Eye Q Optometry

Eye Q and Dr. Tom are great! Dr. Tom is thorough but quick. She doesn’t use that machine the blows a puff of air in your eye — she has a different kind of machine that won’t leave your eyes watering and your nerves on edge.
Her staff is very pleasant and the shop itself is cute. They over a great selection of frames, some of which are very unique and stylish compared to what you’d find in other chain/​national optometry offices. Additionally, many of the frames carried in the shop have the ability to have nose pieces added, which for this Asian is always a requirement for plastic frames. It’s nice to not have to be stuck with only a metal frame selection.
Eye Q is never going to compete on price to places like Warby Parker. That said, you’re paying for service, for a much larger selection of frame styles and supporting the local economy and an independent, woman-​owned business.

My experience with IQ Optometry has been stellar, until this last month when I was due for my annual check-​up. I have been going to IQ for close to twenty years, and have been very satisfied with the care. Unfortunately my opinion has changed, given the following circumstances: IQ has a policy that if you miss an appt. there is a $ 50 charge. I fully admit that I missed my appt. and called to explain the circumstances (I had a family crisis). No one at IQ bothered to return my call. After 20 years, the only communication that I received was a bill for $ 50 that I got in the mail the day after the snafu with the scheduling. I will pay the bill, and always planned to do so, but I will take my business elsewhere for our family of four.

I feel hugely guilty that I’ve been going to Dr. Tom for years and have never written a review. My bad! She’s wonderful, her staff is great, and all the good things that others have said are true and then some. I’m a very happy, longtime patient and wouldn’t consider going anywhere else.
One thing I forgot to add when I originally wrote this. Through my work health plan I could actually get my glasses and eye exams much more cheaply at Kaiser, but I don’t. I’m much happier spending a bit more and going to Dr. Tom.

My husband and I both see Dr. Tom. We like her much better than our previous optometrist in Palo Alto. She is very kind and easy to talk to so the visits go by quickly. We’ve never waited and I love that she has Saturday appointments. The front desk staff is very friendly too.

I purchased a pair of Ray Ban in Feb 2013 and had damaged the lens six months later. I called in shortly after the damage to request the cost on the repair. The girl who worked there at the time quoted me $ 200 to replace both lens (she’s no longer there –Cheryl). I thought it was too expensive considering I can get a new pair in six months. Today, I came into their office for a new pair and also explained the situation to a new worker there and she said that the prior damage was covered under warranty. (Why didn’t the other girl tell me this!?!)
The warranty had expired and I was stuck with a pair of ray bans that could have been repaired (six months ago). If the girl had more experience or better informed her clients I would not have to spend my current insurance to repair these Ray Ban. This is incredibly frustrating. I should have stayed with my other office — Eye Gotcha in the Castro. Better service and more experienced professional.
I blame the lack of training of the staff on this situation.

The staff is super super helpful. Dr. Tom is calm, really cares about her patients. My wife, daughter and I all come here for glasses, prescriptions and our annual checkups. I love this practice.

Dr Tom really goes out her way to help help you solve your eye problems. I have been going there for years. Now my whole family goes there.

I’ve been going to Dr. Tom for many years. I just love the staff and she is great.
As a hair stylist I need someone great to take care of my eyes. I live in L. A part time and still will make a special trip to see her.

I love Dr. Tom! She is super gentle, knowledgeable and genuinely cares about her patients. She always makes me feel good when I come for a visit. Minus one star for the girls at the desk who convinced me to buy glasses way out of my price range. Womp womp.

Over the years i’ve popped into this store to attempt to buy glasses. Everytime, it’s a weird experience. Either they were rude or they seem really indifferent. Today i thought that maybe i just got them on a bad day. Today was equally weird. 2 pairs of glasses in the window. When i asked to see them, they said no. They would not «disturb» the display. The fact that it’s a fake house of cards that is taped seemed irrelevant. Also, wouldn’t you rather sell a 200 dollar pair of glasses, possibly two, and not worry about the friggin display? Weird place. Never going back.

Been going here several years. Every pair of glasses that I get from here receives rave reviews, even from strangers on the street and at stores.
Great staff and doctor!

After looking all over the place, and in different cities, for the right pair of glasses, I shocked to find there’s a great little eye glass shop in my neighborhood! The glasses are trendy — in a good way. Lots of style and color choices. The staff were super helpful in my search for the right frame and color for me. I am so happy I went in!

Frame selection is meh (there are a lot of frames on display, but it seems like they are just every color combination of what is otherwise a small selection of frames).
Optician service ranges from meh to great, depending on which person you get (I think there are three).
Dr. Kimberly Tom is great; she is reviewed separately.
They do accept VSP.

