The first time I went into this massive eyewear store in Sept 2022, I was irritated because they asked me to wear a mask. Annoying, especially because I was the only one in there, but whatever. More annoying is that I was interested in a new pair of glasses but "they updated their system" and lost my prescription from 14 months ago and said I needed to schedule another eye dr. appointment. Seriously, you don't have my prescription from a little over a year ago?? Some update. read more

I wish I could award zero stars. I went in for an eye exam because I had been here before because its a provider covered by our insurance. The optician was unprepared, the usual device used to check my prescription was not functioning so he went old school with individual lenses. Past exams usually have taken 15 - 20 minutes, I was rushed out in about five. I chose a frame and was told I would be able to pick up the new pair in 5-10 business days. I was not notified in that time frame so I called to find out where my glasses were. I was told there had been sitting there for a week. When I went to pick them up, I asked the clerk about the lack of notification, she told me I was texted, I was not. She was less than enthused to adjust my frames to fit. Then six weeks later the weld on the frame failed, I took them in and the same rude clerk informed me that I could pay for a new frame or retroactively pay for an extended warranty. I left and contacted corporate, I was given a ticket number and told a district manager would contact me within 1-2 business days. Almost four weeks passed and I called, I was again given a number and promised a response within 1-2 days. Probably total BS. Don't get an exam or glasses from this company, you'll regret it! read more

Visionworks - weld failure - Eyewear & Opticians Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Incredible customer service here! They were quick with finding my insurance plan, have extended hours for scheduling convenience, and made the whole process quick and really enjoyable. I saw Dr. Actipes and he was so welcoming and knowledgeable about the exam! He explained each process well and was really friendly and helpful throughout the visit. I'll make sure to go back to him for my yearly exam and anything else that might come up! Once my prescription was determined, their sales staff on the floor (jonathan was the gentleman who helped me) helped me go through all my options for contacts and glasses and the price points with my insurance coverage. He even helped me pick out a pair of glasses and waited patiently while I took my sweet time looking through their massive selection. All in all a great group of people at this location. You can tell they really work as a team and enjoy being there, which for me translates to better customer service all around. read more

This was the WORST experience I have ever had stepping into an establishment, at that - a corporate establishment. Cole (the general manager that has a million terrible reviews on here) was extremely passive aggressive, rude, and even yelled the "F" word at me when I told him that I did not appreciate the way he spoke to me. I do NOT recommend this unprofessional location to anyone!!!!!!! DO NOT GO HERE. What kind of "manager" speaks to customers this way????? Disgusting. read more

This is by far the worst place to go for your eyes. I am sad to say it because the Drs are great. It's the office staff that is horrible. They messed up multiple times with my insurance, never can seem to locate it when I call as well, ran my insurance for my trial contacts vs actually buying the contacts. They claim that I bought 3 months of contacts which I don't have! I was buying glasses at the same time and they said there is a CC transition for $27 for contacts. Well, I do not have those contacts and now they are trying to figure out how to fix it. they don't follow up when they say they will. (I had to follow up multiple times regarding my glass/contact orders.) It is always a headache when you go in there or call them. They act like they don't know anything buts it the same people all the time. The wait times to see the Drs also super long. I had an appointment and the multiple times I had to go in, waiting 40 mins past my appointment time. I had to leave once because I was squeezing in over my lunch hour. They treated me like it was my fault. My perspectives were also wrong, I understand that the dr was trying to correct them so that didnt bother me so much. but they accept so many walk-ins that it pushes back the appointments. DO not go here read more

Made an appointment for 6pm with Dr. Patel. We were stuck in traffic and showed up at 6:10 and were told that Dr. Patel has left because it was after the "10 minute grace period for the last appointment of the night." We had called three times throughout the day to confirm details, payment, and insurance, yet they still did not take us when we showed up. The girl at the front desk rudely said that because we were late the doctor had left already, even though we had arrived within the grace period. We wasted money on driving out to an appointment that was confirmed and paperwork was filled out for due to the inconsiderateness of the staff at this location. Did not reschedule the appointment and will not be going back to this location. read more

No wonder they have so many bad reviews. They deserve it. I tried calling them ahead multiple times and no one answered. Then I happened to pass them by (South loop location) and tried to walk in. They tell me you need an appointment. I ask them some basic questions (like do you accept my insurance) and they were totally disinterested in helping me. No way I am going back there. read more

