Really, you can do better. This is on the low end of discount eyecare, with shabby facilities, indifferent customer service, and doctors that were clearly the C+ students in optometry school. So why did I go there at all? Well, my eyes aren't all that difficult to care for and I wandered in one day, had borderline acceptable service, and kept going back out of inertia. However, the last time I called to order new contacts I was kept on hold on the phone for *24* minutes and then when I politely complained was passed from optician to manager to general manager without ever getting a sincere apology, any sort of compensation for this drastic waste of my time, or any evidence that they cared enough to not make it happen again. So, I'm out of there and would advise anybody thinking of going there to just not do it. ETA (9/13): Despite that faux concern response below, there was no apology (or other followup) in response to the message they asked for. Although my complaint is with the Columbia franchise, my advice is to steer clear of all of them. A rotten company from top to bottom. read more

Arrived 15 minutes early as requested, then waited 20 min past my scheduled appointment time for a (no joke) 4 minute exam (where the doctor didn't even introduce herself). Then had to wait an extra 5 min for them to call my insurance. Needless to say I did not stick around to purchase glasses or contacts. No apologies and no explanations means no extra business from me. read more

First of all, The optometrist and exam staff were friendly, informative and knowledgeable. I would definitely see them again. I say NO due to the conditions of the store and a lack of knowledge at the front desk. The bathrooms had no toilet paper and both were extremely filthy. The online appointment scheduling confirmed my appointment multiple times via email AND text. Yet, where I arrived, the store had no appointment for me. They did squeeze me in but the process has issues. I also said multiple times that I only needed the exam and would not be purchasing glasses at this time. They still had me wait to talk to a sales person until I asked if I could just check out. They had issues getting my insurance right and tried to bill me incorrectly. They eventually got it right and I was able to check out for the right amount but it seems like some additional training is needed at this location. read more

They are always overcrowded and not organized. Nice people, just don't know what they are doing and can't keep up.

Went to get glasses during buy one get one free... don't believe this, they were going to charge me almost $200 for the second pair. Sent in comment to the company, they chose not to respond, so I sent another comment letting them know, I will tell everyone about their false advertising and lack of caring for their customers! read more

Don't waste your time, front end staff is unable to explain even the simplest information regarding the cost of an exam or glasses. They told me my insurance didn't exist (Cigna) so we called the insurance provider and they very nicely explained the plan which was meet with oh we don't take that. Telling a patient they don't know what there cover is vs. them not accepting a type of coverage are very different things. You should train your employees to be able to explain simply concepts. Cancelled my appointment and will never be using VW again. read more

Service is rude. The doctor was pretty condescending and offensive. Either they're understaffed or the staff there work very slowly because the wait was so long even with an appointment. read more

Awful experience. Just a simple eye exam lasted 1 hour 45 minutes. The appointment was for 3:15. We arrived at 3:10, my husband saw the doctor at 4:10. One hour of wait, I do not think that is a normal wait. The personnel was not nice. After the eye exam they kept us waiting for 45 minutes to pay for the eye exam. This location needs more personnel. I do not recommend this location, not even as a last resource. read more

Great service today. Called 3 different MreyeDrs and they either didn't take my insurance or were already booked. Called this store and they got me in right away. Was able to get my contracts and eye glasses exam. They also had a great selection of frames to choose from. Taylor and her staff did a great job. read more

We were in from out of town my daughter left her contacts at home. The staff and mgr were amazing in assisting me to get contacts that we needed!!! The lady helping us was kind and understanding! Great job vision works!!! read more

I don't know what some of the previous negative reviews were talking about, but I always have great service and prices from them.

This is one of the most disorganized places I've had the displeasure of patronizing over the years. I chose this eye doctor because it was the only place close by that my insurance would accept. Pretty much every time I've gone there has been some type of negative experience. The most recent time I went I had to pay $225 for two pairs of glasses for my daughter (this was after insurance!) The time before that I paid $250 for two pairs. The receipts are so lengthy and confusing and I always walk out wondering if I've been ripped off. The employees are not very nice either, they think they're better than you and seem annoyed the minute you walk into the door. On one occasion they couldn't find my glasses and I waited 30 minutes while they asked around and searched the entire store (waiting on other customers in between!) Oh, and they won't call you when your glasses are ready either. The only reason I'm giving 2 stars is because of Dr. Alam, she's the only good thing about this place. Otherwise it deserves a big fat zero. read more

Great service, wonderful selection. Good value. Location is easy! People are friendly, pricing is good too

Also wish a zero rating was an option. The other negative reviews on here are accurate. I rarely write reviews but the hostility of the employees in this location was so remarkable that I had to share. I strongly recommend purchasing glasses elsewhere. read more

Optometrist was good. Sales person was working on their own agenda, not mine in helping pick a pair of glasses. I pick out 5 that i thought was a good variety of the style I wanted. My current glasses are a size 50 or which I needed a size of 60 or larger which I suspect would make me look like some cartoon character if the glasses would stay on my head and not slip off. Plus the salesperson seemed to make a concerted effort to pick all style that were contrary to what i liked, even after many times of my "don't like it....", everything was based on frame size, nothing else mattered. After 45 mins of this I left. read more

