Philadelphia Eyeglass Labs

I’ve been coming here for five years and have always had positive experiences. The staff is very friendly and the doctors that I’ve seen have been great.

My glasses that I bought here 15 months ago broke last week. I won’t be back. I bought a Groupon deal that was like $ 39 for the exam plus $ 180 towards the frames (or similar terms). I paid another $ 570 in the store before I was done. So that’s a ~$ 600 pair of glasses that lasted just over a year. More than that, I didn’t enjoy a single benefit I supposedly paid for. The «ultra thin» lenses recommended for high prescriptions powers? Heavier than my inexpensive emergency backup pair that I bought online. The anti-​glare, anti-​scratch coating? Started disintegrating almost immediately. For at least the last 10 months (5 months after purchase at most) I’ve been living with lenses that almost look frosted or mossy– like foggy but textured. The frames are also insanely marked up in order to compensate for the deal price offered through Groupon. $ 180 off means you’re still going to pay at least $ 100 for any pair in the store (frames only). Want something halfway decent? Pay more like I did, but wait! shoddy construction might mean the hinges will give a year later!
And then there’s the service. There was a bubbly younger woman who didn’t know what she was talking about, and a gruff older lady who didn’t like answering questions. Oh, and a doctor who will see you for a few hurried minutes. When I first picked up the glasses they neglected to fit it for me. I didn’t realize this until I went home (I was wearing contacts at the time so did not try them on in store) and had to make a second trip to have the temples curved. But they messed that up too and it kept falling off of my face. So I went back again to have them tighten it. Then it was pinching. I gave up and ordered temple tips online in order to bear wearing the glasses for any amount of time at all.
After their failure to correctly adjust the temples for me I canceled my contact lens exam with them and went back to Innervision which I initially left because Philadelphia Eyeglasses Lab was much closer. My doctor at Innervision actually adjusted my glasses for me because she could see that it wasn’t sitting correctly on my face. Another reason I decided to change doctors was because during my too brief exam at PEL I was told I had Giant Papillary Conjunctivitis and needed a special eye drop for it. I decided I needed a second opinion before paying good money to put random medicine in my eyes. Doctor at Innervision saw no sign of GPC in the hour she spent with me (compared to 10 – 15 minutes at PEL) so that’s that.

I have had a full range of services at Philadelphia Eyeglass Labs in Chinatown. The quality of services and products has been excellent. From eye examinations, contacts fittings, prescription eyeglasses & sunglasses, to multi-​focal contacts lenses my experiences have all been friendly and professional.

My experience with this Philadelphia Eyeglass labs is awful, horrible. I came to them for a new glasses on May 19^th, and until now I still didn’t get my glasses.
After I got my new glasses on the first time, I noticed there was a white margin on one lens, and I realized they polished too heavy so that they kinda messed up my lens. Well, everyone is allowed to make mistake. So I came to them, and this lady was friendly and told me they would take care of it.
During the week, I called and asked about my glasses, and the lady on the phone said they have ordered a new lens for me and it should be good in at most two days.
Yet, after a week, still no message. So I have to call them AGAIN, and they said it is ready. So I came today and the worst experience just began.
First, I noticed that is still the same lens, same mistake, and the same lady told me I didn’t see what you are talking about!!! Then I tried to talk to the manager and she just replied to me: he just left. Also she said they didn’t order a new lens at all, and just polished it even heavier!!! Luckily, there is another technician (I don’t know his name, and I really appreciate his help), he examined my lens and confirmed my observation. They said they would order a new lens, and god knows what will happen.
It is okay that everyone can make mistakes, but it is not okay at all to lie to your customer to cover your mistake. Either they lied to me on purpose to trick me take the deficient glasses, or their technique is really bad that they didn’t realize his mistake. Either way, I didn’t recommend to risk you 550 dollars and time with them.
Anyway, this is the worst experience I have had.

