This was my first time going to another optician being that my regular optician didn't have any openings until the end of January. I decided to beer off and try something new and convenient because I feel that my prescription was no longer working and I use them every day. I was getting headaches with the current prescription that I have for my eyeglasses. When I entered I met with Armando who was the most sweetest and most helpful. Very pleasant to work with him. He did the set up for the Dr and once I met with Dr.Chiem It's completed my experience. I was in and out within 45 minutes which is what I needed. Since I had the rest of the day to finish my errands but my visit was very pleasant and it was very thorough. I didn't end up getting prescription there. I will just say that they are very helpful and extremely Nice. read more

Dr. Hilary Chiem has been my optometrist for at least 7 years. I love her so much and highly recommend Target Optical. Dr. Chiem has helped me care for my eyes through an infection or two. And, then sending me to a dry eye specialist to improve my eye care even more. The optical store has a great selection of frames and sunglasses for your prescriptions. In more than 40 years of wearing glasses and almost 20 years of contacts, I'm mostly concerned with how Dr.Chiem cares so much for the health of my eyes as they age with me. Macular degeneration has affected my dad and grandpa. So, it's very important to me to partner with doctors who are watching out for me. We only get one set of eyes. I want mine as healthy as possible, making sure I can see everything. read more

This was my second visit to Dr. Hilary Chiem, and once again she and her team were welcoming, patient, and thorough. They took time to understand my concerns with glasses and contacts, explained my x-rays clearly, and gave helpful advice for caring for my eyes. The staff was especially kind and supportive while I tried on different frames--never rushing me and even offering honest opinions when I was undecided. The frame selection is excellent, with fair pricing for the quality, and I left feeling confident and happy with my choice. Despite some negative reviews on here, my experiences here have only been positive, and I'll definitely continue coming back. read more

Dr. Hilary Chiem and her staff of Opal, Will and Armando are nothing short of FANTASTIC! Dr. Hilary is kind, thorough, and warm. The staff is welcoming, professional and in my opinion bend over backwards to ensure customer satisfaction. This is a gem of an eye office! I couldn't recommend them more! read more

This has become my go-to optical. I solely buy my glasses here. Never had my prescription checked by their optometrist. My VSP insurance is accepted, covers about half of the cost. Still cheaper to buy glasses here than at say Lens Crafters or other optical places. There are some cheaper optical establishments like Costco and Warby Parker, but for people like myself that have a high prescription, those cheap places just don't workout for me. Costco doesn't thin the lens enough for me, and Warby Parker charges a lot to thin the lens. So this leads me to buy glasses at Target Optical. They sell name brand frames (Ray Ban, Coach, Vogue, etc..) for decent costs. Where I get pinged is the lenses, OMG so expensive!!! I hate being blind. I do enjoy the people who work at this location, they've always been super helpful. Part of why I keep going back, is because of their customer service. read more

Accomodating, welcoming staff. Optometrist during eye exam was very friendly and thorough unlike some that makes you feel rushed. Lenses and frames are reasonably priced compare to other places. read more

The staff is very friendly and helpful here. He helped me to find the frame I want, check my insurance coverages and explain details. Very patient. The frames are cheaper than most of other optical stores. read more

Made an appointment this afternoon for eye exam. It took less than 10 minutes in the office before I was let go, including 3-5 minutes trying to correct some computer error messages. The doctor give me a new vision prescription and did not bother to explain to me how and why. Dilating was not performed even it is included as a standard eye exam procedure. read more

You know when you have leftover FSA funds to spend at the end of the calendar year, and you scramble to spend it? Yup, that was me, too. I made the appointment last minute to get an eye exam...and to get glasses. I was pleasantly surprised at how good the experience was here! The staff was friendly, helpful, and knew their business, and Dr. Chiem was also great. My exam was thorough but efficiently swift. I even had my eyes dilated...and it was a comfortable experience. I highly recommend this business and plan to go back again next year! read more