Terrible service. Waited an hour after my appt time while the ladies talked to their friends and finally walked out!!!! Find another location!!!! read more

Taj Brown was AMAZING! She was so helpful in getting our order in for glasses. She explained the whole process and made our experience so painless. Thank you Taj for taking such good care of us! read more

My experience here was pretty good. My only downside to coming here is that it's a very busy location and they are understaffed. I went on Tuesday mid-morning and it was packed. Other than that, it was great. The staff are very friendly and know how to help. One woman in particular, Tajuana, was doing an outstanding job at helping people! She somehow managed to take care of everyone despite the crowd. She helped me find the right frame size for my face and gave me opinions on which glasses looked better based on my head/face shape. She made sure I understood the different lens options and got me the best discount. I had my glasses in the same day, although the overall time spent here was more than I expected. If you can get over that, I think you will be satisfied with their service. Also, they have quite a large selection of frames. read more

I created a Yelp account specifically for this review...hopefully it will save someone else the hassle of dealing with this establishment. Once we filled out the paperwork for the indifferent desk girl, my wife and I each got contact exams by some guy who may or may not have been an actual optometrist. It was the fastest, most bungled eye exam I have ever had. Basically, he found out that "I can't see without contacts", then jotted some stuff down on a pad. He then gave me a completely incorrect prescription, with several discrepancies between it and the actual contacts I needed to order. And for some reason, he switched me to disposables without telling me. My wife had a similar situation. But instead, they actually lost her contact order, then told her she needed a follow-up exam - which they never mentioned - and delayed her getting her contacts by two weeks. I want nothing to do with this place ever again. They got our money, screwed up our prescriptions, lost our orders, and acted as if we were the ones making their lives difficult. Do yourself a favor and stay away from Visionworks. read more

After seeing a lot of negative reviews I was very skeptical about going here. Fortunately my husband and I did because we received excellent service. From the first step in the store to our last, the staff couldn't be any more friendlier. Taj, in particular was very helpful and made us feel welcomed and valued as a customer. We will certainly return. read more

Don't ever go to the visionworks in columbia md. Worst day ever. Made me wait 1 hour 40 minutes to be seen then told me they could not give me my vision prescription for my own knowledge so I would know what my prescription is. Told me if I ask for my prescription again she (the manager) was going to put me on a list so I would not be serviced there again. When I asked her a question regarding my prescription she said Wow wow wow like I asked her something foreign. It is Saint Patrick's day and maybe she was drunk but if so she should not work there if she is incompetent. read more

They were terrible. I was planning to give them my business but it turns out that they didn't have the lens that I wanted in stock. Very frustrating day!! read more

A year or so ago, Visionworks allowed me to order the buy-one, get-one deal. When I went to pick up my 2 pair of glasses, there was only one pair. I was told that because of my special lens needs, I was only entitled to 1 pair, which I paid a fortune for. Shoulda' learned then. Shoulda' read the Yelp reviews then. Fast forward to today. It was time for my sons to get their exam and glasses through Medicaid, I went there, as I had in the past. The lady allowed him to pick any frames he wanted. I kept asking him if she'd told him there was a limit on how much Medicaid would pay for his glasses. She hadn't. So when we're all set, she announces that the frame cost is OVER Medicaid limits...BUT, if he purchases a 2nd pair, he'd get them for 1/2 price which in some convoluted way would be a big savings for a young man who only works part-time and has rent to pay. Wow. Then she tries to pressure us saying, 'he needs to be able to see - he needs the glasses,' even after I mentioned several times that we relied on Medicaid for his glasses because he has no money!! Tired of her yapping, I pushed back and said, 'fine, give me the prescription and we'll go to Walmart.' She gave me a spiel about how I probably wouldn't be able to get the glasses anywhere else since Medicaid had already paid for the exam. Yap Yap Yap, then after realizing I was ready to leave, she relented and allowed him to pick a pair of frames that Medicaid would cover without the need for buying into the 2nd pair at half price BS. I was going to bring his brother there tomorrow to get his annual exam and glasses. OH NO... we'll go anywhere but VisionWorks. Are the employees on commission that they pull these tactics? I'm still sore about my 2nd pair that I didn't get from them when I was scammed and paid a fortune for one pair. I should have read the reviews and never gone there in the first place. Consumers, Please think twice, read the reviews, do your research before you deal with these people. read more

I was greeted by staff as soon as I entered store..Although it was an extremely busy Saturday and I had to want, staff was attentive to my need. Total time in store from exam to submitting eyeglass was about an hour. read more

