Berkeley Optometric Group

I switched to this optometry group to support local, non-​franchise businesses and am happy with the service, choice of glasses and contacts. The optometrist asked me lifestyle questions so she could best advise me on what to do about correcting my astigmatism in my contact lenses. The price was much higher for the correction per box and I decided to just keep the correction in my glasses.
One of the pluses for me is how nice and accommodating they were when I had to bring my wild two year old daughter to one appointment. She loves saying hi to the little fish in the waiting room.

Awful. I’ve been a patient here for over 15 years and in the last two years customer service and relations has dropped to almost nonexistent. I used to LOVE going in for my exam, picking out frames, and picking them up. Recently the technician who did the pre exam seemed brand new at her job (not adjusting the height of the chin rest on my periferials test, not wiping down the chin rest). My actual doctor was amazing but I just found out she quit (2 months ago and no one informed me my doctor was gone). The last 3 times I’ve ordered glasses I’ve waited 1 – 2 weeks before I call wondering if my glasses have arrived only find out that «my glasses have already come in» but no one has called me. I’m SO disappointed that I will be contacting my insurance company and finding another place to go. Why would I stay if my doctor is gone, and the customer service is so poor?

I visited this office last year but have been meaning to do a review. It was my first visit to this office (second eye visit ever in my life) and Dr. Cho helped me. She determined I have chronic dry eyes and she gave me a free sample of tear drops to use as well as some low cost options for dealing. Another big plus was that I failed part of the visual field test and they were very thorough and had me do the test again on a different machine upstairs. I had experienced this before at my first eye exam in a different location but they shrugged it off. Dr. Cho took her time and found I had optic nerve damage that the last place had missed. Dr. Cho referred me to a specialist that I am now working with. I’m so glad I went to this office because they took their time and really made a difference. Also every staff member I encountered was really friendly and even if they didn’t know an answer, they tried their best to find it for me.

Came here for an exam and got my glasses. As far as the experience, it was ok.
I don’t remember the eye doctor’s name (mostly because there wasn’t anything impressive about her), but she was helpful, professional, and made it a good visit. Again, if you’re just looking to get your specs/​check up, this place is great.
My only thing is that I had to call them after not getting a call back a week later to pick up my glasses, which is when I was told to expect a call. I called and they had them. Just glad I did, otherwise I might have been waiting another day or two.

Ended up going here after my original glasses shattered in a traffic accident. The doctor (Dr. Chun?) was very nice and helpful during the exam, and the staff lady who worked with me on the frames was very helpful and witty and funny as well. I ended up only getting a pair of Rx sunglasses because my original optometrist in Milpitas (I’m a college student living in Berkeley) told me later that they would cover my broken glasses free of charge. Looking forward to getting my first pair of prescription sunglasses in a few weeks!

Went to Berkeley Optometric Group for the 1^st time today. Great business! Very friendly. They have a very wide selection of frames. Someone helped me right away, and I found 10 frames I liked immediately. I got my eye exam today as well. I saw Dr. Fujikawa, very skilled, very completely taken care of. I am looking forward to picking up my new glasses soon. I will definitely be a repeat customer here. Thanks to everyone at Berkeley Optometric Group.

I’ve been seeing Dr. Chun and others on the staff here for 18 years. These guys are well-​educated, informed and competent. When I’ve had issues requiring higher-​level ophthalmology care, they have identified it in their exams and given me the appropriate referrals. The staff is well-​informed about my insurance status and lets me know when something is covered and when it is not. I like the fact that Dr. Chun is active in his profession, gives back to his community, and is very much a Cal booster!

I wanted to take a moment to thank everyone at the Berkeley Optometric Group for the professionalism and warm welcome I experienced there. I am a new patient and have worn glasses for over forty years. I felt very comfortable and found the staff genuinely concerned for my every need. Most importantly, when I put my new glasses on they fit perfectly and my eyes felt immediate relief from the accuracy of Dr. Chun’s prescription.
My experience there was exceptionally pleasant and I will surely recommend your fine establishment to everyone I know. My grandfather was a respected eye, ear, nose and throat specialist in his community and I am certain that he would endorse my assessment of your fine organization.
Thank you so very much. Dr. Chun, Yvonne and everyone else at the BOG — you guys are the best!

