Coal Creek Family Vision

Honestly… I don’t think I would have ever written a review for an optometrist or the overall clinic until my company switched our insurance plan to Davis Vision and I had to find a new eye doctor.
I live in the Kirkland area now and haven’t found any place that is quite like this. I’m not the biggest fan of all the franchise branches, so Coal Creek Family Vision was perfect. Their technicians are very professional and help get you started with the examination. Both doctors are amazing! They seem to actually care about any issues you’re having and make sure they’ve done their homework to read up and refresh themselves on your last visit, even your prescriptions prior to coming to their office. They don’t rush your appointment which is a plus so they really do make sure you feel comfortable.
The office itself is small, but very clean. I’ve never had to wait more than 10 minutes for an exam. I’ve not bought glasses from here but did order contacts. The first time around, they found me so many deals and rebates, I ended not having to pay a dime for my year+ worth of contacts.
The front desk staff made sure I was aware of my expenses, any possible fees, so I was never surprised.
Wish Kirkland had something like this or that they accepted Davis!

Came here for two reasons: close to the crib and takes my insurance. The moment I called to make an appointment, the customer service has been great! The staff was very accommodating to what day and time I wanted to come in as well as calling and emailing me prior to my appointment as reminders!
So I came in for my annual exam and the one thing I don’t like about getting my eyes checked is that dang machine that shoots a puff of air into your eye to check for glaucoma… When I had mentioned that to the staff person performing the tests, she said «I gotta solution to that!» They have this alternative device that checks for glaucoma without shooting that annoying air into your eyes! After I got all that done, I went into the exam room and the doctor had introduced herself and started the exam. All she did was set the eye device in front of my eyes and started the exam via computer! I was asking her if she didn’t have to manually move the lenses up and down anymore and she said «Nope!» Everything is done via computer adjustments! Talk about a technological come up!
Exam went well, and was able to pick out a pair of frames that were not in stock and got the color I wanted! The sales staff was very friendly and accommodating! So when I went to pick them up, I came on a Saturday not knowing they closed early. I came right when they were locking the doors and still let me in and got me my glasses! Definitely will come back!

My family and I have been coming to CC Family Vision now for 8 years. We are always pleased with Dr. Balogh, he’s stays on top of modern technology & is very knowledgable and takes his time with you — you will never feel rushed like some other Opticians.
Dr. Balogh has a very friendly/​knowledgable staff, especially Jenn! She always goes above and beyond to answer any ?‘s whether it’s about billing, contact brands, making you feel comfortable, & helping my boys feel at ease when they first arrive for their exam and most importantly helping me find a new pair of frames that I love! She was honest as to what looked «good» and what did «not». I always trust her opinion!
Jenn is kind, knowledgable, warm-​hearted, honest, friendly, funny & always smiling. She goes above and beyond in all that she does all while making you feel at home.
Dr. Balogh is fortunate to have Jenn on his team! My family and I highly recommend CC Family Vision! You will not be disappointed.

My whole family has seen Dr. Balogh for 3 years and we couldn’t be happier with his care. He takes the time to truly listen to any concerns and provides easily to understand and thorough answers. I like how he talks directly to my 15 and 13 year old sons and answers their questions in the same way. No talking down to them. He offers new technology such as Optomap where we can avoid having our eyes dilated. Because insurance doesn’t pay for this, I was told up front it would cost more, but wasn’t pressured at all to go this route. I personally don’t like to have my eyes dilated so it was worth the expense. Exams here are always an excellent experience from start to finish.

***Also, a note on charging for PDs… I’ve worked in optical and have never charged for PDs. If your staff doesn’t know how to use a pupilometer they probably shouldn’t be working for you. It takes 2 seconds and if you are so concerned with getting undercut by online retailers that don’t offer minor repairs perhaps you could look at that as though maybe folks will come back because online retailers can’t provide the same care you do.

