Spex- Dempster St./Evanston

My first time visiting Spex was because I needed an alteration on glasses that I had purchased elsewhere. They neither carried the line nor sold me the glasses that needed repair. However, the optician there, Jeremy, was exceptionally helpful, knowledgeable, and did a wonderful job with my glasses without charge. Will definitely go again for future eyewear needs.

Worked with 3 members of their staff and all very helpful and friendly. I have a very strong prescription and they had frames that hid the thickness of the lenses while still being relatively trendy. Additionally, their lab did an excellent job hiding the thickness.

I had a very positive experience at Spex on dempster. Everyone was so friendly and patient as I took quite a bit of time picking out the perfect frames. They had a nice selection of frames and all of the staff was so helpful in working with me to find the perfect fit. The eye doctor was knowledgeable and down to earth. I would highly recommend Spex to anyone!

I broke my only pair of glasses and Patty, the wonderful manager, tried everything so that they would stay together. I was able to wear them while my new glasses were being made.
If you are looking for great service and quality frames and lenses this is the place to go!

I went with my husband for his eye exam so I could help him pick out a pair of frames. Not only did we not find any that worked (they have only very trendy/​fashion styles and not much that looks «classic» for men) but despite having an appointment we spent nearly an hour and a half at the store for his exam.
There was a ~20 min wait before his first eye test. Then another ~20 min wait before he saw the doctor. Then she dialated his eyes and we had to wait another ~20 min for that to take effect to complete the exam.
It took this long despite the fact that we declined the extra retina tests they recommend to all patients (that are not covered by insurance) and needed only a basic glasses exam.
Everyone was friendly and professional but the numerous & lengthy wait times seemed very inefficient to me.

The attention and care provided over the last few years by everyone in this office, especially Nadine Hartnett has been constant, satisfying and rather prompt.

Sometimes you get what you pay for; I have a very complicated prescription and am really picky about the quality of my glasses. I went back several times, asked them lots of questions, and generally took up their time; they were always incredibly helpful. Finally, I ordered some top-​of-​the-​line glasses and frames; they are worth every penny. I’ve purchased reading glasses there as well. No attitude, no pseudo hip smirkig, just great service and a quality product. If you need a complex prescription and like very stylish frames, come here.

After 20+ years of beating up the eyes with a computer, I finally caved in and got my first eye exam. This place is good! The old saying of «You get what you pay for» is true. It may be more than a cheapo Sears optical but the service was top notch and I walked out with some sporty Oakley spex!!! I received a few free items too, cleaners and such. Good place!!!

Looked at the comments here about sunglasses so went to see what they have. The selection wasn’t that great. The woman greeted me but wasn’t very helpful except to point out where the less expensive ones were. I was the only customer in the store
When I left she was on the phone
I found a better selection at another optics place in town and bought a pair of sunglasses there where the staff were more attentive.

I bought a pair of Lindbergh frames here 1.5 years ago. The frames, though pricey are terrific. They did become loose and so I took them in for an adjustment. Not only was this done quickly and well, but the staff were very accommodating. They also gave me a new case, lens wipe, and fluid.

Brought my expensive Lindberg frames in for repair and was told there would be no charge, but they had to send them back to Denmark to get them repaired. They mentioned that they have many shipments to and from Denmark because they are Lindberg distributors. Went to pick up my glasses and suddenly there is a $ 30 fee for parts and «return shipping.» Not what I expected when I was told that there would be no charge.
This place does not play fair.

OK, so it’s been over a month since I bought a new pair of glasses here and I’ve had time to get use to my glasses. They’re great, in fact, best I’ve ever had. I’ve been buying at that mall chain for 20 years and decided I wanted something different.
I first looked around in January, and the sales woman helped me for about an hour. I told her I needed to wait a month for my insurance to kick in and it wasn’t a problem. I stopped back a month later and she showed me some frames that I hadn’t considered, but looked really good on me. Now I get compliments on my glasses from random people and I’ve never been able to see as good with these glasses.
Admittedly, I spent more than I expected, but I am very happy with the glasses I got here. I highly recommend this place if you want quality lenses and frames and want to have glasses that are different than everyone else. I will definitely return when I need new glasses.

