I have used the University Vision Clinic for more than 20 years, That should say enough. They preprofessional, accommodating and reasonable, nothing more needs saying. read more

UVC overbooked a time slot with 3 people. I couldn't get in. Fail. Never coming back. Go elsewhere. read more

Dr. Hovander is a very thorough, knowledgeable and helpful optometrist...but I can't really recommend this place as the guy who actually wrote out my prescription was incredibly condescending and rude. I've had a second prescription for computer glasses for a while (at Dr. Hovander's suggestion) and this rude guy insisted I didn't and refused to check with Dr. Hovander or even look at my current prescription. I won't be going back. read more

I've been using this clinic exclusively since I moved to Seattle 8 years ago. I was a doctoral student at UW back then, so happened upon this place due to its location. I didn't expect much (I figured it would mostly service undergrads) but Dr. Hovander and Richard were excellent. Very thorough, flexible, listen to your feedback. They're a quick email/text message away when I need refills, their online appointment booking system has become really convenient, they have parking. Check, check, check. I see reviews about some rude customer service. I think I know who they're talking about--that staff member is a little drier on the delivery but I've been to this clinic enough times to know they're perfectly nice. For the actual expertise of exams and things, this place is great. read more

This was the most thorough eye exam I've ever had, and what is amazing is that their no-insurance price was WAY cheaper than anyone else I called. I casually mentioned I was leaving on an overseas trip soon and they said, "no problem, we're going to order you two ten-packs of trial contacts to take with you....free." I'm going to actually echo what another reviewer of University Vision said: I rarely write reviews on Yelp, but I really wanted to let other people know how good of a deal this place is. Free parking as well! :) read more

This vision clinic is a gem. I have very poor eyesight and a history of complicated vision issues. I've never had more thorough exams than I've had with Dr. Hovander. He is incredibly conscientious. Roger and Paul are also wonderful at what they do. You don't find many places any more that feel unrushed and methodical in their approach. read more

I called to set up an appointment about three weeks in advance because this place books up fast! I definitely know why, Dr. Hovander is such a pro and he's so nice too. I went through a couple of eye exams and I lost my nearsighted vision for a few hours because of the eye pressure test. That felt pretty gnarly. But the doc said that my eyes were healthy so that was a relief. He was also very patient when I was going through my vision tests and he seemed very precise when it came to matching up both my eyes' prescription levels. It was a free exam for me because of my insurance although the frames seem kind of costly so I may have to consider getting some from Costco instead but the prescription that the doc wrote up for me is good for two years so that was very helpful. There are definitely some pro people at work at this clinic, I remember Jeffrey was very helpful with answering my questions about glasses too. read more

Staff here was extremely helpful and flexible. I really appreciated how thorough and down to earth Dr. Hovander was during the exam. He explained every part of the exam and what each machine was testing for and how my eyes changed over time. I'd absolutely recommend this place to anyone who is looking for an exam. They also had a number of appointments available which made scheduling much easier. read more

I am a graduate student at UW (GAIP insurance) and I went here for an annual eye checkup and also to get my eyeglass prescription updated. Here's a break down of my experience - I made an early morning appointment and got there 5 minutes early. A technician took preliminary tests before I saw the doctor. I liked that they didn't make me wait too long. - I was looked at by Dr. Mark Hovander. He was extremely thorough and explained all the tests he was doing. I really liked this because a lot of optometrists don't do this. If I was going to rate just Dr. Hovander I would probably give a 5-star review - The eye exam alone at University Vision costs $286. This is 5 times what it usually costs at any other optometrists. If you are on GAIP, you are only covered for up to $60. I find it borderline unethical that an eye clinic right next door to a university would take advantage of students by charging them this obscene amount for a simple eye checkup. FYI I have a very low number and really no eye issues or special needs. When I asked the receptionist/assistant for a breakdown of the costs, she became very defensive at first and then eventually said she didn't know what the breakdown was, and that nobody knew. Another bad sign! I think if Dr.Hovander was working at another clinic I would probably go back to him. But I did not like University Vision's policies or customer service so I won't be going back there. read more

