the care I received. They seem to be out for money and nothing else. read more

Hands down the best experience I've had at an eye clinic. My insurance changed so I went here to get a routine glasses and contacts exam. When I called to make an appointment, they were able to get me in the next morning! The nurses and technicians were friendly and the doctor who saw me, Dr. Kelly, was pleasant and kind. The whole process took around 60 minutes. It was the shortest appointment I have ever had. I would certainly recommend this clinic. read more

I have a complex eye history with several surgeries, however my surgical eye clinic was not in my insurance network so I had to switch. I did have a few concerns going into my appointment- dry eyes and worsening blurriness. I was the first appointment of the day, and yet I had to wait 30 minutes past my appointment time for the doctor to arrive. When he did arrive he was very quick and dismissive with his exam and my concerns. He told me my eyes look like I have "some sort of autoimmune disease" but did not go into details about what that might mean, what testing or specialists I should follow up with, etc. He said I had to do one month of steroids and then some "antibiotic drop". When I asked about the antibiotic drop and duration of treatment, he nonchalantly said I'd probably be on it forever. It turns out my insurance needed prior authorization for the antibiotic drop he wanted me to be on. They reached out to the doctor twice who never filled out the prior auth paperwork, hence I never got my prescription. I called the office to check and the receptionist confirmed they got the paperwork twice and the doctor never got to it. Several months later I still have no prescription and my eyes have not improved in the slightest. A waste of time and money to see them, and now I am left wondering what is really wrong with my eyes. read more

Registered ladies and nurse were very friendly. The doctor on the other hand, didn't seem to care much. He seemed rush. Despite coming there early, I had to wait till the appointment time. Then once finished with the nurse, more waiting for the doctor. They are busy so don't come early expecting you'll get in earlier. read more

Dr. Watanabe is very nice, but left me, my wife, and my child under the impression that my child would need glasses for a year or so to correct a weak eye. After a year, when we asked if she was better, he said no, and mentioned an eye patch might help, so we said "great, let's get her an eye patch for a few weeks or months over the summer if that will fix the problem," but he said he was only joking; they used to use an eye patch to treat a weak eye, but now it is done with glasses. So every year we ask if this will be the last year or when he thinks she can stop wearing them, and every year he is vague or non-responsive, never acknowledging that he initially told us 1 year. If the answer is, "your daughter wears glasses now, get used to it," he only had to tell us that. But he never did. This year I saw Dr. Bachmeier for an eye problem, and after coming back for a follow-up visit, he gave me a very quick eye exam then left. When he stepped out of the room, I looked at the notes on the computer screen, and they were incorrect and incomplete. It was clear he was not listening to me. He did not actually help me with my eye problem. So it looks like a pattern of poor communication, both giving and receiving, across both doctors we have visited at St. Paul Eye Clinic. I'm now trying a different eye clinic for my family. read more

The wait time is absurd. I made a morning appointment and have been waiting about an hour to see the doctor. Who knows how much longer it will take but incredibly disrespectful to the schedules of their patients. read more

I'm offended that my Dad and eye have had to wait for 2-3 hours for our past few appointments. It's disrespectful to elders to make them wait so long. read more

As at least two others have already written, you will get charged a $300+ bill for a routine eye exam without any prior consultation on this predicted amount and no help to try and further reduce it. That is an absurd amount. Most of the staff was friendly during the visit, but unless you want to pay $300+ for a routine eye exam, I would not recommend going here. I am curious- has anyone else been able to work with the office to reduce this amount? read more

