The Eye Center

While the doctors here may be great, it takes a lot to get to the doctor and I didn’t get the chance to find out. First, the people who answer the phone and at the desk are dry and the customer service is the worst. It’s not like this at the other places that I call for appointments. I tried calling the Fairfax location, I got hung up on too and she was trying to fast talk. I had an appointment at the Alexandria location and I didn’t get a Hello, How are you or anything. I just got handed the board with the papers and only asked for my insurance card and id. They did speak to some of the other people who came in so they are not consistent in their niceness. There’s too many eye places out there to deal with something like that.

Terrible experience with the staff. The staff is unbelievably rude. Tried to schedule an appointment as I have been going to this office for routine eye exams. She was nasty, unaccommodating, and hung up on me. If this is the staff they employ then I think it says a lot about their practice.

I feel terrible for the other customers, but I’ve had nothing but good experiences here. I had my LASIK surgery on July 26^th, 2014. Since then I’ve seen Dr. Teaser three times for the post check ups and she’s been great each time.
The office staff can be aloof but I don’t expect them to stand and give me a hug whenever I arrive. They check check me in, set up my appointments and validate my parking. I don’t think I’ve ever waited more than 5 minutes to see Dr. Teaser when I’m there. I had my latest check up with a male Dr., I didn’t get his name, but he was friendly, professional, and informed of my procedure although he isn’t my usual doctor.
I am BEYOND pleased with my experience. I wish I had gotten LASIK sooner! I’ve been telling everyone who wears glasses to go to the Eye Center.

So this is my second year at this place. The first time around I was happy with the doctor Tesser she was very nice and polite. This year was awful maybe because I had a different doctor (?). So I went in for my regular eye exam but was interested in contacts. Doctor says, and I quote, «they [insurance] doesn’t cover it [contact lenses].» I trusted what he said and didn’t bother to call my insurance, so I had my eye exam done for glasses and needed to come back for a self-​pay contact lenses fitting and prescription. I made comments about this to friends and was told that the price of $ 90-​more didn’t seem too good. This made me called my insurance at which point they tell me that contact lenses are cover under my insurance. I was so angry at myself and at the doctor so I called the office immediately.
The receptionist says the doctors usually do not know what’s cover… so they shouldn’t speak if they don’t know. Anyway, I already had one appointment completed at this point then I came back for second tome which is when they gave me trial contact lenses to wear and come back in two week. I tell the receptionist that my insurance suggest I go someplace else. She puts me on hold for like 5 minutes and then comes back to tell me that I must pay for the entire process even if it isn’t complete which now the total was $ 220.00. Ok, so I say you know what fine I will go ahead and pay and then submit to insurance my myself.
So the two weeks come and oh yeah I had a credit on my account that no one ever told me about. .anyway $ 220 and then I get a bill in the mail. So it turns out that they billed my insurance for the so claimed «self-​pay» procedure. I called my insurance and they tell me that one claim was for a «consultation» and the other was for the eye exam. A consultatiom on the date of service given to my insurance never happened. My insurance is working on figuring out why two claims and I am still waiting…
At least one good and kind technician said to order my contact lenses online… she must know what a joke they are when it comes to cost.
Save yourself the headache and go some place else. I know I am never coming back.

Mixed experience here. Dr Reisner is a great doctor and he is the only reason I put up with the front desk staff’s continued practice of overbooking appointments. They will chide you for being late but do not seem to understand that when you make people wait ON AVERAGE 45 min+ past scheduled appointment time, this is what you should expect. Our time is as valuable as the doctors’ time and long wait times are particularly impactful to those taking time off from work. Normally this means close to 3hrs between commute there and back plus 45 – 60 min wait, then waiting again in the exam room plus actual time spent with the doctor and PA. Be prepared for some snarkiness from front desk… they could choose to temper the long waits with a pleasant attitude to make up for the aggravation, but apparently that is too much to hope for.

I arrived at 3:15 for a 3:30 appointment. When I was not seen by 3:50, I told the desk that obviously they had overbooked, and that they should call me to reschedule, when they can keep the appointment. I will not be back.

Terrible experience, wish I had read the reviews of their other VA locations. I called ahead of time to verify that I had insurance money left this calendar year to cover contacts. First receptionist said yes, and that my eye exam would be fully covered as well as my contacts. I went ahead and booked, as otherwise would have just ordered contacts online. Upon arrival to my appt, the receptionist told me that I had no credit available and showed a different date for my last re-​order than the first receptionist (could have been the same person for all I know). After several questions from me, she realized that I DID in fact, have partial credit (not full like one person said, or none like she originally said).
Doctor was 45 minutes late. She had no clue what type of contacts I had ordered the previous two years from them, which was important since I wanted to go back to my original kind. I would think that would be an important bit of information for a doctor to have. She then told me there was a «contact lens fitting» fee of $ 60 in addition to my co pay for the eye exam. Told her I was never informed of that and I had specifically called to find out the charges before booking, and she said, «well it gets very confusing for them». I still have no clue how I was «fit» for contacts… I wore my own in, wore my own out, and never tried on any others. She never looked in my eyes when had my contacts in. Oh, but she was kind to quote me different prices on 30 and 90 day supplies of various contacts.
Then, she wanted to know how old my glasses were… which I never wear. And of course, asked if I was interested in buying a pair. At least she did say that if I don’t wear them much, there really wasn’t a «need» to.
Normally I would be okay with the actual eye exam since it was very quick and my eyes don’t typically change year to year. However, given this experience, it makes me realize I read a total of 4 lines (2 per eye) and then had drops put in to look for glaucoma. Probably not the most thorough exam.
And then when placing my order for contacts with the doctor, she says it is $ 25 to have them sent to my home! I said to forget it and I would just order them online where they will ship them for free.
When I complained at the front desk about the additional charge and said I would not sign the credit card receipt, the receptionist told me I «had» to since she had swiped the card. I wrote on the receipt that I would be contesting the unauthorized charge for services not rendered.
This place is all about the money and not patient care, and I felt like it was a bait and switch with the «fitting» charge.