I had an eye exam with Dr. Desai yesterday, and she was wonderful! Very thoughtful, precise, and thorough. And Edith, the store manager, is fabulous, too. Both Edith and Dr. Desai spent a lot of time answering my questions, and I came away feeling like I'd been in very good hands. I highly recommend Target Optical in San Mateo. The office is professionally run and the service is great! read more

We happened to order our glasses right before the shutdown. While I expected things to be delayed, it's been just complete nothingness. I appreciate the visit and the quick service when we were there. But just because the covid shutdown, you should at least maintain some minimal operations to fulfill existing orders. Glasses still are essential operations and falls under healthcare operations. How are you just going to shutdown 100% and leave all your customers to dry for over 6 weeks? Keep your contact phone on, pick up the phone, and organize shipment of glasses. I'll adjust this review if the response gets better. This is disappointing. read more

The "scratch protection" on my prescription lenses developed streaking in 6-7 month after purchase. The lenses--without the frames were $305; with frames the total was $384.99. Now I have to take off my glasses to see clearly. I was told that the "scratch protection" would be damaged by being near many aerosol sprays such as hairspray, perfume or even while cooking! I have never been told this before and have had other eyeglasses from Target. And I don't use hairspray or perfume. The salesman was immediately aware of what the problem was, as was his manager. She told me she had had the same experience and didn't know about the aerosol damaging effect. To correct the problem, I would have to pay--with a small discount--for entirely new prescription lenses--$305! $384.99 if I have to go elsewhere and replace the frames and lenses. I am sure other patients have had this problem if they purchases this 'scratch protection'. It makes the eyeglasses dangerous to use as they are simply not clear. Dangerous, expensive product. I do hope to get the lenses replaced by TARGET and with no "scratch protection". read more

Let me be very clear about my rating: I am giving 5 stars to the optometrist (Dr. Hilary Chiem OD). And 3 stars to the optical shop, for an average of 4. I will obviously do a separate review for Dr. Chiem, but I wanted to cover my bases. Here are my candid thoughts: The optometrist is wonderful: her exams are fast and thorough, she's very meticulous and a clear communicator, and she's obviously concerned with patient's eye health although not pushy about getting tests, etc (like she recommended the glaucoma test, and explained why it was a good idea but wasn't super aggressive about it). Also I am REALLY appreciative of the evening and weekend hours. Hello, working people, are we really supposed to take time off work for an eye exam? That said, here are the cons: The actual optical shop is terrible. The frames they sell are poor quality, the people there can't fit the frames to your head, and they are kind of annoying/pushy. My recommendation: get your EXAM here, and then buy your glasses somewhere else. Also, obviously you should order your contacts online for the best price (is there really anyone out there that doesn't know this?!) read more

Be very careful when you purchase glasses here from Opal. Don't let the shy smile and eagerness to please fool you like it did me. I told Opal that I'm a contact lens wearer and rarely wear glasses...if I wear them it's 30 min max. I told her I want the basic, cheapest possible. I remember a few years ago I purchased a pair from here and it was $15 total with my EyeMed insurance. Opal let me know that $15 plan doesn't exist anymore and lenses start at $99 on my insurance plan. I purchased the glasses and was on my way. The next day, I called EyeMed. The claim already showed up and the representative let me know I purchased upgraded lenses which was why it was $99. This is FRAUD. I called the store and spoke with Hassler. Opal was not working that day but he would have her call me the next day (she's the acting manager or assistant manager). She never called. Get you glasses from Warby Parker or Zenni instead. They are much higher quality, way more selection, and much cheaper b/c you can buy them thru their app or for Warby at their Palo Alto or SF store. Insurance will still cover most if not all the cost as out-of-network b/c the glasses cost way less. read more