I had a great experience at Visionworks today with Dr. Paul Guenveur and Tonya in the reception area. Both were very friendly and personable. I highly recommend Visionworks. read more

The female workers there were very nice which is why I feel bad leaving this review but this isn't abt them. I didn't like going here bc when I was there it felt like the optometrist was in a hurry the whole time and it looked like he got frustrated when I would take a bit of time to decide in the test to see which lens was better and to spell the letters too , overall I would not recommend bc he seems in a hurry all the time it felt uncomfortable, I don't like being rushed. read more

Very childish and unprofessional behavior exhibited by front desk staff. Consistently rude and condescendingly bitchy attitude at the front desk for no reason, not just this time, but even when picking up contacts that I paid for in the past. The girl acted jealous and deliberately bitchy, not sure what mental disorder she had, but it was some abnormal behavior. I've noticed a major difference between Visionwork staff versus those of my previous provider. I changed because it was closer than him, but I'm willing to drive farther for better treatment. Bye Visionworks. I will be letting others know about how your childish and passive agressive staff treat customers. Suggest you squeeze in some training and therapy for your front desk personnel. read more

I had a great experience here. Got two pairs of progressive lens eye glasses during their $99 promotion. My eye exam was covered by insurance and found the optometrist to be knowledgeable, friendly & professional. I was doing a bad job of picking out frames when the associate stepped in & showed me lots more options still in the promo. I upgraded to polarized sun protection on one & scratch protection on both for probably a bit under $100 extra (last time I got two pairs somewhere it was +$500 with insurance). Glasses were ready in a week. Best glass buying experience in a while!!! read more

I lost my glasses in another state, and was basically putting every driver in Chicago at risk when I drove in the evenings, so I quickly made an appointment here. I loved it. I haven't been to an eye doctor in probably about 6-8 years, and wowzer, did I need it. I had Dr. Mezbur, and she was awesome! She's super personable, she explains everything she is doing, why she is doing it, etc. I was very comfortable around here, and I highly recommend her to all. Even the technicians and Jessica, who help you pick out glasses, are awesome. I ended up getting 2 pairs for $100, then with the eye exam ($39), and upgrading my lenses, it came to about $200. I really think this place is great, and I will not wait 6-8 years for my next appointment! read more

I've been a steadfast LensCrafters girl for more than fifteen years. But my last experience at the big chain left me feeling less than satisfied, and I decided to give Visionworks a shot. After wearing the same contacts for much much longer than I care to share, I walked in on a Friday morning around 10 and was given an appointment with Dr. Mezbur. I waited for maybe five or ten minutes, which seemed totally reasonable given that it was a walk-in, but Dr. Mezbur came up to me and apologized for my waiting and said she would do my initial exams herself since all the technicians were busy with other customers. Dr. Mezbur was sweet, thorough and made me feel really comfortable. You don't necessarily expect a high quality of service when you visit a chain vision joint, but I can safely say that Dr. Mezbur was the best optometrist I've seen in years and years. She answered a bunch of my questions about why my eyes get red so easily. When she learned I work at a computer all day, she decided to keep my contact prescription where it was, rather than upping it by 0.25, so my eyesight wouldn't rely on the stronger prescription and weaken more. It was relatively inexpensive too--between a slight discount for my insurance and a rebate for the lenses, I saved over $150. Not bad! I'd definitely recommend Dr. Mezbur and her staff to anyone. You'll feel totally at ease and your eyes--and wallet--will thank you for it. read more

The doc and the sales team (Cole) were so patient with my myriad of questions, indecision and multiple visits before actually purchasing frames. read more

The worst place EVER. The girl who greeted me was so rude and condescending she should be working on a farm and not with customers. Awful attitude, awful mannerisms and awful hair (think female Latin tekashi 69, awful multi colored hair) read more

Thank you, Visionworks, for ridding me of migraines. I hear too many bad things about America's Best, so Visionworks it was. Dr. Mezbur is so nice and makes things go quick. She made me feel pretty comfortable despite straining to read the smaller lines (without contacts or glasses) and flashing those blinding lights. Actually, everyone that I have encountered at this location was really helpful and nice. The sales staff made me laugh. I get compliments on my glasses daily :-D. read more