Just got suckered in with Groupon. WITH the Groupon a complete pair of glasses is $ 600+. Their prices on frames are literally a joke… like I thought I was on a hidden camera. $ 500 for Fossil brand frames? I had my exam and walked out without glasses, went online and bought gorgeous vintage frames on Etsy for $ 100 and had the lenses put it. My lenses were STILL $ 350 from Philadelphia Eyeglass Labs. All together WAY TOO EXPENSIVE.

The Philadelphia Eyeglass Labs are by far one of my most favorite doctors to visit. The eye exam itself was painless, thorough and quick, and their Chinatown office is pretty easy to get to if you live downtown.
What really sets them apart is their staff. They’re ALWAYS friendly — on the phone, in person, when they’re about to close, when it’s snowing like crazy outside, etc. They knew how to check and understand insurance (believe it or not, this is actually difficult for offices I’ve been to before), and were willing to order whatever combination of glasses or contact lenses I wanted and patiently explain the breakdown of costs. When a few weeks had gone by after I ordered my contacts, they were very apologetic when I called to check on the order and followed up with me quickly as promised.

My experience with Dr. Roman and Philadelphia Eyeglass Labs was nothing short of outstanding, especially since I was incredibly nervous at the thought of looking for a new eye doctor in the city.
PEL was very thorough from beginning to end, checking my insurance coverage (NVA) even before the eye exams occurred. Because I was going in for both a regular exam as well as contact lenses, I was charged for the contact lens portion since that wasn’t covered through insurance.
The eye exam was really straightforward and easy. I explained to Dr. Roman that I wanted to swap to a different brand of contacts because I felt like I was paying too much per box. Because my main concern was how easily my eyes dry out with regularly oxygenated lenses, he suggested I try the Biofinity lenses, which were cheaper than what I was currently paying, but similar in quality and make to what I’d been wearing before. After fitting me with a trial pair, he told me to give them about a week to see if they worked out, and come back for a follow up if I had any concerns.
I came back a couple of weeks later to get my prescription adjusted because everything was just a touch on the blurry side, and Dr. Roman ended up giving me another trial pair for a week. After that, I called PEL to order a six-​month supply of contacts — they took my credit card over the phone, and the next day they were ready for pick up.
The service from beginning to end was really friendly and informative. Getting your eyes checked can be a really stressful experience, but the staff made everything such a breeze. I’m definitely returning here in the future for my exams and eyewear needs, and you bet they’re on my list if I’m ever asked where to go for a convenient eye doctor!

The blonde lady who works the counter is friendly and makes the place super welcoming as a first time customer. She set up my eye exam and Dr. Roman was great.
When there was a mistake on my lenses, she called in and had them fixed right away. The turnaround for receiving my new glasses was only a couple of days both times. The lady remembered my name when I came back to pick them up again. It’s a small thing, but it shows she pays attention and knows what good customer service is about.
My glasses were free through my medical insurance. I am very happy with the service and product I got from Philly Eyeglass Labs and will be back again!