Wow... This is the worst experience that I have ever had in a store. They have absolutely no idea how to treat a customer. The grumpy dude with the tattoos who "helped us" was downright hostile. We went there because they take my insurance. We arrived at 4:30, half an hour before closing time. First thing he tells us is that he will close soon. I was there to quickly select a pair of frames and I was intending to come back another day for the exam. I asked a few questions about the procedure with the insurance since it was the first time that I took advantage of it. At this point, he was clearly annoyed with me, like I was supposed to know all that. When I asked about some specifics of my insurance plan, he told me to look it up on their website. Thanks dude. At 4:40, he put on his jacket and scarf and stood by the door. I could not believe it. Partly annoyed, partly amused, I pretended to not notice him and kept trying some frames. There was a decent pair, which was missing the price tag. I wanted to make him work a little bit so I brought the frames and asked him the price. He said that he was going to look it up on Monday and call me back. Don't bother, really. If your website says your business hours are form 9 to 5, that means your door is to be open until 5 pm. Once the customers are in your store, you are expected to help them select a pair of glasses and give them a mildly pleasant shopping experience so they feel inclined to make a purchase from you. If you have an emergency or a date with some hot stud and you absolutely have to close the store while there are still some customers inside, there is a way to do it. You ask nicely, you apologize, you explain the situation... But dude, don't be all pissed at your customers just because they entered your store. This one is certainly not coming back. read more

Take the bitter with the sweet. Dr. Hovander is truly excellent albeit somewhat shy. Very well regarded among his peers. His office staff (except the receptionist) are self-important jerks. I'm sympathetic to their wanting to protect their investments in various frame vendors. So, my complaint stems not from any interaction over my wanting to shop their frames cheaper online or anything of the sort. It's hard to describe, but I think they would demand that you call them Dr. if they had the title. My guess is that you'll go for Dr. Hovander and will then experience what I mean about the rest. read more

Terribly rude customer service. I went in to get a lens put back into my frames after it had come partially out. The staff member tried to blame this on manufacturing since I had ordered them online. He was condescending and did not believing that they had been flush previously. I let him know that I had the glasses for six months and that this problem was new. He popped the lens all the way out of the frames to try and show me it was a structural problem. After realizing I wasn't going to receive any help I asked for my glasses back, while he continued to tell me this is just the quality you get when you order purchase things online. After I got into the parking lot and started wiping the smudges off of my glasses I realized that his popping the lens out and putting it back in had fixed the problem.The lens was flush with my frames again and the slight blurriness caused by this was gone. So 1) thanks for fixing my glasses and not charging me for it. 2) You don't get to complain about competition from online retailers when you are rude and condescending to your in-person customers. I got a good laugh out of the situation, but if you want customer service, not a comedy of errors, I suggest you steer clear. read more

I've been going to the University Vision clinic for 2+ years now. I have yet to find a clinic that is so committed to making sure that they get it right. I have recommended them to several friends, and they all return with glowing comments. Below I have included a more detailed review that is separated by review into contacts, glasses, exams, and staff. Contacts: My contacts are expensive, and they ordered trial pairs of several different brands until we found the ones that worked for my eyes. This process did take a long time (about 1 month total, but this is due to the fact that my contacts have to be special made), however, I found that they were just as concerned at getting it right as I was. Glasses: They have a great selection of frames from mikli, lafont, ogi, and others. They performed the standard fitting techniques to make sure that my glasses fit, and that the prescription was in the right place for my eyes. After my glasses were make (it took about a week), they performed another fitting. They continue to adjust my frames to fit for free. Exam: The exam was typical, however, I was able to try my new prescription out before we settled on it. During this time, I was able to make adjustments for reading, and seeing far off in the distance. Very valuable! Staff: They are friendly, willing to answer all questions, and work with your financial situation to make sure that you get what you need. An additional plus is that they are very familiar with the GAIP insurance for University of Washington Graduate Appointees. They will file your claim for you so that you don't have to, and will immediately credit your account. Overall, I highly recommend University Vision. read more