I am so frustrated with my experience at Visionworks. First off, when I went in for my visit and my bill ended up being way higher than I anticipated. When I called up they said they took my insurance and that everything should be covered under the insurance, but when I went in they had me pay for over half of everything out of pocket. Second, they gave me a copy of my prescription and it was so badly written that it is completely unusable. Third, I called in to get my prescription and they do not have email in the store so they cannot give it to me that way, and they cannot give me the numbers over the phone so I have to figure out a way they can fax it to me. I don't own a fax machine because I live in 2014 not 1988. So much extra work on my end and they are still pretty expensive. If you can go somewhere else, don't go here. read more

PLEASE READ - WARNING! Don't waste your time at Vision Works. This is my first time leaving a review on Yelp because I truly felt the need to forewarn future customers. I was extremely disappointed by my recent visit. Before arriving to my appointment, I was contacted multiple times through both phone and e-mail. However, it was only upon my arrival that I was informed it would be mandatory for me to undergo a retinal screen using their new machine which they charge $19 per patient. They started a new policy during COVID forcing every patient to undergo retinal screening "to prevent the eye doctor from being within 6 feet to maintain social distancing." First, this exam is not mandatory. This is an optional exam which health insurance companies charge an additional copay for you to obtain. Second, it is not possible for the eye doctor to maintain a distance of 6 feet while performing the rest of the eye exam. Multiple adjustments need to be made when determining your prescription. Lastly, the limitation of this screening is that it doesn't provide a full view of the retina like a normal exam from an optometrist would. Unfortunately, this new policy feels like a total scam since these machines are brand new and need to be paid off (please note that none of the employees refuted this claim). As a young and healthy individual without any medical conditions, I was not planning to undergo retinal screening. At the same time, I did not want to lose my appointment for my wellness eye exam. The optometrist was very nice and did a decent job (the only reason for giving the place two stars instead of one). However, it appears rather suspicious that Vision Works is running a scam forcing everyone to undergo retinal screening. I highly recommend using a local eye doctor or optometrist rather than Vision Works. The selection of glasses is rather limited as well. I will certainly not be returning and I hope you all can learn from my mistake. read more

Wow. Not what I expected based on previous reviews. Customer service is unbelievable-- friendly, courteous, and helpful. Violet M. was most helpful to me-- I had already used my annual benefit at another eye clinic that boasts Customized care, but failed to detect worsened vision in my child (thus, the switch from Southport...)-- and Violet helped wrangle store promotions to get us reasonably priced eyewear + exam. Dr Actipes is funny, very thorough, and professional. He was good with my tweens. (n=2). And the store has a huge selection of great frames. I'm happy to transfer all my care to this location. read more

the manager-on-duty is just a terrible human being. This store screwed everything up and each time I calmly tried to rectify the problem, the manager blamed me. Sure, it was my fault the substitute Dr wrongly prescribed me with an astigmatism. It was my fault the store notified me that my glasses were ready when they weren't. It was my fault when I couldn't see when they gave me the wrong prescription. And finally, it was my fault that the glasses wouldn't sit level on my face. The manager actually said they would never be perfectly level because my ears were uneven. REALLY? I've had those frames for years without problems. I really had to bite my tongue to avoid identifying things asymmetrical with her. Anyway, go here if you hate yourself and enjoy being abused and gas-lighted. I would like to add, the full-time eye doc who corrected my prescription was a truly wonderful person. read more

I walked in on a Sunday morning and the store was pretty empty. Asked the girl behind the main desk if they take walkins and she said yes but they are all booked. So I asked if I can make an appointment then for later that day. Again she said no we are all booked, so I say ok how about for tomorrow then. She says yea, have a seat. So I sit down to wait for this lady. While I'm waiting I look on the visionworks website, and there were many appointments available for the rest of the day. So about 5 minutes later this girl come and says so you want to make an appointment? I mention the website says there's about 6 appointments available that day and again "no we are all booked up". So I make an appointment for the following day. As I leave I want to see I maybe the mobile website is wrong so I try to make an appointment for an hour from then and I works, i got an email confirmation. So I'm kinda pissed, wtf this lazy girl didn't even want to help me. So I show up again an hour later and tell this same girl I'm here for my appointment that I made online. She couldn't even look at me lol. The eye doc Greg was awesome, took 5 min for the exam and I was done. Apart from that shitty employee named Josaline or Johanna (it was something like that) this place is ok. Other employees were helpful when I came back to pick up my glasses. read more