Five stars for Dr. Chiem but negative starts for the optical retail staff. First of all, your insurance will not go far here so you end up paying more money to get a new set of lenses and frames. I found out, by going to a much more reputable optical establishment, that my insurance allocates me unlimited discounts on frames and lenses in a calendar year. Target Optical only allowed for me to get a discount, with my insurance, on one pair a year! Secondly, they broke a pair of my frames, that I did not buy from them, in the process of getting new prescription lenses put in. I was offered no explanation, and no apology. They refunded my order but that was it. I hounded their manager for some sort of restitution and was given the absolute run around. They do not care about their customers, take zero accountability when they damage your personal frames and they are very pushy when it comes to buying frames from them. I can't stress enough how horrible the San Mateo optical staff is! The sheer unprofessionalism and lack of knowledge about lenses, frames, vision insurance, etc. is concerning. I had to get a new pair of prescription lenses redone by another establishment since Target Optical completely screwed them up originally. Do not waste your time or your money. Go to a professional! I did after my deplorable experience and it was night and day in terms of service and professionalism. read more

I am so disappointed in the customer service this location has. I received a text message at 6:25pm stating my glasses were ready for pick up and I called to confirm that information was correct and ask if it was ok to have someone pick them up for me since I do work late. I checked online and their store hours say 10am - 8pm on Tuesday (today). When I called and asked to confirm my glasses were ready the receptionist lady didn't even give me a second to ask if someone else could pick them up for me she just shouted "Yes pick them up tomorrow" mind you I called at 6:30pm right after I received the text message. I asked her why we couldn't go in today if their store hours say they close at 8:00pm and she responded "we will close at 7:30pm because we are busy and have other things to do" I work at a medical clinic and understand that we have to take 15-30 minutes to close and clean the clinic, but we always listen and accommodate patients needs. Not just cut them off and tell them to come back another day. The three stars are for the only helpful and respectful front desk person, the young man who helped me the day of my appointment. Other than that everyone else takes their sweet time and help people who arrive after you've arrived. read more

I went there with a prescription I understand it's Covis tough times but there were only one customer with me .It took me 45 min to get my insurance verified and the lady was multi tasking alot of times which delayed the verification .They need more people in the store atleast to show customer which lens to choose from ,at the end I ended up going back because the Manager was not supportive and do not deserve my business. read more

Super friendly, answered questions over the phone, great frame selection and the glasses seem great! Would definitely recommend - thanks guys! I should note I used a RX from my previous optometrist so I'm not sure about their testing, but the glasses creation was great. read more

Te actual optometrist was great when I went in, but the staff is incompetent. They are really difficult to deal with and put all the blame for things on the patient. There are so many better options out there. Avoid, avoid, avoid read more

Fantastic service at this location. Dr Chiem was thorough, professional and answered all of my questions. Armando knocked it out of the park, he is so patient and knowledgeable and took the time to find us the best fit. Thank You! read more

Don't waste your time and money! Go somewhere else. Very unprofessional. Customer service is horrible here! Closes randomly during business hours. No follow ups. Trying to let you pay out of your pocket instead your insurance.... Just don't go.. read more

The staff is truly top notch. It was easy setting my appointment online and once I actually dragged my hungover body into the place, I was immediately assisted. I filled out the form with the closest approximation of what a human with a working brain would write and it seemed fine. Exam was efficient and concise. If this was a review on the machine that blows air into your eyes it would be a one star but I understand the technician was just doing their job. I hope my pained shriekings fade from her memory soon. Unfortunately the model of glasses I wanted weren't on display but I ordered them anyways. I took a trip to a different uh, Glasses...place, to try them on and I didn't love them. I DID find a model I liked there though that Target Optical carried so I went back to update my order and it was painless. For me. Not for the staff. She said it was no problem but I know she is paid to say that. I could have ordered the pair at the other optical repository place but the person who helped me at this place both ruled and kicked ass. 5/5 stars would endure that awful machine again just to have an excuse to go there again. read more