I really REALLY wanted to love this place! I found out about Philadelphia Eyeglass Labs by purchasing a group on for $ 150 towards glasses a couple years ago. I met with Dr. Leonard (no longer there) and he was FANTASTIC! I ordered my contacts right away and tried on glasses and said I would return with a friend to make my final decision.
Strike 1: I returned with my friend and the 3 sets put aside for me had been placed back on the sales floor. After a few moments of panic, luckily we found the three pairs of glasses and made the decision. Luckily no one had purchased them!
Strike 2: Ordered my contacts and they told me they were shipping to my house. A few weeks later they called and said they had arrived in store. The staff apologized and shipped them to my address.
Not so bad. right? So I returned in January 2012 for a second exam. Met with another doctor, Dr. Roman. He was fabulous as well! I ordered contacts for a second time and inquired about how much it would be for new lenses in my relatively new glasses.
Strike 3: I ordered a year’s worth of contacts again and they said they would ship to my house. The office called me when the contacts came in at the office AGAIN! When I said they were supposed to come to my home address and this was not the first time this has happened, their response was «We are shipping them to you, surprisingly they were scheduled to come in faster if we shipped them here and then to you.» Right, because that makes sense when I live within 5 – 7 miles of the place.
Strike 4: When I finally received the contacts, they were the same prescription for each eye. Luckily I caught this and called them to confirm the prescription was correct. Of course it wasn’t and I had to bring the boxes back to the office to exchange them.
Strike 5: A month went by before I received the replacement boxes. After hearing nothing, I called the office on a Friday to check and they told me they had shipped them to my house. I asked if they had tracking because I had not received them. They didn’t call me back and when I called again the Monday after, they said they were emailing me tracking information. The good news is I finally got the correct contact lenses. The funny part is they didn’t ship from the vendor until the Friday when I originally called the office to check. So I am pretty sure they were never ordered in the first place.
Also, their pricing is inconsistent and I think their mark up is probably insane. One two separate occasions I was given different pricing– once when initially purchasing my glasses and once when inquiring about replacing the lenses. They don’t have a lot of name brand glasses and push you into others– probably because they make more money on a no-​name pair of glasses opposed to Kate Spade! They tried to push me into glasses that were $ 800…yeah right. I don’t know how to rate their pricing, depends on the day and who you get honestly!
Bottom line– The doctor’s here are fabulous, the office staff is abysmal. I feel bad saying it because they are really sweet and you feel like you have known them for years. When I first visited this office, I left the office beaming and so excited to find this place. However after numerous errors each time I visit, I think it is time I cut ties with this place.
I typically would rate this type of service with one star but because of the doctor’s I am bumping it up to two. If I do return, it will only be for the exam. I am taking my business elsewhere to somewhere a lot less frustrating.

I visited PEL for the first time this weekend, on a friend’s suggestion. I could not be happier with my experience.
Paul assisted me with picking out my frames. I had a very vague idea of what I wanted and he immediately suggested a few pair that looked great. I wound up buying the second pair he suggested, after trying a few pair that I picked out and didn’t look nearly as great.
Leslie and Shirley also gave me good feedback, from different perspectives (Leslie is a bit younger so has maybe a hipper take on fashion, while Shirley was warm and helpful).
The manager, Karen, was also extremely helpful and hands-​on. I didn’t have a problem; she was just helping out and made me feel very welcome and appreciated.
It’s rare to see such great customer service with such great prices in the middle of a large city. Keep up the good work, PEL!!!

See my review of Joly Jacob DMD who I saw earlier today. My experience here at Philadelphia Eyeglass Labs was the exact opposite.
I came in early. They accepted my credentials and got me seated with the doctor as soon as he was available. There were totally accommodating and I was in and out well before the parking meter ran out.

I’ve been going here for 12 years and I just don’t get the bad reviews. Seriously, their prices are fairly reasonable, the selection average and the service and optometrists are excellent. You can usually get your glasses on the same day, without getting ripped off by LensCrafters.

I was here not as a patient, but rather with a patient unless she needed help getting home with dilated eyes. Walk in only may be confusing at first, but it was kind of nice knowing exactly where you are in line. When you first walk in someone is ready to greet you and eager to get you started filling out a surprisingly small amount of paperwork for a visit with the optometrist. The front staff is very knowledgeable and willing to help without being pushy while we were looking at frames waiting our turn for the doctor. We were led into the roomy exam room, the doctor had no problem with letting me sit in on the exam. He was very pleasant and made everyone feel comfortable. He started with the least comfortable tests and ended with the most uncomfortable tests. I have to admit that I used to work at an eye doctor’s office; I know how the machine (is number one or two better) works. Also, some eye doctors use an air puff to test the pressure of your eye, this method is extremely uncomfortable and old fashioned (inaccurate). They do it the new, better, more accurate, and more comfortable way at Philadelphia Eyeglass Labs… with the blue light. The doctor was efficient made everyone feel comfortable and was exact with his measurements. I would feel very good about returning or referring business to the Philadelphia Eyeglass Labs. However, for frames use
with coupon code IFKSK41A87 to get an additional 15% off your order. I used it and got two frames with lenses for $ 33.