I went to St. Paul Eye Clinic on a Saturday morning recently because I was having vision problems with my right eye, something I suspected was serious. There were two receptionists on duty and it was my misfortune to get the cranky one. I explained to her what I was experiencing - a mass of floaters in my line of vision & sporadic, semicircular flashes of light when I looked anywhere but straight ahead - and she asked if I had an appointment, which I did not. There was some heavy sighing and I got the distinct impression that I was personally inconveniencing her. She told me that the doctor was on call and that she'd have to check to see if there was any way they could get me in, which I expected, specifically because I didn't have an appointment. At some point in the process, I was speaking to the other receptionist who asked me again which eye was involved and as I started to say "My right eye," the other receptionist turned away from the person at the counter she had been speaking with, turned to the receptionist I was speaking with, and said something about how she couldn't tell which one it was because I was "waving my hand around" and did this exaggerated pantomime that I'm assuming was supposed to be me, while I'm standing right there. Uh, rude much?! I could see how a person who was frustrated by dealing with people all day long could get tired of those interactions, but it wasn't even 10:00am yet, and I was concerned about the possibility that my right retina was in the process of detaching. Of course, being raised to be polite to people, I didn't call this woman out for her rudeness, condescension & lack of professionalism (as well as her total lack of empathy for what I was experiencing), but I was stunned by her behavior. If I were rating this business based on her behavior, I would be giving zero stars, which are the exact number of effs she seemed to be giving me & my vision problem. Fortunately for this business, she wasn't the only one working that day. The next person I saw, Beth, was empathetic, efficient and very friendly and when she had finished her work with me, she passed me over to Doctor Kelly, who conducted a very thorough exam and conducted herself in a highly professional - and reassuring - way. She contacted an on-call retinologist on my behalf and I was able to see a specialist in less than an hour, thanks to her intervention. So, overall this was a good experience, it was just a matter of getting past that rude & disdainful woman at the front desk. Here's a suggestion: maybe hire a replacement, someone who isn't so easily annoyed by people in distress, needing assistance. Her behavior was appalling, and although the rest of the care I received was very good, it didn't undo the damage caused by her. It's unlikely that I would return since there's a 50-50 chance I'd be dealing with her again and I'm not in a hurry to be treated like crap these days... read more

A week or two after going here, my phone started being bombarded with calls from a scammy-sounding online insurance company I'd never heard of. Two months later, I eventually received a $348 bill. I was surprised that this place didn't have a digital eye imaging system like I'd used on a previous trip to an optometrist. I thought it would be better to see an opthamologist this time around since I seem to be developing some issues due to aging. I was also disappointed when I first scheduled an appointment, since their first opening was 3 or 4 weeks in the future at the time. Very disappointing and does not give me confidence in this business and diminishes my opinion of the eye care industry as a whole. read more

Showed up for the eye exam appts I made 2 months ago for my husband, who lives much of the year 6 hours north of the cities, and me this morning. We were told they meant to call us to tell us Dr. Quick was not working today. No calls were made. Told us they had a computer conversion and our appts didn't make the transfer. I took off work and he drove down six hours for these appts. I had my entire file transferred from my former clinic as I wanted to see Dr. Quick. She did an eyelid surgery that I am very pleased with for me this year. The other Yelpers and Googlers say this practice is an "eye care factory" and write about overbooking and long wait times in a "second waiting room holding tank." I will now be moving on. Their time is not more valuable than mine and I don't want to be just another widget in a money making eye factory. read more

We had a 2:00 appointment and didn't actually see the doctor until 4:00. Not one apology offered. If you enjoy sitting in a waiting room and being condescended to, this is the place for you. read more

I recently went to this place for the first time and i wastruly disappointed. I have 2 pairs of glasses that i did not purchase there, but needed to be fixed. I had previously called the day before, and spoke to a man(who didn't give me his name), but was helpful. So, i decided to bring in my glasses to be fixed. I spoke to a lady (again no name) who was horribly rude. She explained that both pairs of glasses were indeed broken, but that the could not fix them. She then said that I should go home and "buy some super glue" to fix them. What a joke!!!....I was so disgusted by the way i was treated that i left. I would recommend skipping this place altogether, if you are looking for an eyeglass clinic for any reason. read more

I have been several times over the years to the Maplewood St Paul Eye Clinic and this time was the last straw. I do not like to complain but this has to be said. I just spent 1-1/2 hours at the clinic for 20 minutes of testing by a Doctor's Asst. Then another 40 minutes to wait for the Doctor to spend 5 minutes with me to tell me my eyes were fine and try to talk me into a $400 pair of reading glasses. This was so maddening that I could barely hold my composure. The Doctor rushed me out of the office and said "See you next year" and I said "NO, you won't." I went up front to talk with a Patient Advocate and they don't have one. Suffice to say I tried nicely to tell the check out woman that I would "NEVER" back and all she wanted to do was make excuses for the wait times. WARNING: If you want to waste your time and money, by all means go to St. Paul Eye Clinic. They love to make you wait and try to get your money for something you don't really need! J. Molamphy Hugo, MN read more