Dr Fujikawa seems good, but the staff here are incompetent.
Ended up going to C2020 in Oakland. Much better.

Before selecting this optometrist for honey and I, I read the reviews. I was somewhat concerned with the comments made by others regarding «staff professionalism» and Dr. Chun’s «abrupt» manner. I decided to give it a shot anyway.
I selected Dr. Fujikawa as my Dr. (to be honest, because of the comments regarding Dr. Chun) and honey chose Dr. Chun. We both walked away completely satisfied with our appointments. The staff was courteous and professional. I had to call in after my appointment and was able to understand the staff member answering the phone very well, no language barriers. Dr. Fujikawa answered every question I dished out like, does reading on an iphone make your eyes go bad quicker? And he was extremely thorough with his examinations.
I walked out of there feeling as though my eyes had been well taken care of. Honey had the same experience with Dr. Chun. We both were offered expedited service to receive our glasses and they arrived at the rapid turn around time stated. (less than 1 week) We were both fitted properly once our glasses returned. The staff member assisting me made sure that the glasses were adjusted perfectly. They offer glasses in all price ranges and the waiting room is comfortable.
All in all I am happy with the care that I received.

Very thorough with exam (takes longer than an hour), good selection of frames for both regular and sun glasses. They also sell cockoons which I recently discovered and bought for car rides. Possibility to buy contacts too although they are more expensive than what I pay online. I have been able to schedule appointment very quickly and for a very next day and my glasses also arrived much faster than what was expected. They are also happy to do adjustment to my glasses whenever I stop there. Too bad other people are not happy with the service.

I have been to Berkeley Optometric Group a handful of times. I have had pretty decent experiences for my annual eye exams.
Most recently, when there was a fairly urgent medical problem, I was not pleased. The woman who booked the appointment could not understand my name so she could not find my file and insurance information. It was frustrating and I ended up paying more money than I thought I would because of this miscommunication.
The exam cost what it cost, but I was given an antibiotic that led me to have an adverse reaction. I called back after my appointment and was offered no support or helpful suggestions.
My understanding of the situation is that I paid 70 dollars to be worse off. I am not happy about the experience and therefore will see a different establishment tomorrow to get some relief for my eye.

This low rating is based on the incompetent service I have received for the optician several years ago on four pairs of glasses.
I bought very expensive frames which kept leaving a red mark. After going in three times to get them readjusted, the third lady noticed that the silicone nose pads had not been put in and solved the mystery. After a few months, one of the nosepads fell out, I had to pay extra to fix this problem.
The second incident involves my last pair of frames. They did not call me so I called back twice after a month only to be told my frames were not ready. When I went into the store in person it appeared they had the wrong phone number hand written next to my slip even-​though they had the right number for the previous years.
They may have improved their service since then but I will never return.

EXAM:
I was very pleased with my experience here. Dr. Cho was very detail oriented, and took her time in figuring out my exact prescription. For the first time in years, I can tolerate contacts for more than an hour at a time. I have astigmatism and dry eyes, so it’s a fine balance right between being able to see and being able to tolerate the lenses.
FRAMES:
I had my heart set on hipper-​than-​thou glasses from Warby Parker, but decided to try some frames on at the office while I was waiting for my pupils to dilate. At first, I was not excited by their selection of frames (Juicy Couture — NOOOOO!), but with help from one of the staff members, I ended up with frames more flattering than what I would have chosen for myself. She was super, and thanks to her, I feel confident and not dorky/​old in my glasses. I have gotten more than one compliment on my new frames — ahh vanity…
DETAILS:
As another poster says, the staff members at the front desk were helpful about explaining the ins and outs of VSP. I definitely feel like I used the insurance benefits efficiently to get a good deal on my glasses and contacts.

I cannot express how happy I am with my visit with Dr. Chun. He explained everything with absolute detail. And I learned a whole lot about eye health. More doctors should be like him: kind, friendly, willing to take his time to answer questions. I dread eye exams because I always feel like my eyesight is just getting worse but he was positive and friendly the whole time. The administrative staff is also great. I highly recommend Berkeley Optometrics Group and Dr. Chun in particular. Best eye exam ever.