I thought University Vision Clinic was great! And I'm saying this despite the fact that my eyes were kind of sore and I was very very tired after my appointment, due to the fact that they gave me 2 sets of numbing drops. But the 2 sets weren't due to incompetence - they wanted to do an extra eye test because my optic nerves looked a little funny. No other eye doctor has ever discussed the shape of my optic nerves with me - but now I know that they're not perfectly doughnut-shaped and that I should watch them in the future. The doctor was really nice about answering all of my questions - I didn't feel like I was being rushed at all. And no hard sell on glasses for me! After I read these reviews, I was worried because I already knew I wanted to buy my glasses at Eyes on Fremont, and I thought I was going to have to make some excuse and escape from the scary salespeople. But the doctor gave me my prescription, no questions asked, and he even said something like, "If you want to buy new glasses in the future, you can go anywhere with this." One thing to note: if you want contacts, the contact exam and fitting is an extra $40 on top of the eye exam. That didn't seem too much to me, especially because they gave me a free pair of lenses to try and a bunch of solution. And they have you come back a week later to make sure the contacts fit okay. As people have said, they're great with the GAIP - but if you have other insurance, and they accept it, I'd definitely recommend them. read more

I went to this clinic all throughout college. The optometrist finally told me what my previous eye doctors hadn't, that I had a meiobian gland dysfunction, which caused my tears to dry up super fast resulting in dry eyes. They accept student insurance, which now I believe gives you $200 for either contacts or glasses (not including how much they pay for your appointment). I was NEVER told that I lacked a high nose bridge that made it hard for me to find glasses that properly fit me or stayed on my face until I came here. The lady who helped me was very blunt and a bit crazy, but I still found glasses that fit perfectly! The contact guy is super nice and efficient. Before moving back to Portland, I called and left a message to tell them I wanted to use my insurance allowance towards contacts and to ask if I needed to come in for a fitting after getting a new prescription. Surprisingly, I got a call 2 days later telling me that I had boxes of contacts waiting for me because they had ordered them for me! read more

I receive absolutely the best and most thorough eye exam I have ever received here. They took their time and were extremely kind And careful, making sure they got the exact right prescription. I walked away from this appointment feeling like I needed to review this amazing place, which is something I rarely feel for a business. read more

You may have noticed my earlier review about Davis Optical a little further up University Ave. In comparison, this University Vision is absolutely amazing. My regular eye exam took almost an hour as they were extremely thorough. They did all sorts of tests I've never had before and the Dr. was extremely patient and explained everything. It was pretty much the same price as a check-up anywhere else, so I was really impressed all around. Their contact guy, Richard, is the best. It took me a few visits to find the right pair and he was always courteous and helpful. You pay a flat rate for the whole contact fitting process regardless of the number of visits or number of trial pairs, which was especially nice as I didn't feel pressured to settle on a just-okay pair. I have a very difficult prescription to fill via contacts, but I still ended up with a great set. read more

I went to UW years back and I have continued to come to this clinic because of their consistent great service. The same people have been working here for years and I always feel like they really care about me and do a very thorough job. Dr. Hovander is very patient, understanding, courteous, and nice. He listens, answers questions well, and doesn't rush through my appointments. When I didn't have vision insurance and called around to compare prices for exams, their price was still competitive among Costco, Pearle Vision, LensCrafters, etc... They even give a discount to to people who don't have insurance. I'll probably come here for the rest of my life. read more

There are a lot of places out there that sell glasses. Have been to many of them. Have ordered glasses at places and have had them handed to me with them never even having me try them on to see how things were. I guess I like customer service, and that is what you get when purchasing glasses at University Vision Clinic. Paul knows what he is doing and spent a lot of time with me. Sorry I kept you after working hours... :-( My lenses are still being made, but am positive everything will be perfect when I get them. They did all the billing with my insurance company so I did not have to wait to get reimbursed. That right there is a huge PLUS. They have a nice selection of frames to chose from also. Thanks for being a quality shop. read more

Dr. Hovander is very kind and he gave me such a thoughtful, thorough exam. I too have problems deciding if "1" or "2" is better, but he was very patient with me. After determining what my rx should be, they put together a customized pair of glasses(they snap in different lenses) that you can test out. and they can fine tune the lenses even more. Then he had me look at items across the street and walk through the halls of the clinic - a great practical approach, rather than just looking at a projection in a dark room through that contraption. It's kind of hard to explain, but my previous eye doctor NEVER did this. Also, the contact lens guy didn't push daily disposals as my previous eye doctor did. I have dry eye issues and he told me that the daily ones are not the better choice for people like me. I think my previous eye dr was trying to upsell me, there. The only negative thing I have to say about this clinic is that they aren't very good at answering their phones and are slow to return calls. I've experienced this on more than one occassion before actually coming to see them. I almost decided to go somewhere else because of this. But I decided to give them a chance, as the location is so convenient. I'm glad I did and now I'm going to send my husband there too. read more