What a complete 180° turnaround! The Bucktown location of Visionworks deserves an EXTRA STAR for customer service, selection, and professionalism. I'd been to this location in the past and had vowed never to return due to really poor customer experience but, boy, was I glad I gave them another try. All new staff and a brand new feel. The eye doctor was amazing - friendly, informative, going above and beyond to answer all my questions and concerns. Then, the technicians worked extra hard to help me select the perfect frame, then patiently walked me through the process of ordering the lenses and other add-ons. I know I can be a bit of a tough customer, but the service here today was unflinchingly impeccable. Six Stars! read more

One of the girls working in front was extremely rude. There was a mistake on their end looking up my insurance and demanded that I pay out of pocket ($180 for exam) or leave immediately not even giving me 5 minutes to call. I called insurance and figured it out. I will never be back. read more

RUDE and UNPROFESSIONAL When I arrived at 5:25pm on Thursday, 11/17, for my appointment, the woman, later discover the store manager, communicates with me from the back of the store while I'm at the front desk. She states that I've missed the 5 minute grace period for my 5:15pm appointment and will have to reschedule. I'm shocked as this is the first I'm hearing about a grace period. As she slowly walks to the front, she over talks me by repeating her grace period comment. I finally get my answer that the eye doctor is still there AND WITH THE PREVIOUS PATIENT. I attempt to explain that had I arrived at 5:15pm, I'd STILL be waiting to be seen because the doctor is STILL with a patient. The grace period is irrelevant. The store manager, Amber, rudely restates the grace period mantra. Mind you that I've been a patient here for at least 3 previous exams and this grace period policy was never mentioned. The doctor and patient emerge from the back. They confirm their appointment is still in progress. All told, I stayed until 5:51pm, under threat of police removal by Amber, when the appointment before mine finally ended. The eye doctor refused to see me or even tell me his name. He actually walked away from me as I spoke to him. Neither he nor Amber knew their district manager's name. When I mentioned placing a negative review, Amber snidely encouraged it. Here you have it, Amber. I have voice recordings of the interaction and have received communication from Visionworks corporate office regarding the incident. read more

I've been wearing contacts/glasses for almost 20 years now and Visionworks (Elston) is probably the WORST business and optometrist I have ever been to. The customer service representatives answering the phones and working the front desk are the most incompetent people I've ever dealt with at a doctor's office. I have never been to an eye doctor that performed a thorough examination of my eyes as quickly as this doctor did. I'm going to assume it was because it was a Saturday evening right before closing time. Upon buying my glasses, the customer service rep tried to add on that glass coating for my lenses unbeknownst to me until I reviewed the line items and requested to have that removed. I am currently waiting on SAMPLE contact lenses which have taken FOREVER to get delivered to their store. Every time I've called, each rep has told me they have no notes about my sample contacts. I've given up on this place and I HIGHLY recommend people going some place else. If you're in the WIcker Park/Bucktown area, I'd suggest going to For Site Optical on Milwaukee Avenue. It's a local optometrist who has very reasonable prices and they can overnight contacts to their store or have them within a few days. I'm hoping they have their $190 eye exam and 6 months of contacts deal, because Visionworks only cares about the bottom line. They are a chain and I would just rather support a local business like For Site that actually CARES about its customers. read more

I had an eye appointment scheduled and got no cancellation call. I called to cancel another appointment that was automatically scheduled without my permission when I was then notified that both of my appointments were going to have to be cancelled, one being the one I was relying on and planning on going to that exact day, yet no one notified me until I personally reached out. When I expressed my irritation because I had this appointment in advanced and am a college student who has to return to school she simply told me I'd have to call around. This isn't the first time I've had problems either but this location is close to my house and I just push past the inconveniences typically but the lack of professionalism is truly disappointing. read more

Do NOT waste your time at this establishment, or with these PEOPLE. This is beyond the WORST customer service I've ever experienced. You guys know that if you have no customers, you have no business, right?! And us policy holders can take our business wherever we'd like, which certainly will not be here. read more