Berkeley Optometric Group was so helpful and kind; they clearly explained the utterly confusing VSP vision insurance, better than any insurance rep, or other optometry office I had called, actually understanding the issue, and providing me with prices to compare my options, VSP fails to provide simultaneous coverage for glasses and contacts, and instead makes you choose one or the other, with significantly more coverage for glasses. So, if you wear contacts, you risk being left without glasses during the apocalypse. Berkeley Optometrics also helped me out with fixing my old glasses, and they were really friendly. I am grateful for their service.

I’ve only been here once so far (April 2011), but I had a great experience. My previous optometrist (Dr. Harlan Wong, also in Berkeley) had messed up my glasses so badly that I spent a couple years (until my insurance would pay for new lenses) constantly having trouble reading. It was terrible! But then I went to Berkeley Optometric, purely because it was conveniently located, and saw Dr. Fujikawa, and he was great. We chatted and laughed like old friends, and when I got my new glasses I found that they seemed perfect. My vision is great again, and reading is no longer any problem. Thanks to Dr. Fujikawa!
I also want to compliment the young woman who helped me pick out frames. She was incredibly patient and sensitive to what *I* was looking for, appearance-​wise, even though I was being rather picky. She also advised me on which frames would be best for the kind of lenses I was getting, which was very helpful. So my experience was definitely positive.

My husband and I have been going to this office for years and years. I really like it.
We originally saw Dr. Hom and she was amazing! We were sad when she left but Dr. Chun and Dr. Fujikawa are both very competent and good eye doctors. They are thorough with their exams and have good bedside manner.
They lose a star for the front desk staff. I called today to make an appointment and the woman I spoke with was VERY difficult to communicate with. Between her broken English and poor listening skills, I was hardly able to get a word in edgewise. By the time I got off the phone, I was TRYING to get off the phone because she was irritating me so much.
She had a hard time understanding what I was saying but then when I would talk slowly and enunciate, she would cut me off… no wonder she didn’t know how to spell my First or Last name — even though I spelled it for her three times each! Then when she asked about which insurance I had, she didn’t believe me (because she had never heard of the company/​coverage/​type before)!
Anyway, it’s too bad because I like this office. I would be willing to give it another whirl before I called it quits but unfortunately, my new insurance isn’t accepted here, so I have to move on.
If you can get through the appointment making process, it’s probably worth giving this office a shot.

I went to them for many years. I miss Dr. Hom — she was always so happy and funny. I was sad to find out that she no longer worked there. It was great gossiping with her about celebrities.
After she left, they put me under the care of Dr. Fujikawa, whom I thought was very good. Always laughing at my bad jokes.
I am docking half a star for the front staff. For the past 2 – 3 years, they filed my records under a letter that is neither my last name nor my first name. And every time I made an appointment, it became a tired comedy routine. I would make an appointment and they couldn’t find my name. I would remind them to check under a letter that does not look or sound like my first, middle, or last initial, they find it, and then they say that they’re going to file it correctly. Wash. Lather. Repeat next appointment. The current staff is better now — they managed to file my records under the correct letter.
The other half a star is for a quote I once found online (back when the internet was fairly new) attributed to one of the doctors. I don’t remember the quote verbatim, but it was about his solution on his patients who try to get contact lenses through discount companies online rather than through him. I realize he is running a business, but let’s just say that had I ever been assigned to him, I would have looked for another doctor just on principle.

Dr. Fujikawa is AWESOME. He is very friendly and professional. Never had a bad experience with him. I have been going here for 25 years, since I was 5. I moved to the Peninsula but continue to make the journey over each year to see Dr. Fujikawa. I am personally not a fan of Dr. Chun.
I would have given 5 stars except that the office is coming undone. When I went in for my annual last year, the office staff was completely new! =(This was quite shocking since it has always been staffed by extremely legacy, professional and friendly group. They normally hire interns from the optometry program at UC Berkeley as the receptionists. But at least during my last visit the staff were sub-​par. I don’t know how many of them had optometry backgrounds and they wore these horrible blue smocks. Very tacky if they were going for the professional look. I am due for my next visit. I hope they were able to recruit back the legacy staff I grew to love over the many years.