I've been going here since my college days and even though it's a little out of my way now that I've graduated, my experiences at other optical places have led me back here. Dr. Hovander is fantastic and so is Richard Ackman. They're professional, patient and thorough. They explain what they're doing, for what reason and give you the freedom to choose which tests you would like to have. Richard also walked me through my first contact lens fitting and I'm a spazz so I took a long time. The entire time, he was patient and encouraging and I didn't feel rushed. The staff, with the exception of the receptionist, may take some getting used to for some. I personally didn't mind because I've watched enough British comedies to get used to dry humor. Also, again, having had bad experiences elsewhere, I care more about results than having optical people be my BFFs. Beyond first impressions, they know what they're doing. They're extremely knowledgable and will walk you through whatever your issue is. For someone waiting in line, this may be a bit frustrating. But wait your turn and I promise you, you'll be glad when it's your turn that they really give you the time, attention and help that you won't get from most other places. Other useful info... 1) Their office hours are 9 am - 6 pm most days BUT if you call, they will set you up for an appointment earlier than that should you need it. 2) Ordering contacts refills is a breeze. I once went to a different optical/vision clinic and it took a game of phone tag stretching out for 3 weeks before I finally gave up and brought my prescription here instead. They even send out an email letting you know once your contacts have arrived. I'm a kid of the internets age so I am happiest when things happen via email. They also give a pretty liberal ETA for your contacts but I've never had to wait more than a few days (certainly never past a week). 3) They do have a limited selection of frames. This may deter some. I feel like they don't have the trendiest frames -- they definitely have more of just the basics. This may work some and be problematic for others. 4) As mentioned above, they're a little slow on the in-store service at times. Put that extra couple of quarters in if you're doing street parking so you won't have to feel stressed. You'll likely need it. read more

I went to University Vision Clinic my last 2 years in Seattle, and was very happy with their service. Everything from the eye exam to the contacts fitting to the glasses fitting went very smoothly, and the staff is highly professional. They take both Regence and VSP, and when there was some confusion as to what my allowance was, they took care of looking it up and making sure I maxed it out on contact lens orders. The only downside - as others mentioned, the selection of glasses is limited and on the pricey side. I did find a pair I liked, but the frames and lenses ran over $200 each. Fortunately, Regence paid for most of it. read more

The receptionist took her sweet time pointlessly going over an entire simple questionnaire like I was a complete moron. Annoying! Dr Hovander, however, gets 4 stars for doing a really thorough job and spending a lot of time with me. He seemed genuinely disappointed that my vision couldn't be corrected more by the end of the exam. Afterward, I was sent over to the optician to have him write out the actual numbers for the prescription, which I found very odd. Why did I need to be forced to see this guy? Oh well, I wanted my pupillary distance anyway so I could check out some glasses online. I told the optician dude up front that I needed my pupillary distance, and asked if he could write it down with the prescription. He just started pulling out frames for me to try on, jibber jabbering about the content of the materials used to make the frames! He pulled out all kinds of expensive frames even though I told him I'm disabled and on a limited budget. He sort of looked disgusted and annoyed after I told him that. I tried on a pair, and asked him if he could write the price down for me because I wanted to compare them to some frames online. He told me, "We don't normally do that." I only asked him because he had a pen in his hand (the price was on the side of the frames anyway!). It was like pulling teeth with this guy. He finally got the message that I wasn't going to be buying anything from his royal rudeness, and very reluctantly wrote down the pupillary distance number. I was glad to get away from him. Zero stars for the optician. It was really upsetting. I would return to see Dr Hovander, but avoid the staff if possible. read more