I had my exam elsewhere but came to Spex because they seemed to have a wide selection and the other place didn’t. I got a pair of Silhouette frames and snap-​on sunglasses. The people who assisted me were very nice and helpful. I had some problems with the new glasses, but they went so far as to check my eyes, determined that the prescription I had wasn’t as good as it should be and made new lenses. In the end, the glasses are excellent. I am thoroughly please with Spex. I should note that I have vision care insurance and I have a good job, so money was not an issue. These glasses were about $ 1,000. I really didn’t look any anything but the Silhouettes, but I get the impression that this shop caters to those with means. So I will recommend For Eyes to those who can’t afford Spex. That’s where I used to go and was always satisfied there too, with the glasses. The personal attention at Spex is superior, but it comes at a cost. Note: For Eyes does not carry Silhouettes brand.

Both the women who work there are wonderful and very patient. I had major issues with contacts for 15 years and couldn’t get them in. After two brief sessions, I was good to go. They also have a good selection of glasses.

I’ve had a few eye exams at Spex because it’s just around the corner from my apartment. But, if I’m going to be honest (and that’s what Unilocal’s all about right?) I’d have to quote Jim Carrey and say «I’ve had better.» Much better.
Spex has a pretty nice (i.e. designer) selection of frames and sunglasses, but I’ve only stopped in for eye exams. Dr. Piper was usually pretty nice, except she never remembered who I was. She always said «nice to meet you» even though I had seen her before. I felt like she was trying to force me to try a different brand of contacts even though I repeatedly said that I was happy with the brand that I already wore.
This place is ridiculously expensive for a basic exam (and they don’t do any kind of optical health testing other than dilation). I was told that because I asked Dr. Piper about allergy eye drops that I could end up paying more because they’ll need to submit my exam to my general health insurance in addition to my vision insurance. So they submitted my exam to my vision insurance, as well as my general health insurance, and still charged me a «mandatory» $ 100 fee because a contact lens exam is considered «cosmetic.» Hmm. That’s strange. I don’t get charged this «mandatory» $ 100 fee with my new Optometrist. I’m also able to ask my new Optometrist any eye-​related question without being threatened to pay extra. It seems like Spex has all these hidden costs and fees, and they aren’t very upfront at explaining it all.
In conclusion, if your eyes aren’t that bad and you just need a quick checkup (oh, and you have money growing on trees in your backyard) — sure, try Spex. Otherwise, find an actual Optometry practice. I guarantee you’ll pay less and receive a more thorough exam.

So I had gone in a few weeks ago to check out some of the frames because I was WAY overdue for an eye exam and glasses. My wife had taken a look at what chains were covered under her vision plan and Spex came up. After looking online, I found that there was one very close by our place and decided to check it out.
It turns out that I’ve passed by this place several times and even looked in the window a few times and here it was. The location is kind of in a small corner of Evanston close by a Starbucks and across the street from Blindfaith Café. Katie, one of the staff at Spex, was very helpful and extremely patient with me. I basically wanted to check out half the frames but she never rushed me. When I came upon a couple of frames I liked, I booked an appointment.
It turns out that the Optometrist, Gina, came in only on certain days and her schedule was fairly booked up so I had to set a time that was a couple of weeks out.
When I came back and had my eye Exam with Gina, she was very professional and very polite. Also it turns out that she was very thorough and didn’t flinch at all when she was detailing out the cost of eye exams and what was or wasn’t covered on my insurance.
When it came time to check out frames again, the other staff member that I worked with Laura was equally as helpful as Katie. After making my selection now came the fun part. The price. I will be honest and say that it wasn’t cheap. Though the insurance covered a significant amount, the frames carried are not the standard designer brands but you get what you pay for. And although they told me that my glasses would be done in 7 days, I was lucky and got them in 3 days!
I would definitely recommend this place but be prepared for the price and check with your vision insurance first to get an idea of what will be covered or not.