Target OPTICAL. It exists. Luxottica Group proudly delivers Target Optical- a full service optometry offering exams, frames, and contacts. This Target Optical- in the Target store in the Bridgepointe Shopping Center- has a fantastic staff. If you go during weekdays, the staff at TO can call and verify your insurance details immediately. I was offered nothing less than quality service from Jamie and another guy working that day: speedy order processing and full assistance in filling out proper paperwork for insurance reimbursement (even provided a mailing envelope!). Very enjoyable experience working with the retail staff at Target Optical. *I cannot speak to the quality of the eye exams offered by their resident doc, as I did not get my exam with Dr. Yap* If you are interested in frames or in ordering contact lenses, Target Optical offers very competitive pricing to 1-800-CONTACTS (which is owned by WalMart, boo). The staff at this location is awesome- definitely worth checking out for price comparison! *Note: if you have VSP insurance, Target will give you a 10% discount on your total order, in addition to any instant rebates from manufacturers. read more

My hubby, who has no eye care coverage on his insurance plan through his work, finally caved in to going in to have his eyes examined (it was either that, or the arm extension surgery, since his eyes were starting to go and his complaints of "the light is too dim" or "the text is too small" were no longer valid, because I could read things just fine.) He works near this target, so he went in and had an eye exam. He was happy with the service, but being inexperienced with eyeglasses, he chose a pair I thought didn't work well for him as readers. I needed a new eye-care specialist, as I've been trying to replace my guy who retired a few years ago--I've been to three different places, and I'm STILL wearing the last pair my regular guy made for me, because I can never seem to see out of the new glasses, or--as the new people have said, my eyes never "adjusted" to the new lenses, meaning--I got a lot of head aches and never was able to see well out of my newer glasses. We both went in one weekend, and Jaime was FANTASTIC. They have a great policy of 100% satisfaction and a 90 day break-in period. I started looking at frames, while waiting for my hubby to get some issues addressed with his new glasses. I think the guy helping my hubby was named Mike--a very knowledgeable guy with a beard, who was also A+! The optician who checked my eyes and my prescription managed to key in to my problem within one minute. She said my eyesight hadn't changed much from my old pair, but that what I seem to be doing is using my one eye for up close stuff, and the other for far away things, and when I went to two other places, they never caught on and were making my glasses for far away vision and i could never see anything with both eyes at the same time!!! They made some modifications to my script, and made me a new pair of super cool, uber-nerd, glasses that I positively LOVE and they WORK!!! My hubby also got a second pair to use at work, for usage with the computer monitor and reading. This place really understands MORE than just the science of vision correction--they understand there are usage issues and individuals use glasses and have other things going on than the mere physics of what's going on INSIDE the eyeball. I can't give them any higher praise than to say I will be going to them for as long as they keep up this excellent optical department!!! I never shop at target, but as a result of this optical department, I have found myself buying things around the store, as well, so they are directly responsible for bringing me to the store, overall, as a customer. Kudos to Mike and Jaimie :) read more

Ran out of contacts a few weeks ago. Having just moved to the area, with new insurance, I kept postponing and postponing trying to figure out how to get a prescription to get new contacts. This morning I had the bright idea to just call up Target Optical, because even if it isn't covered by my insurance, it's cheap for the exam, I've had good, experienced optometrists in the past, and they always have sweet deals on contacts. Called at 11am, they fit me in at 11:30am, then when I ran into traffic on the 101, they courteously moved my appointment to 12:30. Dr. Yap is very professional, skilled and courteous. I went to Pearle Vision once and had a newbie optometrist that actually gave me the wrong prescription (by a long shot). It does make a difference. The office staff are friendly and helpful. And man did I get a sweet deal on my contacts. They also took the time to call my insurance and found out that I did have coverage! And since Halloween is coming, I asked about colored contacts, and they let me try on a bunch of samples so I could order some crazy looking contacts. It was good times! Highly recommended. read more