Dr. Hovander was very thorough. His assistant was all business and did the required eye tests and asked all the pertinent questions. I believe Jefferey helped me pick my frames (didn't catch his name, funny, they don't seem to want to exchange names). He was the one who wore awesome silver round glasses. At my request for trapezoidal frames, he walked around the shop and picked out five or six different frames in different materials, and the best part is, he gave me space while I was trying them on. No suggestive selling, then he picked out this great pair of O&X frames that were perfect for me. He suggested digital trivex lenses. The digital cut of the lens is clearer than my best pair of contacts, and they emulate wearing contact lenses in that one doesn't need to necessarily turn one's head to look at objects. The website states that the tolerance for a digital cut is 1/100. Extremely precise, which translates to less distortion. Paul was the optician that was on hand to actually fit the frames to my greasy noggin. Actually made sure to ask his name that time. Good advice with good service. I will definitely come back. read more

University Vision Clinic - Actual frames purchased - Optometrists Near Me - Seattle, Washington

okay, let me try this again since my first review was removed. Perhaps in my first review, I did not supply enough detail to support my disdain... I gave them 3 stars because my boyfriend thought the Dr. Hovander was great and he even referred a close friend to see him as well. While waiting for my bf to get his eye exam, I started chatting with the eyeglass consultant, Jeffrey. ...I decided to buy glasses from them and had my opthamologist fax my prescription to them. I guess they faxed the wrong one so I came in a few days later with the correct one. Well, when my glasses arrived, they were made with the wrong one and the assistant, jeffrey, asked me to try them anyways because he questioned the competency of my Opthalmologist, (NW Eye Associates )office because they didn't seem to know what they were doing. I told him of my high blood pressure and he said that could affect my vision as well and perhaps this older prescription would be just fine. ~ fyi, I am a -9.00 in my right eye and a -8.50 in my left eye. ~. He asked if i could see a sign out of their store window across the street and I said, yes. He exclaimed, "well there you go, if you can see that, then you will be fine. It's not like you need to see through people". I told him I would give them a try for a week and he said, "just remember, each time you have us send these back to the factory, we are getting charged again". They made my eyes hurt and gave me a horrid headache. So, I spent 700 bucks on a pair of glasses that i cannot even wear. I have been too "uncomfortable" with the hostility and attitiude of the assistant that I don't want to come back. read more

I have confirmed that they are getting bilked on their contacts. I pulled my bill from contact lenses from two years ago and showed them that I was able to buy the exact same type and brand for $35/box versus UVC's $48 - they can't manage to charge less than 1-800-CONTACTS. I also talked to friends on my same insurance plan who confirmed that they were also able to get a much better deal elsewhere. The contact guy was extremely defensive when I brought this up and claimed he had no knowledge of anyone getting them cheaper - well you do now. I know where I'll be going next time I need an exam and won't be to these unprofessional misanthropes. read more

We all have the right, under health care laws, to our information. University Vision Clinic refuses to share this information with their clients, and will even go as far as to berate their patients for requesting said information. Yes, the optometrist is about as personable as an IRS auditor. Yes, they won't tell you the actual charge of a service as to max out your insurance and then get some out of pocket. Yes, the selection of frames and lenses are incredibly expensive, although very high quality. Yes, they get annoyed when you take your time to make the expensive and very personal decision on your eyewear. Yes, they are elitist. All of the above aside, the fact remains: it is ILLEGAL for them to refuse to give you your information if you request it, and for that reason, you would be better to take your business elsewhere. read more

I've been going to Mark Hovander for 20 years now. I went through a lot of optometrists before him and had a lot of issues. He is so thorough with his exams and understands exactly where my eyes will be most comfortable for the longest period of time. He is very detail oriented and is current with industry standards. I trust him implicitly and I've always liked his staff. Paul Smith (the optician) has basically chosen my last couple pairs of glasses and sunglasses and I've been extremely happy with both. read more

This place seems competent enough. But really, that should be the bare minimum. They have the worst "bedside manner" I've experienced in a while. Since I got my original exam there after I moved up here to be a student there was this inertia to keep going there, but if I had to choose over again I would definitely not choose UVC. Basically, all of the employees are very brusque, verging on rude some of the time. They all seem like they are having a bad day and taking it out on you. I mean, I don't need an optometrist visit to be a joyous occasion, nor do I need to be treated like royalty, but at least a smile, and a "thank you for choosing us" type of interaction just makes things more pleasant. The older receptionist lady is particularly un-friendly. I don't know, maybe I am an idealist, but if I am spending that much money at a place, (with the contact lenses, nice frames, lenses and everything added up it's quite a lot) I kind of expect a modicum of nice customer service. Maybe they need to put prozac in the water cooler or something. read more