I had always really liked this place and been a patient for years but just walked in with a swollen eyelid as they were all walking in the doort to start their day and not yet busy with anything but still too busy to see me for a moment (I intentionally timed it to come in right at the moment they arrived so I could hop in for 5 minutes before the first patient)
I suppose not having time for me is mildly understandable, although I am not sure what they were so busy with at that moment that they wouldn’t make a patient their priority… and then it just got worse in a hurry when the bitchy lady from the back came out to adamantly tell me «NO…11:45 am… we are busy and thats when we can see you!»
Just outright rude and the wrong tone to take to a patient… er, former patient.
So long Eye Q… work on those people skills would ya!

Dr. Tom is a great doc. Thorough, caring, remembers the history of your cornea. I have absolutely no reason to change docs. I also love love love how they are open in the evenings and weekends. Huge bonus for folks that don’t have a flexible schedule.
Can’t say much about the selection of frames, but great for optometry!

I’m not a doctor loving kind of person, but I really do not mind going to see Dr. Tom. She is one of the best doctors – eye or otherwise – that I’ve ever visited. It seems as if others are catching on to her as well, as it’s getting more and more difficult to schedule an appt these days.
What makes Dr. Tom different? She really takes the time to tailor the exam to what you need, your concerns, and your wants. I’m practically blind, so this is invaluable to someone like me. It is hands-​down the most thorough and accurate contact lens fitting I’ve ever had. Dr. Tom goes the extra mile to order various different contacts just to see if one could be slightly more comfortable than the other. For years I’ve found contacts just too annoying to be worthwhile, but after visiting Dr. Tom, I’ve finally found a pair that I can wear for long periods without any redness or irritation.
I’ve also visited Dr. Tom with more serious eye ailments – like an eye infection. Under these circumstances, she immediately made time to see me and followed up with me well after my eye was healed. That level of treatment is hard to find.
Most of all, she is just a very likeable and friendly person who treats you as if you are human, not a stupid idiot who has stupid questions. She always remembers me when I visit, is up-​to-​date with my records, and as an extra bonus, talks to me about things other than small talky how are you doing types of stuff.
Bonus on top of bonus – the selection of glasses are great. They are pricey, for sure, but the staff will help you choose out frames that look good on your face (I’ve received so many compliments on my glasses that I actually prefer wearing them over contacts now). With this level of service and care, I would go to Dr Tom regardless of cost. I cannot say enough about her or Eye Q.

After reading several different Unilocal reviews and noticing that most people are rating the selection of glasses instead of the skill of the optometrist, I went with Dr. Tom. The reviews are right: she’s a dream optometrist.
First, she’s warm, funny, informative and thorough. Her state-​of-​the-​art equipment makes the exam fast and accurate. And she was extremely patient as I settled in to really see the difference between «number 1» and «number 2.»
Second — and this is a big one if you just want new lenses for your current frames — she doesn’t send the frames out to some random place to get the lenses put in (meaning you’d be without glasses for a week) like other places do. She orders the lenses, then you come back, she puts them in your frames, and you’re only visionless for a few hours.
Third, the frames selection is fantastic. I was keeping my frames, but I checked the frames out anyway, and they’re as stylish as the window displays Eye Q is known for.
I’ve had crap vision all my life, so I’ve been to many, many optometrists, and Dr. Tom is the best I’ve ever been to. Six stars.

I simply have never had such a good optometry experience. Dr. Tom is funny, genuinely funny, knowledgeable, and there’s no air puff glaucoma test!!! (Can’t stress how much I hate that thing). I got a great pair of frames, which took me a while, mostly because there was a lot to choose from.
They’re open late during the week too, which is convenient for we 9 – 5 stiffs.

My eye sight is GREAT!
I still need to get my eyes checked and this is the place for me.
The people are nice and there selection of glasses is top notch.
PLUS, they have a cell free zone inside and they close for lunch and to me that means they have there priorities straight!

Every staff person here is adorable and amiable. Dr. Tom is all-​business, efficient and all her tools are high-​tech. She’s a nice change from my previous old-​school optometrist. And I love Carmen! She and I kept chatting away before I realized I *still* hadn’t made a choice on my frames.
The selection here is great and sophisticated, and ranging in price from reasonable ($ 120) to extremely high end ($ 400+). Lots of designs by LaFont that are really gorgeous but the pricetag after what insurance covers can break your heart. You’ve been warned: this is the very antithesis of LensCrafters. Prepare your wallet.