These folks are awesome! Great deals on eyewear! Exceptionally great staff! My wife bought a pair of glasses and they weren't fitting quite right but since we live across the bay, we decided to take it to another optical shop locally to have them adjust. They gladly did it but after my wife put them on, she noticed the lenses and the frame were damaged by the excessive heat this shop had used to bend the frame. We couldn't take it back to them to fix since they were dong us a favor. We decided to go back to Target to see if they could do something. Lo and behold, the young lady who helped us told us the glasses were covered in they satisfaction guaranteed warranty so no problem getting them replaced. Problem: the frames were a clearance model and they did not have another pair in stock. Solution: she asked us to pick out an alternative as a backup but on Monday (we were there on Sat) she would call all the other Target Opticals in the country to see if any of the other shops had the same model! Happy ending: We get confirmation by Tuesday she was able to find the frame and by the next week, we had an identical brand new replacement in hand! What an absolutely exceptional experience! That's what customer service is about! read more

The single star in my rating is entirely for the optometrist, Dr. Luu. She listened to my concerns and seemed to understand my needs. When I had trouble deciding whether one lens was better than another, she became a little impatient. She also did not note my pupilary distance on the Rx, something needed to correctly order glasses online. Still, overall, I was happy with my eye exam, and believe Dr. Luu knows and cares about vision. Unfortunately, the eyeglass buying experience was a lesson in pushy, sneaky customer squeezing. My sales person could hardly take no for an answer. I repeatedly said I was trying to keep it simple, but she pounced on my concern for my vision, and kept pushing the stupid extras. Saying "no" became tiresome, and salespeople know this. She wore me down. She also tried to slip things in, turning more than one feature into a "package", thereby adding extra charges for things I didn't want. When health services are distorted by commissions or other sales-based programs, there is little incentive to help you make the right choices for YOU. On top of it all, my progressive lenses give me a headache by the end of the day, and I haven't been back for correction because of my dread of the sales structure at the so-called optical center. The person who "helped" me should go into real estate, so she can squeeze thousands out of people, and really be happy. read more

I had my exam at a different Target Optical, but didn't get glasses yet. Got them here with Edith, she was fantastic and really helpful in navigating the best deal. There was a great promo with contact lenses and half off glasses. Walked out a happy man, looking forward to coming back here again for more eyewear with Edith. read more

This review can pretty much be applied to any Target Optical in the U.S. You may think you're saving money by going to Target for your prescription glasses, but in the end it's not worth it. Inept, unprofessional employees, lots of add-on fees, poor service and warranty options, and a very unpleasing shopping and fitting environment make this option not even an option. Save yourself a lot of hassle and headaches and just go to a real optical shop instead. It's also very hard to get them to work with certain insurance providers (since they aren't a true doctor office) but you get "discounted" pricing whatever that means. It's even harder if you're a spouse trying to use your spouse's insurance, like they are trained to assume you are "scamming" them or something. Plus, they don't take payments over the phone, don't know how to properly fit frames to your head, and you get the added bonus of hearing all the other employees complaining about their jobs while you're there. They sold my wife children's sized frames that didn't even fit right once they bent the stems, and they have never sat right because the frames twisted. Three replacements later and still no better. Rest assured we'll be going elsewhere for lens needs from now on. read more

I was looking for an affordable optometrist since I didn't have vision insurance. I know my eyes pretty well and don't have any major issues, so I felt comfortable going to the Target Optical. I believe I saw Dr. Yap. She was very nice! The exam went has my previous exams did. I didn't feel she was taking any short cuts or anything like that. She seemed very knowledgeable and I felt comfortable with her. We talked about any changes I've noticed about my eyesight and she fitted me with contact lenses as well. I already knew the brand of contacts I liked and so she had me try on my new prescription, checked them out, and wrote me a new Rx for contacts. No need to come back for a follow-up! The staff at Target Optical were very friendly! Right when I walked in, they were attentive and helped me right away. So polite and nice. I ordered contacts and they gave me my options on how I can save (whether getting a year supply or giving me any rebates they had). I wasn't a huge fan of the frame selection. Other than that, this place was great! read more