I work at the Coal Creek YMCA so I visited Coal Creek Vision purely out of convenience when my computer glasses began to take on a crooked look! Fritz greeted me with a smile, quickly fixed my frames and sent me on my way! The second time I came into Coal Creek Visions I had a pair of sunglasses with bent metal on one side. Again, Fritz fixed my glasses for free, and I spoke at length with Diana and Ashlei, the front desk and office personnel. They were so friendly, inviting and sweet. I will not hesitate to return once I need a new pair of computer glasses!

Great optometrist, atmosphere and staff. I worked with diana to get new frames. Will definitely be buying my glasses and contacts here!

Dr. Balogh is truly committed to his business and honestly does care about the clients who come through his office. He was notified of my experience upon reading my review and has since contacted me personally several times to offer his apologies and to let me know that he would be working with the staff to make sure this situation does not happen again.
Rest assured, if you are not satisfied with you visit to their office for what ever reason, Dr. Balogh will find a way to come up with a resolution for you.
This type of personal service and accountability is definitely a large part of why I will choose to go to a small business over a larger retailer.

Best glasses ever (I have been wearing glasses for 50 years). Dr. Balogh took time with me and was the best I have seen in terms of patient education. Answered many questions that I had.

My family and I have been going to Coal Creek Family Vision for several years now and have been so pleased with the service, quality and attention to detail. It’s a relatively small office but that’s one of the things I love about it… there is a level of service here that you just don’t get when going to a big chain.
Both my children started getting their eyes checked there at the age of 6… and the staff has been very accommodating, friendly and great with children. In addition, I appreciated the time they spent to walk me through what my insurance covered and what my options were for purchasing contacts and glasses each year.
Dr. Balogh is very thorough and explains the results of each of our eye exams and is great with young kids.
Highly recommend!

In light of the response, I am fine to change the rating to 3. I appreciate the concern and care expressed by Coal Creek Family Vision. However, in this case, I won’t be able to take advantage of the offer since I already got the PD measurement elsewhere and it would be too much hassle for me to revisit the office. I do hope it helps other folks looking for eyeglasses prescriptions.

Friendly and good service! good selection of glasses too, though I would love more choices. Great place nonetheless.

Our entire family was due for checkups and this is close to home. We were able to get appt’s not too far out. The place seems small but has all you need. Only 3 seats for waiting and our experience was they don’t overbook which is nice. Everyone we met was super friendly.
The Dr my kids and I had was very friendly and wiling to hear our past issues and make recommendations about our vision and treatment for issues. She was very efficient but thorough. They do the normal screening tests but have an extra one for a cost. I appreciated being able to wait to see the Dr before deciding if I needed it. And they didn’t just dialate everyone’s eyes without asking or looking first to see if they could view what they needed.
Large glasses displays to choose from. However, many of the frames are very expensive. My husband just couldn’t resist a pair of frames that cost way too much even with insurance. My daughter however found several that were cheaper than our insurance covers… so you can find good deals. If you just want a pair of glasses. But beware… dont’ fall in love with the pricey frames. Look at price before trying on.
My daughter was told 2 weeks to get her glasses but it was less than a week. My husband is still waiting after 2 weeks.
We had a great experience here and will come back. Only complaint is the high price frames… luckily I am good at finding nice frames for cheaper. If only my husband wasn’t so smitten with the pricier ones…

This is a review of one of the reviews out there, specifically to Erin. I don’t know what’s going on with people, but aren’t they supposed to know about their insurance’s coverage? I mean, it’s their own insurance that they signed up after all. I hate it when crazy people complain about stupid things because of their own lack of knowledge. Now, the doctor apologizes and Erin doesn’t even bother to remove or update the negative review because she was actually responsible for figuring out her own insurance. How pathetic.