Absolutely horrified how they manage the practice. Make appointments for scheduled time then cancel within an hour of appointment, stating they "called all morning" without a voicemail. Nevermind, I have a text reminder that the appointment was confirmed. After needing to coordinate rides and work schedule, appointment was cancelled and Doctor was at lunch. Horrible customer service and management of office staff/scheduling. read more

In need of a an ASAP eye exam, I came here to a schedule an appointment, which was actually made quite promptly for the following week. The receptionist was friendly. BUT the same couldn't be said for the optician, the guy who does the repair shiz. The left wing of my glasses needed a quick fix because a friend of mine stepped on my glasses. I asked the receptionist if they could do a repair and she said they could, for free or for a dollar. I think to myself, great! Nbd. I wait for the repair guy to finish dealing with a customer first. Since there were only two people in the room, it shouldn't have been long for the wait. 20 min go by. Finally. My turn..! I approach the optician and he signals with a hand up to me and scolds "hold on a sec" and leaves for another 10 minutes. Ok. Nbd. Free repair. Free repair. He comes back and he starts working on my glasses. I try to be pleasant despite my growing impatience and he subtly disses me when I ask "do you think the right wing will break too?" and he responds with a sarcastic "if your friend steps on them again." OK. It's called an accident, ever heard of one of those? And then near the end of the appt he says it'll cost 5 bucks. WTH. Ok. Nbd. At least my glasses got fixed. And just to make sure he didn't just charge me just to get some extra cash, I ask for a receipt. He says "I don't give receipts for repairs." Um, last time I checked, a receipt isn't that big of a deal. But he refused to give me one still. After more persistence he sends me to the receptionist who gives me a receipt and sarcastically smirks "have a good day." I cancelled my appt. right after. read more

Extremely unfriendly service. They're like the soup nazis of the optometry world. Unfortunately, I was in urgent need of frames so I found a pair and got myself out of there. There was only one pair that I liked--not a ton of options. My guess is their location is what brings them business. read more

My daughter who goes to the U came here to get an eye exam and a prescription for contacts, the exam should have been paid 100% by my insurance but since she didn't want to actually buy her contacts at their store at unreasonable prices they charged her an additional fee for the exam, only to later refuse to fax her prescription over to Costco because she had an unpaid balance. Unbelievable that they can try to withhold medical information that is legally yours in an effort to collect their fees. Do yourself a favor, go elsewhere! read more

Dr. Hovander is a great Optomitrist. But the opticians that are attached to his clinic are the worst customer service people I have ever seen. I have been there three times, and every time the two opticians make fun of their customers, once the customer leaves the room. While waiting to see Dr. Hovander, the head optician told me he would start the exam and asked for my glasses. He looked at them, and he could tell they were purchased from Costco, because they were the Kirkland brand. He took the glasses into a room, and then closed the door. Before he took my glasses, they fit fine. When he came back out, he acted like he was reluctant to give them back to me. He must have adjusted them to be uncomfortable, while he was in the room, becuase they no longer fit and pinched around my ears and nose pads. These opticians are the scummiest people I have ever seen in a customer service situation. Don't let them touch your glasses, if you bought them at Costco. read more

Dr. Hovander is the most thorough optometrist I have ever seen and I've been wearing glasses/contacts since I was a kid. He is patient, friendly, and detail-oriented. I should add I'm a particularly crappy patient because I often can't tell or change my mind about whether lens 1 or 2 is better. I also saw Richard for contact lens fitting even though I told him I planned to buy my contacts online cheaper. He was fine with that and took just as much care in my fitting. I'm on UW GAIP insurance and they took care of the paper work which was great. I've referred most of the other grad students in my cohort to Dr. Hovander. I wouldn't really look to buying glasses there though as they're pricey and the selection is very limited. read more

