Vision Essential

This is a delayed review, but I’m really glad I trusted Unilocal this time around to come here and replace my prescription lenses. The woman I spoke on the phone before going in knew pricing and specs of different types of lenses off the top of her head which really impressed me. Furthermore, when I showed slight dissatisfaction with how the glasses curved with my face, their technician was really patient and accommodating. The staff there know how to provide excellent service!

I had my eye exam for both contacts and glasses here and I was very happy with the service I received. Everyone is super nice and kind and really cares about you as a customer. The doctor was really knowledgable and professional and made sure that I was happy with the prescription he is recommending. And I was. The new lenses for my glasses were ready in 2 days. I used my existing frame and just had new lenses put in. They did this in 30 mins. They did a great job. I can see clearly now … :) They also adjusted my existing frame to not slide down my nose as much and that made me super happy! Highly recommend this place. Their prices are also good.

I am so happy and grateful that I decided to look them up on Unilocal.This place is truly amazing compared to all the other local ones. The doctor and his staff were very professional, friendly, welcomed and informative. The office is very nice and clean and spacious as well as the examine room. I would’ve gave it 5 stars but I did felt like they had somewhat limited eyeglass selections. But overall this will be my new go to eye doctor as well :)

Dr. Cooper was very thorough conducting the eye exam. She was helpful answering concerns regarding my vision. I booked an appointment the same day and they were able to take me in although I had to wait few minutes. I didn’t mind since it’s last minute request and it just happened they have an open slot that hour. Elaine was helpful letting me figure out which frames work best for my face frame. The only thing that they missed is that, they weren’t able to let me know that my insurance does cover some of their selected frames (like the yellow tag which is fully covered (their Davis vision collection), red tag and blue tag which would have a minimal co-​pay). I missed this part and just realized about this when I called my insurance the day after my visit. The frame that was recommended to me, although it fitted me well, my insurance only covers $ 25 for that. As a customer, I wish I was informed regarding this (other selections with the tags Davis Vision covers), since that would have helped me broadened my options better and utilize my money and insurance better. That would also have spared me time instead to try on more frames during that visit instead of making another trip for that. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the case so I’m removing a star. They did have good customer service and they have decent selections but I might get my eyeglasses instead closer to my place since going there is quite a distance for me since I don’t live that close.

The staff were very helpful and kind. They helped me to understand what my insurance covered and what I would have to pay out of pocket.
When I was called in to see the doctor, he took his time and did a comprehensive exam of my eyes and took the time to explain, in plain English, what my vision was, what has changed about them compared to my eyes before.
I ended up getting contacts (first time), and the staff took the time to make sure I knew how to take them out and put them in, and even gave me tips on how to make it easier.
I would definitely recommend this place to others and I look forward to going back.

Awesome customer service. I had a hard time choosing a frame and they were super patient and helpful during this entire process. The doctor saw me quickly and explained what he was doing. I didn’t have to wait more than 10 mins before being seen. Great selection and price ranges for every budget. They take Davis Vision another plus for me. If you’re looking for a one stop shop for your exam and frames look no further!

This place deserves an absolute 5 stars. Went in for an eye exam and contact lense fitting. The doctor was very nice and explained the things I need to know very well. He made sure that my prescription is right and that I am comfortable with the fitting of my contact lenses. The staff are also very accommodating and helpful when I was choosing my eyeglasses frame. And did I mention that the place looks gorgeous!!!
If you are looking for a new eye doctor and a place where to get your new prescription glasses with no hassle, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this place.

So I was looking for new prescription glasses and the process from start to finish was a great one.
Once I scheduled an appointment, I met with Dr. Ho who was thorough and good at explaining different items. Then it came to choosing the frames which despite how long it took me to decide because of their wide variety of frames I ultimately relied on the recommendation of Elaine to decide the frame. Pricing and accommodation of my insurance was very reasonable and when it came time to pick the glasses with prescription up there was someone there to thoroughly make sure the glasses fit nicely going as far to warm up the ear guards and adjusting the nose pads. When i finally put them on I was pleasantly pleased at how it turn it out. The selection of frames from Elaine was superb as was the entire service. Highly recommend and ask for their recommendation when deciding on frames.

Dr. Ho is my new go to eye doctor! He preformed a thorough eye examination and helped me to discover I have astigmatism, which really helped me with the clarity of my vision that my previous eye doctor didn’t pick up on from another store. I’m glad I discovered this store. The doctor answered all my questions thoroughly and the staff here are really friendly and accommodating.

Had an eye exam, no wait since it was just me lol. I didn’t get the name of the female dr, but she was just too good and kind. Staff, very sweet and helpful. Thank you.

Saw Dr. Ho today for an eye exam and he was very nice. Quick yet thorough. He answered my questions and gave me tips for my eyes and my new rx. The girls were nice and patient while I made up my mind on which frames I wanted.

This is really the most positive doctor experience I’ve ever had. I’ve seen both Dr. Cooper and Dr. Ho, and both were fantastic. I spend a little more time with Dr. Cooper, so mostly this is about her. She was both friendly and honest, and took the time to thoughtfully answer ALL my questions (and I had a lot). My eyes have felt a little tired lately, and the exam and follow-​ups were the most thorough I’ve ever received. What I really appreciated about Dr. Cooper was that she had a great combination of offering her expertise, translating, and treating me like an adult who could understand things and make decisions. I just really felt comfortable asking questions and expressing concerns, and it was clear with both doctors that they knew what they were talking about. Also, the women at the desk were equally knowledgeable and helpful.
All in all, I highly recommend this place.