I chose this store out of convenience and had purchased glasses there previously — none of which lasted more than a couple of years… so shame on me for ignoring my suspicion that Spex is probably more about fashion than quality. More on that to follow.
Beware — the woman that is the manager at this location (Laura Bloom) was very dishonest with me. This is the core of my experience and is what is fueling this update. «Rude» and «mean» are all subjective descriptions and all relative ultimately… however facts are objective so this review will focus on facts.
I spent over $ 600 with Spex on a pair of «titanium Lindberg» prescription glasses that soon developed problems with the lenses chipping… Spex replaced them replaced under warranty… but then the same «chipping» issue affected the replacment lenses… but I just put up with it because I didn’t really want to deal with warranty hassles again.
But soon after, the $ 600 titanium Lindberg frames broke while I was cleaning the lenses, This really surprised me because Spex presented them as very tough — sales person literally sat on them in the shop to demonstrate their «toughness».
I reminded Spex of this and they were eventually able to get these frames replaced under warranty. During the process, I pointed out the recurring chipping problem of the lenses to Laura Bloom, who said she would get them redone too. This all sounded great to me – but I wanted to know that the chipping problem could be solved too. since this would be the third time replacing the lenses in these frames. Laura recommended «high-​index» lenses (instead of standard polycarbonate) would be a better fit for these frames and resist the chipping. Why this was not recommended before I have no clue… but I was happy to hear about a solution and gladly volunteered to pay the cost difference to get the better lens material… she said she would check into it and get back to me. What had to be checked — I don’t know… why not just get it done — especially if I am paying the difference?
Next day, Laura Bloom called and left a message on my voice-​mail claiming the high-​index lenses were not possible because their lab had already made my lenses from polycarbonate. This seemed strange since the order was just submitted the day prior.
Doing a bit of homework, I learned that Spex outsources their lens work to a 3^rd party «lab» in Aurora, IL called «Focus Optical Labs». So I called Focus and inquired about a customer order under my name. The receptionist («Rose») must have thought I worked for Spex — though I did not tell her I was a Spex employee. Sure enough, she looked up my order and told me in fact that my order had not been made and that Laura Bloom (Spex manager) specifically called her earlier to ask if it was possible to switch my order to high index lenses. Focus told me Bloom was told it was possible — but Bloom told them (in effect) «never mind, keep it how it is».
Why go through the effort of trying to find out if an order can be changed and finding out it can be – only to not change it and tell me that it was too late to change it? Very bizarre.
Learning that my request to have my order upgraded to a better lens quality was intentionally disregarded even though it could have easily been changed was irritating to say the least. Then being lied to about it? That is beyond awful customer service –it is unethical.
I decided to ask Ms Bloom (Spex manager) about this. She was very clearly angered that I had somehow figured out that she purposefully ignored my request and exposed the fact that she was dishonest with me. Now confronted with the evidence, she admitted that yes, it was still possible for me to upgrade the lens material to high-​index. Since the lenses had not been made, I asked her to use my new script that I just got (the one they had used was 10 years old). She said «no» and that I would have to buy a whole new set… considering the circumstances I expected she would accommodate me — but after some back and forth — she asked me to leave the store. She did not want customers to hear me recount her behavior. She had her manger call me – Boyce Moffit. who defended Ms. Bloom and asked that I not return to Spex.
So to recap… I offered to pay the upgrade difference for better lens quality — she said she’d look into it and get back to me, then says ‘sorry, too late’, I check with their lab and find out that’s not the case, then call her out on this, and I get banned from the store because of it.
What happened to my order? Spex sent the frames and the lenses back to me via mail — the lenses were purposefully not installed in the frames… in my opinion, a vindictive retaliation for my exposing Ms Bloom’s behavior.
Because of the above, I filed a complaint against Spex with the Better Business Bureau Complaint ID#: 94 249 065; Spex did not respond.

⁴⁄₁₀ update… I just bought another glasses, and, again, the service is outstanding. If you want experienced, customer service oriented individuals to assist you in finding the ‘right’ pair of glasses, and to get the rx and fit just right, this is the place to go. Laura was incredibly patient and knew how to get me the right frames.

The people there are friendly competent and take time to get you the right pair of glasses. Be sure to ask the prices of everything. I ended up paying $ 600 plus dollars for glasses, frames and eye exam because I didn’t pre-​price. I hear they have more reasonable glasses. They were careful to tell me which ones were on my insurance plan and that helped.
However I love my glasses and the service I got there. If you have money it’s a great place to go. If you are on a budget find another place like Four Eyes, Walmart or Sam’s Club. Selection was small but what they had was fabulous.

I have bought several pairs of glasses and contacts here over the years, and wouldn’t go anywhere else. I’ve bought some beautiful and interesting frames there. While they are somewhat expensive, their support is worth it. Loose a screw or nose cushion? They’ll replace it while you wait. When ever something goes wrong with glasses you buy from them, they take care of it.