I must say I had a horrible experience at the Columbia MD and Laurel location. I received the wrong contact lenses on 3 different occasions in Columbia after waiting for almost a month to receive. The So called Contact Lens Specialist is not a Specialist in anything except POOR attitude and Customer Service. Finally after 3 attempts the Manager stepped in to ensure I received the correct prescription. So I assumed if I try another location the service would be better considering the lack of professionalism in Columbia. Well Laurel was the same except it was with eyeglasses. I order a pair of in stock glasses for my son with the understanding that the glasses would be available on a Tuesday. I waited until Wednesday to reach out considering I did not receive a call on Tuesday as promised. Needless to day there was not a record of my order that I prepaid. The rep nor the manager had a clue about my order. I was initially told to wait another day for the employee that took the order came to work. That was not going to happen. I was thankful that I paid attention and remembered the blue tray number that my sons glasses where placed in. Bingo, because of my efforts as the customer the manager located my glasses. I must emphasize the staff at both locations really needs extensive training and education on how to serve customers in a vision establishment. POOR Service..Columbia and Laurel read more

Their deals are great. Really awesome can't get a better deal otherplaces. Customer service not so much. Was a hassle to get them to transfer my prescription. Should have been done in 30seconds it took 45 minutes. Not fun. read more

Rude, rushed, and confusing on the phone. Always understaffed. Doctors are good but office staff are unprofessional. Found glasses that I loved but I won't go back. There has got to be a better place near me. read more

Go somewhere else. I've been there 3 times in the past 2 weeks. The first 2 times, I saw a young lady with dreadlocks who was great, and a young man who was also great. However, the last time, I saw an extremely rude lady. Very short with customers and has a huge attitude. I've seen her with other customers during my previous visits as well. She was terrible. Absolutely terrible. read more

Super-friendly Doctor and staff for my 10 year old daughter. They had a sweet sale going on. The exam and two pairs of glasses (with transition lenses) cost me a total of $250! I'll definitely be back. read more

Very satisfied with the service! Ordered glasses during a very busy time, new years, and received great customer service and friendliness. Although glasses were not ready by the "promise date" the management was very apologetic and offered to send me a pack of contacts on the house (something they didn't have to do!). 30 day satisfaction guarantee is also a great service they have. read more

I normally do not write reviews. However, I'd like to write a review for the service I received from Visionworks at Columbia. I came to this location because my previous doctor did not accept my current insurance and the location and schedule from this office fit me. My appointment was around noon on Saturday. The only eye doctor seemed very busy. She was nice, answered questions, and gave suggestion. I had a great experience with her. After I finished my exam, a sales lady accepted me at checkout. It seemed that Visionworks office is composed of two groups: eye doctor and sales person. As I have some un-used contact lenses from my previous doctor and they don't expire, I asked her if they can exchange for those with different power. She told me that they can't do. So I decided not to get the contact lenses and glasses from them. The sales lady tried to lure me saying that I would lose the benefit if I did not buy the contact lenses from them on that day: first, I would have to pay my contact lenses fitting fee $59 out of pocket or reduce the insurance allowance: second, I will not get their 50% off deal for their glasses and lenses. I was confused by her explanation as I have never heard that I would have to pay the sitting fee with my current insurance. So I asked her to provide me the price with full year contact lenses supply and high definition lenses from my frame, the copay is $206 after their 50% deal. Then I asked her to quote for only half year contact lenses supply, my copay was $59 something. Then I knew I was fooled by her. From experience with my previous doctor, I know that my insurance should has enough coverage for half year supply. The sales lady was fooling me and their contact lenses are ridiculous high. The receptionist from previous doctor would tell me the contact lenses price. This sales did not tell you the price. She was using the computer to do all the calculation without showing the price. This lady tried to sale their product with higher price by luring customers with their sales deal and providing them with vague or inaccurate insurance information. There are several sales person in the location. I did not have experience with the other sales person. Having experience with this sales lady, I decided that I would never go to this place again. Make sales is fine but don't try to fool customers. For those going to this location, you'd better know your insurance benefits and know some price information from other resource. read more

Taj is one of the rudest people I have ever met. She was disrespectful, mean and possibly racist. I came into this branch to pick up some free trial contacts because I ran out of contacts and the doctor took too long to extend my perception. The kind associate there who I arranged everything with over the phone had the box of trials ready for me with my name on them. However, when I came to pick them up Taj decided that I could not have the trail contacts. She immediately took the contacts aways and yelled at the associate who was helping me. Not only did she disrespect me as a customer but the also the associate who was kind enough to help me. Taj should not be in any position of authority. She is rude to both customers and other workers. I will never go to this branch again. I even called Visionwork's main office and filed a complaint demanding Taj to call me to apologize. Do not go to this branch if Taj is still running the place! read more

I was not satisfied with the quality of care received. I have vision insurance, and received an eye exam on the second visit. I was very impressed with the doctor who conducted the eye exam, very thorough. The disconnect happened with selecting frames, which went O.K. until the young man measured my husband and I for glasses. He was very rushed and not committed to the process. We were told the glasses would be ready in ten days. We didn't receive a call in ten days, so I started calling. We were told a list of reasons why the glasses were not ready, including the staff was not able to reach us by phone. I found that excuse very unusual, because I left messages for staff to call me, no response. Finally, I asked to speak with the manager, Mamie and was told our glasses were returned to inventory because they could not reach us. I asked for a copy of our prescription, and decided to take my business elsewhere. This was the second year I used their service, only to be disappointed again. I am asking my insurance company to remove them from our list of provider and replace them with another provider in Howard County. read more