I have been meaning to write a review of this place sometime. I find it hard to believe people could have had such a negative experience with P.E.G. since mine was nothing but positive.
Several months ago, I scored a Groupon for glasses and I had been meaning to get new ones. I went to the store without calling ahead and was seen by the optomotrist, who was rather helpful. The process was quick and painless. I got a pair of rad Bellaggio frames (reg. price about 269) and ultra thin lenses for my terrible eyes, for about 100 bucks after the discount.
Now, one night a few days ago, I accidentally left out my glasses on the floor and my girlfriend (understandably) stepped on them by accident, bending the frames but thankfully leaving the lenses intact. I took them to the store, expecting a quick adjustment. At the first, the helpful bald guy who served me told me the frames were done for. He mentioned that they had begun offering a one-​year warranty just one month ago, after I bought my frames. But after a quick conversation with the manager, he said he could replace my frames on the spot and did.
I would gladly do business here again, and I would encourage anyone and everyone with crappy eyes like me to do the same.

I came here on the LivingSocial deal, and while I got fairly quick, and reasonably polite service for a decent set of glasses (having brought a pair with a current prescription), I felt quite rushed by the overall interaction. When I called back later asking for a short-​notice copy of my prescription since I was out of town, they said they couldn’t provide it to me over the phone (possibly a legitimate HIPAA thing) but the only options were mail and fax — no e-​mail! Please — I hate it when businesses make their customer experience difficult in order to make it difficult to switch and keep your business «sticky». Dear small businesses, please note that «stickiness» is not real loyalty. I don’t think it works in the long run, and I won’t be returning.

This was my first and last time using PEL. The only reason I gave them a try was because of the groupon for $ 175 towards glasses.
They sold me frames that were crooked. I noticed it right away when I came to pick-​up the glasses. After ½ hour of adjustments (that didn’t work) I had to leave to attend a work meeting, they told me to come back and they would get it right.
I came back, spent another 45 minutes on adjustments. The frames were defective in being crooked, there was no repair. The two people assisting me insisted they weren’t crooked. They called one of their colleagues over to take a look and she immediately identified the glasses as being crooked, one side higher than the other, as I had complained about the whole time.
They couldn’t correct the problem, so I asked if they could place my lenses in another IDENTICAL frame that was not crooked. They were agreeable to this, but did not have any more in stock and to order another pair; there was a $ 45 fee that they wanted me to pay.
So they have a defective product, and I have to pay for it?
I didn’t want to argue about it, so I selected another frame, similarly priced. (This was hard to do because the selection was so poor.) Then, they tell me it’s going to cost me extra money because I needed a different kind of lens due to the style of the frame. I ended up paying $ 309 for glasses I am not satisfied with, and had to settle for just to have something to see with and because they would not offer me a refund. The new glasses are slightly crooked too. At this point, I give up.
The interesting thing is, while I was picking up the replacement glasses, another customer was picking up his glasses and he complained that they were crooked.
Is this a problem with all of their frames? I advise against using this service — the groupon is not worth it.