I can't recommend them less. I came in to get some lenses put in my frames. The man I was talking to went out of his way to tell me he thought they made me look wall-eyed, and that he didn't think the shape suited me. Look here, dad. You're sitting there, wearing prescription, oakley sunglasses, inside, as glasses. You're in no position to give anyone fashion advice. Also, I already own the frames. I like them. I am not about to buy an entirely different set of new frames from you if you're a big enough ass bag. Furthermore, I received a call at 11:30 that they were ready to pick up. When I came in at 2:30, it went like this: Me: Hey, I think you have some glasses for me! Old Dad: O, are you sure? Me: Pretty sure, I got a phone call earlier today saying so. O.D.: Well, what's you're last name? Old Dad found them and said "Actually do you have a minute?" He then went out of his way to spend half an hour of my time taking notes on the metal content and age of my glasses, and also re-putting-the-lenses-in (I wish this was hyperbole), which is a thing. Perhaps we have different definitions of the word "ready". But I assumed Phone Voice meant they were good-to-go. And again, Old Dad went out of his way to tell me wearing used frames with stained nose things is gRoOoOoOs, saying "You know that's someone else's skin and sweat, right?". Yes, it's a stain, that's what stains are: old, left behind, whatever. And no, I don't care. I also don't know why you do, you never have to wear them. Rude old dudes. What the f? read more

Let's preface this review by stating I'm a GAIP member. If you know what that is, then you know what that is. Basically GAIP is what you get if you're a graduate student at the UW. This place was also recommended to me by Hall Health and they were able to see me on short notice. Given the relative ease of commute (over the land bridge and into the Ave), I was thinking this place was perfect. I arrived and was pleased with the receptionist. I don't remember her name, but she was nice. Nice like my friend's mom who would always give me food, play violin, and always go to some liberal Christian church. That kind of nice. I then had the exam. The doctor/assistant were efficient, but mechanical. I don't really expect too much from western medocrats, being putoffish myself, but please try to say my name at least once. I mean, my chart is right in front of you. Best part(s) of the visit was a) walking with the weird glasses that weigh 8 lbs that seemingly could shoot lasers down the hallway and b) the game where you press the button every time you see a light. Most awkward part was trying to decide between lens 2 and 3 and feeling like you keep getting it wrong. I didn't have time to look at glasses on my initial visit so I came back about two weeks after. I have to say, it was rather intense. I agree with James and Roxanne that the salespeople are very similar to the archetypal "carsalesman". I knew I was going to buy it from them because they take care of all the insurance stuff (unlike other businesses in relation to GAIP) and I liked the frames he picked out but it felt dirty all the same. I feel like the salesperson should have been working at a nightclub and he even said that the frames he picked out looked nice on me because they could hide "your thickness". Now I may be a little soft, but I was not "thick". I felt awkward, especially since he was obviously more "thick" than me. But anyway he meant the thickness of my lens. Which he went on to demonstrate by placing a large chunk of plastic the size of my fist on the table. Congratulations sales 'dude', you got the point across. Anyway combine that with the annoying use of abbreviated "technical" language concerning my lenses and I was just sweating to get out of there. Overall: 4 stars for the eye exam and 2 stars for the sales team read more

What I thought was going to be a regular eye exam and then contact lens fitting became way too many appointments for me. It took them three visits to realize that I had astigmatism even though a) they should've been able to figure that out at the eye exam or b) they could've asked me! It was for this reason that I had to try multiple different sets of contacts over a span of months before I could have my vision correctly corrected for. I'm not returning to this clinic. read more

I found the doctor and his staff to be professional, knowledgeable, respectful, and pleasant. I'm a new patient to Dr. Hovander and my experience here was great. Had a very thorough eye exam that went well. Every part of the exam, its results and what implications those had for my vision were explained to me. Came back to pick up my new glasses and, again, great experience. They told me so much more about my vision problems and my options than any previous optometrist or optician I've seen. Also: plenty of parking in their private lot so bonus points there. read more

I came in to look at glasses, and the two opticians sat in their chairs without looking up. They were very rude and unpleasant. They acted like they had no interest in helping me. I'm sure the Dr. must be good from the reviews I read. Too bad I won't be back or give them a referral. read more