Had a fantastic experience here. The staff was friendly, attentive, and accommodating. They helped me figure out how to get the most value out of my insurance coverage, and were great about helping me choose frames.
Dr. Ho was thorough, patient, and answered all my questions. He took the time to explain how he was able to decrease the prescription strength of my lenses by correcting my mild astigmatism. (And also explained why sometimes one might choose not to correct the astigmatism.) He used visuals and graphics on a tablet to explain astigmatism further when I asked. He also cleaned all his equipment.
The place had a very clean, professional, and friendly atmosphere. There was none of the high-​pressure-​sales feel. I have a follow up visit, after I’ve tested my contacts. The woman at the front let me know that, once we found the right contacts, I could buy them there, or she could provide me the prescription so that I could purchase them online. I appreciated that she pointed out that alternative.

Had my first visit today for a contact lens and eyeglass fitting. This place is fantastic! The staff is friendly and helpful. Dr. Ho was patient, thorough, and professional. He spent a lot of time checking the health of my eyes, narrowing down the prescription, and answering ALL of my questions. To top it off, the frame and lens prices are so affordable, especially for Astoria.
If you need glasses or contacts, you need to visit this place. You will be very pleased.

Just had an awesome first visit at Vision Essential. I hadn’t gotten an eye exam in over 5 years and wanted to give this place a try after reading the reviews on Unilocal.I called them up and they informed me they had availability later in the day so I went in.
Upon entering, I was greeted by a very nice woman who gave me forms and sat me down at a couch to the side. As soon as I completed the forms I was taken in for the eye exam. I don’t remember the doctor’s name but she was fantastic! She noticed that I had a slight astigmatism and patiently explained what that means and the implications (I would be getting glasses on this visit). Great bedside manner, great explanations.
Once I had the go ahead to pick out a pair of glasses, the receptionist was incredibly patient as I tried on frame after frame. She gave input and kept up a positive attitude through the whole ordeal.
Overall, the Unilocalers win again. Highly recommended!

Best glasses /​exam experience ever. Dr. H was so thorough and careful during the exam. The staff are extremely courteous, helpful, and don’t push anything on you. In fact, they knocked off some fees for me because I was buying glasses with them for the first time. Top notch!

This is my first time at Vision Essential, and my first pair of progressives. When I first put them on the world swam around me. I thought this will be impossible. The woman who helped me worked and coached me about making the transition. Such patience! With time and her advice I became used to them, and now I’ll never go back!
I am now a loyal fan and can’t recommend them highly enough.

These guys are just great! Was able to make an appointment for the same day. The doctor was very nice and thorough. He asked a lot of questions, cleaned all his equipment and even wrote me a prescription for some special drops for my itchy eyes.
They are not pushy at all like some places. The girls opened a hundred of the locks so I could be my indecisive self and try on every pair back and forth and back again! Everyone in the office was super friendly and pleasant to deal with. 2 thumbs up!

Vision Essential is great!
Often, I find that I like either the doctor OR the staff when taking care of my eyes. However, at Vision Essential BOTH are top notch. I saw Dr. Cooper. She was thorough and informative without being overwhelming or pushy. Her equipment was the most modern I’ve seen and she kept notes on the computer, which I appreciate, but also gave me a handwritten note for a drop she recommended on my request.
The two women at the front desk were really polite and incredibly helpful. They mapped out my options given my insurance so that I could get both contacts and glasses and get the greatest value given my coverage. They were also helpful when it came to picking out frames and they sent both an email and text when my glasses/​contacts were available.
The shop is clean and bright, but most impressive is that Vision Essential seems care a great deal about customer service. Furthermore, their prices were reasonable and they were fast. I was debating four stars, but then I looked at the five star comment, «As good as it gets!» and I thought, I could not have asked for more from Vision Essential.

Wow, this place was a VAST improvement over Clearview Ophthalmology, who I originally went to and found out was just awful.
First of all, the receptionist and the doctor’s assistant were both very pleasant and proficient. As soon as I came in, they gave me paperwork to fill out, and when I was done the assistant checked my eyes and then immediately passed me along to Dr. Ho. My appointment was at 2:30 and I saw the doctor maybe 5 minutes after that — how about that!
Then, Dr. Ho was excellent. He was friendly, clearly very knowledgeable, and quick as well. We went through all of the standard tests in record time. But my favorite thing about Dr. Ho was that he explained that I had the OPTION of paying $ 125 for standard lenses or $ 175 for the more expensive lenses to correct the astigmatism in my left eye. He sent me home for a week to wear the new prescription sans astigmatism correction, and when I go back in a week if I want to stick with them and not get corrective lenses, that’s totally fine. I kind of couldn’t believe that he was actually giving me an option to go with the cheaper lenses if I wanted, rather than insisting that I take the more expensive ones.
To top it off, the waiting area and office were very clean and welcoming — nice music was playing and they had two contact lens stations (along with a sink to rinse your hands in first!). Overall this place was exactly what I was looking for. The only reason I went with 4 instead of 5 stars was that they’re slightly more pricey than other places. It’s worth it though.