The staff there was exceptional. Quick in and out no problem.  Dr. Hilary Chiem was very professional. She reallly cares for your eye health. I do highly recommend her and her staff for all your optical needs. read more

I dropped by the optical department because I needed a new case for my sunglasses. The man working was so nice and so helpful I decided to schedule an appointment to see Dr. Yap the following week to get a new prescription. I had a really good experience with the doctor and the woman working helped me pick out a pair of glasses and sunglasses and order contacts. A few weeks later when my frames arrived I went in to get them adjusted. After several attempts at getting them adjusted they were sort of as good as they were going to get so I went home. The glasses kept falling off my face and one side was higher than the other. I went back the next day and a new person attempted to adjust the glasses. I have no idea how, but he made them even worse than before. Exasperated, I went back a third time and a third person tried playing with them and she couldn't get them to fit either. It was like every person who touched them made them progressively worse! Finally, I just asked for a refund. I liked the doctor, I liked the frame selection, the prices were very reasonable, but if your people can't make adjustments to the frames, the rest of it really doesn't matter. read more

The optometrist Hilary Chiem is good and makes you feel comfortable. I gave one star because of the deceptive communications from the optical dept. I was led to believe they are a VSP provider but it turns out they are not an in network provider. Big difference is how much the insurance covers the costs. Target says they are a full access provider for VSP which is in between an in network and out of network. Basically they are out of network. They may have gotten more money out of me this time but that is certainly the last. Not going back and will discourage others. read more

Amazing! Dr Hilary was really nice, and genuinely interested in your eye health and not making a sale. She and her staff are upfront with costs, they don't brush you off if you ste just inquiring about prices. I don't have vision insurance, and it was really helpful to have staff willing to give you a price breakdown read more

Very friendly staff that helped me with any questions I had. They have great brands with a frame for every face shape. I did have an appointment scheduled, but they were running behind by 30 minutes so I just looked at the frames. Could use some more seating. read more

One of my daughter's glasses nose pads were broken off. We went to target Optical for a repair. The service was fast and the replacement was functional. Better yet, without any questions asked, they didn't even charge us for the time and part. Very good service. read more

Simply the best optometry experience I've ever had. Dr Yap was thorough, professional, knowledgeable, and answered all my questions. Friendly, not rushed. Walked right in and got an immediate examination. No appointment needed. Jamie was exceptionally helpful in helping me choose new frames, explaining my lens options, providing me with all the discounts I was entitled to, and just making it a low-key and pleasant experience. Excellent prices. Wish I had known about them years ago. read more

I had the best experience I be re today after not having my eyes done for 3 years!!!! I came in with my self and my two kids 3years old and 8months everyone was friendly and made it fast and easy! Can't wait to go back!!! read more

Not only are prices much more reasonable that other places, the staff is incredibly helpful and knowledgeable. I've seen both Dr. Yap and Dr. Luu, and had excellent experiences. The exam was quick and easy and the doctors are always detailed, thorough and willing to listen to anything I have to say. They also have some pretty nice frames -- Armani, RayBan, Spy, DKNY, etc. read more

I had a bad experience the last time I went to an optometrist because my last experience a few years ago was awful. However I decided to try again a few weeks ago and saw Dr. Chiem. She was wonderful. She made me feel really comfortable and was super sweet and really took her time with my exam and answered any questions I had. And when it was time to pick my glasses the lady that helped me was really helpful and super nice, especially when I called a few hours later when I called to make a change. I was told my glasses would take two weeks to be ready but they were ready four days later to my surprise. Very happy with the doctor and rest of the staff, will definitely come back for my next check up. read more