Dr Balogh and his staff are great. Melody helped me with some ridiculously difficult insurance paperwork and even brought my glasses to me while I was at the Starbucks next door (I lost track of time!) Fritz has repaired my glasses and my sunglasses on more than one occasion and is a great help too.
If you work in/​near Newcastle — or live there and don’t work during the day — the office is pretty convenient. They’re open at 8am most days and open until 6pm one day per week. They are open 9 – 3 on Saturdays, which helps too, but it can get a little busy then.
As other Unilocalers have noted, you can end up choosing frames that are on the pricey end pretty easily so, if you’re into cheap, try Costco. If you want great service and some really quality frames, choose Coal Creek Family Vision.

Dr. Balogh is great! He is very attentive, and took his time with my eye exam. I was being my usual self and was asking all sorts of random questions, but he answered everything very thoroughly. In the end, he even gave me some contacts solution to try just because I told him my eyes might have been infected from contacts a while back. He also explained the eyewear options I had in an objective manner, without trying to persuade me into the pricey options. Dr. Balogh is definitely one of the most professional optometrists I have seen.
The rest of the staff is also great. Fritz was very patient with me when I kept being indecisive about my glasses. I felt bad about the inconvenience I caused, but he just kept smiling and telling me «No worries.»
Be aware that frames here are more expensive than warehouse frames (Ie Costco), but the service here is just wonderful.

I have been coming here since I moved to the Seattle Area.
To start off with, my contacts ripped right before I was going on a trip, they were one of the only places that would give me a trial pair just to get me through the weekend, and that alone earned my loyalty.
The receptionists are always so polite and go out of their way to be helpful. The doctor had me try several different types of lenses before having me order to ensure i’m getting the best contacts.
I’ve always had such a positive experience here and I definitely recommend it to anyone in the area!

They sell Ziess lenses! Having glasses as good as my camera lenses is just wonderful.
I’ve been to optometrists in several different states and different countries and Dr. Balogh is one of the best. He doesn’t rush through the exam and his staff really love what they do. Customer service is outstanding.

The receptionists seem to have that southern hospitality. (minus the twang) Friendly with a warm smile and meet you with one on one eye contact to make you feel as though your not a number.
The location is great with plenty of parking. I started coming here when I found that my 6 yr old daughter (now 9) needed glasses. The glasses are pricey, so I do take her to Costco for the frames since she’s 9 and well. not that careful with them. I am also personally a patient of Coal Creek Family Vision and prefer it over Costco because of the atmosphere and one on one service. Some places I feel as though I’m being herded in… talked at and not talked to. Where as here the staff take their time and really get to know you and your needs. They are their truly at your service with a warm and kind smile. They are excellent with kids. I had to bring in my (at the time) 2 year old (now 5) it was nightmare/​embarrassing (TERRIBLE TWO’S) for me but they where so great. I have also observed other patrons stop in for quick fixes on their glasses. The staff was quickly attentive and got them back on their way. I really appreciate how they run their business. It makes a world of difference and is worth going out of the way for. (Even though I only live a mile away.) Oh, and Dr, Balogh resembles David Blaine (to me). I’m always waiting on a magic trick. jk but he does resemble David Blaine.. Or that might be my eyes needing a higher prescription.

I recently visited CCFV for a new set of glasses. My only complaint was that since I decided to wait for my next paycheck to get glasses I was charged for a supplemental visit, and all I did was come back to finalize my glasses purchase. Didnt seem to justify another office visit charge. ***I received a nice note from the owner explaining that this charge is mandated by VSP– I guess no matter when you buy the glasses VSP assesses the $ 10 charge.***
Their selection covers many styles. After checking out the selection at a few other offices I found that CCFV had what I wanted and came back to get them. The prices were very reasonable, I have VSP though so what would have cost me close to $ 1k only cost $ 300.
Very friendly and knowledgable staff. Remembered me when I came back to buy the glasses so I could tell they cared about their patients.
My optometrist was a travelling optometrist so I wasnt seen by the optometrist who owns the practice. The woman who saw me was super nice and helpful.