This place is running a scam. I went here as a child and decided to return as an adult. I asked the receptionist if my routine eye exam is covered under the vision insurance that I pay for and they agreed. I went in and asked again if my insurance was covered, while faxing my insurance card over, and they agreed again. Then I was slapped with a 300 dollar bill, because according to their billing office, they're covered in network for "medical" diagnosis but not routine eye exams, and how would they know what the routine eye exam was going to go. Save yourself the trouble. I'll be paying this is change. read more

AWEFUL customer service! I called over 2 weeks ago to place an order for a lens replacement for my father. They said it would be in in a week in Eagan for him to bring in his frames for replacement. I called over a week later and they had entered it in the system incorrectly causing confusion of where the lens was to go but assured me we would have it by the end of the week. I called again Wednesday, Thursday and now Friday and they are still checking to see where it is at. Melissa is whom I spoke with every time and I keep getting the same answer that she is checking~ They need to get rid of her and find someone that will do their job. My father is 82 driving with a lens that is impairing his vision. This is ridiculous! read more

Please don't go to these people, they tell you that the cover exams but do not, then you get a 300 plus bill from them a month later and refuse to work with you to reduce it. they are a nightmare to deal with and they are extremely nasty people. I would never recommend them to anyone. especially when it comes to verifying coverage. read more

Awful service. They don't take standard vision insurance. But they won't tell you that until they schedule you an appointment and you arrive in the office. Terrible experience. Waste of my time. read more

My experience with the ophthalmologist at this clinic was fine. The woman who works in the contact department, however, is incredibly rude and abrasive. Because of her, I would never, ever return to this place. read more

I recently retired after 17 years, in large part due to health issues. I have used St Paul Eye during that entire time, and shortly before I left my employment had an emergency exam done for which I was later billed 25 dollars. I missed several weeks of work around that same time and then retired, only recently receiving my first Social Security check. I struggled to pay rent and utilities, and made it in part by delaying some smaller bills such as this one. Today I called them, spoke to "Sue" in the business office, asking politely if they could please waive this 25 dollar bill due to the circumstances. She asked me to explain it again, which I did, and then simply said I had signed a contract with my insurance and that was that. Due to this bill and its delinquency I will not be allowed to return to their clinic. Nor would I wish to. Losing a veteran customer for the price of a meal at Perkins is astounding to me. read more

I brought my daughter into this clinic. Normally we go to the Eagan clinic. I will not recommend this clinic to anyone! Only one staff member was courteous and smiled at me and that was the glasses specialist. We were taken back late. My daughter's eyes were dialated like normal and we were sent out to the lobby- normally its a 20 minute wait. After 40 minutes I finally went and asked if were were going to be called back soon. At 55 minutes later we were taken back and still no actual room was available. The doctor rushed through the exam. There was no apology for being late at all from any of the staff. VERY BAD SERVICE!!!! read more

Like previous reviewer, I will not write a long review of my experience. If you have appointment with Dr. Weingarden, expect to be insulted, belittled, treated like a piece of crap, talked down to, etc. and walk out of the place no better than you walked in. Of course they will bill your insurance company for the zero service they provided. This should be considered fraud. I would rather poke my eye with fork than ever go to this clinic again. read more

I agree with the review about the woman in the contact department at WSP- very abrasive and rude! I have had an over- all ok experience with this clinic and continue to bring my kids there as our insurance is accepted here and it is close but the contact lady(the older one- I forget her name) makes you feel like you really are putting her out if you arrive early, even if you apologize for doing so! If you can stay on her good side- she is very agreeable but should anything go wrong, yikes, I'd be concerned. read more

Originally I wrote out the long saga of my terrible experience here, but I'll just sum it up this way: if you want to be treated like garbage, upsold at every turn, harangued out of money you didn't know you were spending, and have an extra hour or two to burn waiting around for the nurses and doctors to remember you exist, then this is the eye clinic for you. read more

Worst experience ever with optical. They didn't listen when told about an eye condition, were dismissive when I approached them courteously about it, and I'm out $700 because my glasses don't work and they won't correct the situation. read more