Dr. Mezbur is great! I went in because I'm out of contact lenses, My glasses are all scratched up (and 4 years old), and I just plain needed to get my eyes checked. I was also relieved to find out that I don't have glaucoma when I went in, which only made my visit better! I waited 15-20 minutes when I walked in on a Friday around 5:00 with no appointment. It was a calm, quiet atmosphere, and everyone was really nice. The two people manning the front desk were super helpful, and whoever was assisting the doctor was wonderful too. They explained everything to me and answered all of my questions. When the exam was over, Dr. Mezbur went over the whole eye exam with me, and explained it all as well. On the down side, I have slight astigmatism in one eye, but after my last eye examiner told me I might have Glaucoma, I'll take it! After the exam, we talked about what kind of contacts might be better for me and my lifestyle. I sleep with my lenses in fairly often, and I apparently have really dry eyes. They give you a free pair of contact lenses after the exam for you to try on and test out. I got two different brands, one for each eye so that I can compare comfort, Dr's suggestion. This alone was unheard of to me. Every other eye doctor I've ever had just had me try a pair on to make sure they're okay, and then has sent me off with nothing, no trial pair, no brand suggestions. I also got a free mini bottle of lens cleaner and coupons for when I buy a full size bottle as well as coupons for a bottle of natural tears for my dry eyes. For anyone with Blue Cross Blue Shield... I have Blue Cross Blue Shield's HMO which covers eye exams through it's eye coverage partner, Davis. Davis has a $10 copay for eye exams, so I paid $10 (maybe $20 for the two exams, I don't recall), and Davis also covers $75 of whatever I get as far as glasses or lenses go. For everyone else, the exam was the cheapest exam I've found (both for glasses or contacts), so add it to your list of places to call if you're looking for an exam! I believe the lenses were going to add $50 or $70 to the cost of frames, but I held off on buying those for now (recession). This place is wonderful for prices, service, and quality. You'll be glad you chose them. read more

This location was so easy to get to and the staff resolved my issue quickly. As a patient of a different visionworks, they were so quick to help me by supplying me with a seven day sample of contact lenses that matched my prescription. Violet was so sweet and was able to get me my contacts within an hour. Will start visiting this location more often, thank you! read more

I went in with a pair of broken glassing thinking I was going to have to fully replace them so I went around fitting different styles as I waited. (Granted I was also a last minute walk in) I was then greeted by Cole who enthusiastically explained that the glasses would be a quick and easy fix, and a few minutes later he brought them back fully fixed and cleaned! Saved me so much time and money I'm glad we stopped in. read more

I had purchased glasses for the first time a few years ago and was very happy with the glasses. The store I went to closed so there was not another store near to me. My one pair broke and I wanted to call to see if I could bring in the glasses and just replace the frames with the same frames that I had. I was NOT able to get in touch with a real person but just got the runaround with the automated BS. If the store was close, I wouldn't mind and would have just gone it, but it was not and didn't want to travel that far without knowing something. I now know that I will NEVER go to this store anymore. you lost another customer. read more

GARBAGE PLACE. This is my first Yelp review as I have worked in the service industry and understand that things may not always go as planned. However, this was such a terrible experience, I feel obliged to share. The women at the front desk were incredibly rude and incompetent. I booked my appointment far in advance. They called THAT day to confirm it. I came early (as I think it's disrespectful to waste another's time). They informed me that the optometrist was out all day (???). As I asked why they had called to confirm my appointment if they had known that, the contracted on-call optometrist was heading for the door slinging his Subway foot-long. The front desk women told him that I had an appointment and was "upset" that I had to reschedule. He reluctantly said, "Okay, I guess I can quickly take you." I said "No thanks" as I didn't want to spend hundreds of dollars on contacts from a rushed examination. Don't go there. read more

This is the best vision place to go Chicagoland. Jocelyn is very professional and so helpful. She help me look my best in my new pair of glasses. Very organized and location was clean. If you plan a visit to Visionworks on Elston see Jocelyn she will get you right. read more

Vision works is a big disappointment my glasses keep getting dirty they where fine for the first 6 months then the kept clouding up. The manager said it was probably a new aftershave which is not true then he outright lied to me very disappointing corporate called but once again would not address the problem read more