My vision insurance changed last year, meaning I can no longer go to the beloved Modern Eye. I’ve been scuffing my feet over finding a new optometrist, but this morning, after putting on my scratched-​to-​high-​heaven old, old glasses, I realized enough was enough. I checked the provider list and came across Philadelphia Eyeglass Labs — a local establishment.
It’s the holidays, so I wandered in expecting to beg for an appointment in the next couple of weeks. Imagine my surprise when the incredibly friendly Leslie and Helen explained that they had an opening, and if I could just fill out the forms, the doctor would be right with me! Disclaimer: I have no idea if this is normal, or not. What I do know is that all of the staff clearly get along with one another, creating a friendly, welcoming vibe.
The doctor was pleasant, and thorough enough for my purposes, although I knew some things (e.g. glaucoma) weren’t being tested. That said, this was also a last-​minute appointment, and I didn’t speak up, or ask for those tests. Furthermore, the doctor examined me for contact lenses AND glasses, last-​minute, in one appointment.
When I came out, Leslie began helping me choose frames. She patiently went through frame-​after-​frame with me. Just when I’d given up hope, she daringly asked me to try on a pair I would NEVER have picked out for myself, but eureka! Leslie had found me the perfect frames.
Shirley helped me with all the insurance information and went through each cost step-​by-​step. As she handed me my receipt, she told me I could pick up the glasses in two hours — I was flabbergasted! I never expected them to be ready so quickly. At the appointed time, I came in and this time Pedro handed me my new-​favorite accessory/​necessity. Both Shirley and Pedro took the time to make sure I was comfortable with how my new glasses felt and how my vision was with them before I ventured off.
Overall this was a very pleasant experience and I now have a pair of glasses I love.

Not to compare this place to my recent bad experience at a McDonald’s but I feel that I have to give it the same grade.
Choices for men were absolutely minimal, not much brand name anything. No glasses behind the counter that they would analyze your face and help you pick something that might fit. It is pretty much a do it yourself establishment. I have a hunch that is not because it’s convenient with anyone but mostly because the ladies behind the counter cannot be bothered.
I was pretty enthused and wanted to go to get my eye examined, knowing that it’s a walk-​in only so I was glad that it relatively commitment-​free. Upon entering the establishment, the ladies behind the counter were each helping some customers and I got in line. 5 – 10 minutes passed, they barely acknowledge anyone in line. One of them was having problems with the computer system and the other started getting into an argument with her and telling her what she should do. The argument gone on for 5 minutes. Nobody in line were being helped or acknowledged, a guy in front of me left. The ladies work in their own pace and don’t feel like they should pick up their pace for anyone or just do simple customer service gestures and say things like «Hi, I’ll be right with you.»
After waiting 30 minutes, I saw an optometrist in the back and ask if I can get an eye exam so I’m not waiting in vain but she directed me right back to the front. When it was my turn, they addressed someone else who jumped the line and I had to speak up on my dissatisfaction, the lady shot me a look took my insurance information and told me that my insurance info didn’t work on her system. I checked with my insurance company and everything works fine. I took that as the lady didn’t want to deal with me and I left.
This place clearly couldn’t handle any more business and the ladies clearly didn’t want any more work on their plate either. Not professional. No designer brands. The merchandise looked like they belong in a dollar store. Yes, the prices seems reasonable but I won’t be recommending this place to anyone and by golly, after this horrible experience I’ll take my business somewhere else.

I have a weird eye thing where my left eye is significantly worse than my right. Since my right eye is 20/​20, I see fine and adding glasses doesn’t help my overall vision. Unfortunately, the DMV doesn’t see it that way. They denied me a license and said I needed a form signed by an eye doctor. I had already spent all morning at the DMV and I didn’t want to spend another day getting my license — so I wanted some place that was close to the DMV, fast and open on Saturday. Philadelphia Eyeglass Labs wa only 2 blocks from the DMV. I walked there, got eye tested, got out and walked back to the DMV in less than an hour. Yay!
The doctor was professional, and actually didn’t try to sell me glasses. She said she could give me a prescription, but it really wasn’t necessary since it wouldn’t improve my overall vision. Its rare that you meet someone who sells *anything* and tells you not to buy it. It was refreshing.

Why was my experience here great? Let me count the ways…
1) Locally owned and operated since 1888!
2) Fixed my glasses that my original vendor could not — and in just 15 minutes!
3) Created a second pair of glasses in just 24 hours.
4) Conveniently located in Chinatown giving one an excuse to stop by the $ 1 per minute massage two doors away or grab a bowl of soup at Nan Zhou Noodle.
5) Super-​friendly and helpful staff.
6) Huge selection of frames
7) Reasonably priced