Since my brother stepped on my glasses a couple months ago, I was on the hunt for some new glasses. Unfortunately, I have a uniquely shaped face: wide head, no nose, & big cheeks. So it was very difficult for me to find glasses. My vision insurance was through Pearle Vision, but their stores carried glasses that were too small for my face. I went to several other vision places: 2 America's Best & 1 Lenscrafters, and all of those places didn't have any eyewear that worked for me. As a last resort, I went to Visionworks off Elston, and this place a great variety in eyeglasses. Most importantly, Visionworks had glasses that fit my face, in fact there were a lot of them I could choose from. I couldn't be any happier. The staff was very helpful as they were giving me tips on how to find the larger sized frames as opposed to me trying every frame i like. I felt bad because I came in 30 mins before closing time, but they were very welcoming for me to stay. I bought 2 pairs of glasses using the promotion they had going on. I figure, even if I used my vision insurance, my glasses would still be cheaper at Visionworks. I didn't get an eye exam at Visionworks since I already had my eye exam a month earlier at Pearle Vision. However, I would suggest that if you don't get an eye exam there, ask your optometrist to do an eyeglasses exam and you can just take that perscription to Visionworks like I did. I highly recomment Visionworks to anyone getting glasses. You won't be disappointed. read more

Everyone here was helpful, warm and thorough. Dr. Patel noticed some dryness on my right eye, and took the time to check it out carefully to make sure it didn't have the potential to get infected. She also gave me a free solution to heal it. Jaclyn, the manager, took the time to price out two different options for eyeglasses and was just a pleasure to be around. read more

I recently made an appointment with Visionworks. The man at the desk, who turned out to be the General Manager, Cole Jobe, was delightful from start to finish, and besides offering to help me select frames, he also found out how much my insurance covered. The on-duty doctor, Dr. Patel, talked to me about my eyes, checked n my care of them and made recommendations for additional care. It was an all-around pleasant experience. I saw that staff treated other patients well, and did not rush anyone from trying frames, answered questions as if they cared and made the visit pleasant. This is my second engagement with Visionworks. So glad I found them! read more

While my rating is 4 stars, I do want to mention that I do give Dr. Greg Actipes 10s across the board! I initially stopped in on a Saturday with the idea of getting a walk-in appointment and the shop was really busy. I was told to browse for some frames and that someone would be with me shortly. I started looking around and after about 15 minutes and 2 other people who came in after me getting helped - I went up to the desk and asked to make an appointment. The paperwork was emailed to me so I was able to take care of that online beforehand which was really nice. I came back on Sunday and arrived 15 minutes early for my appointment and was seen before my scheduled time, which I appreciated! The preliminary tests were fine and the woman who was administering them was very patient with me when I was blinking during the air puff. Then I went in and saw the Dr. From our first web to web handshake I knew it was going to be a great exam, and I wasn't disappointed. Dr. Actipes explained everything going on with my vision issues - and asked my permission to show his staff my 'textbook floater on my pupil' - which I was happy to show off, recommended a great OTC eye drop, and even went out of his way to look for a cheaper set of frames for me and threw in a cleaning kit for being a good sport about my floater! If you are going to visit Visionworks - I highly recommend making an appointment to see Dr. Actipes. Alicia was great - helping me get the best bang for my buck while not being super pushy - which was appreciated. My glasses were ready by 5pm the following day. read more

I have been having problems reading small print for a while now and after reading Yelp reviews for various places decided to give Visionworks a try. Dr. Patel professional, warm and quick, I waited maybe 5-10 minutes without an appointment. The staff is friendly and not pushy when it comes to sales. They provide you with the options and you make the choice that fits your wallet. No insurance here but i got two terrific pairs of glasses and am as happy as a clam. read more

Went there for my spouse's eye exam and glasses. First we were pushed into buying some sort of extra retina exam which our insurance didn't cover fully and we kept refusing for. The staff was quite unprofessional including the doctor. Lastly, after you have paid, they will treat you with least care. We bought a Calvin Klein frame and at the time of delivery were given a cheap plastic case from visionworks which was too tight for the frame and obviously not a good fit for that frame. We asked for the original calvin klein case so that it keeps the frame safe and were denied outright! When we pushed their staff was rude. They eventually gave the original frame case however they were rude! Don't go here and save yourself the embarrassment. read more