Pearle Vision

Can I just say that appointments are made for a reason. I arrived early for my 12:15 appointment. At 12:25, I finally made it to the counter where I was told that two people were ahead of me. I’ve been standing at the desk for 10 minutes and don’t know why, they haven’t given me any paperwork, they’re not saying anything. There is standing room only, multiple representatives helping one customer. It appears that their processes are new and inefficient which wastes my time. I’m only staying because it’s close to my house but I won’t be back. I was finally seen at 1 and received the quickest eye exam ever. Ordering contacts and paying has taken 30 minutes. My appointment was at 12:15, it is now 1:40 and I’m still here, can I pay already? I didn’t even pick out frames, I brought my own!

Not only did they remember me from 2 years ago, Dr. Patel and her team provided world class service once again. Dr. Patel and Jeff was able to help me pick the perfect glasses, and get me in and out in a reasonable time. Amazing service once again. Looking forward to bringing my daughter back next week.

I had a great appointment with Dr. Patel here. The whole team was really friendly, and spent plenty of time helping me pick out frame. They have great advice for fit, wear, and comfort. The frame selection was pretty massive, with plenty of styles to chose from.

I do not know where to begin. First let me say that I never write reviews but the service I received from Dr. Patel was so pathetic that I feel compelled to voice my disgust with her on every social forum available. I had an appointment on 12/​11/​2014. I first visited this location 3 weeks prior, with much better service from Dr. Patel and her staff. I visited Dr. Patel’s location initially because my eyes had been irritated and watery. She diagnosed me with dry eyes and gave me eye drops and an eye lid cleanser.
My condition improved temporarily and then progres-​sively got worse. I made another appointment with Dr Patel to follow up. Before the appointment she called me twice inquiring about my insurance. I thought this was strange since she had my insurance info on file from the previous visit three weeks prior. I arrived to my appointment and Dr Patel was sitting at the receptionist desk. The first thing she says to me is… not hello or welcome but.“let me have your Blue Cross insurance card”. I was taken aback by her brash behavior but I ignored it and proceeded to offer her my Eye Med Vision insurance card because I assumed she should have been billing them instead.
She immediately shouted out to me «that won’t work!!!».Again I was taken aback by her unprofessional behavior. Visibly irritated, I asked, «what do you mean?». She began to explain to me that I had already had a free exam and a second exam would not be covered by a Eye Med and therefore she would be billing Blue Cross and she also added in the fact that I would have to pay a co-​pay no matter which card she billed. I explained to her that the co-​pay was not an issue and I only wanted to ensure that she billed the proper insurance company.
At this point she had hounded me about my insurance prior to the appointment, did not greet me upon arrival and tried to argue with me about what both insurances covered and she insinuated that I was somehow worried about a co pay and a free eye exam (I supposed she assumed I couldn’t pay it). In the exam room, she began to inquire about my symptoms. I stated to her that my condition had worsened since the last visit. I told her that my eyes were itchy, burning and watery. She examined my eyes and immediately said,” I see nothing different with your eyes”. At this point I began to get slightly angry with her apparent nonchalant attitude with my condition. I did not become visibly upset I just started asking more questions.
I informed her that I had a stye on my eyelid that was not there before. She said, «stye?» What stye?”. I pointed to the stye and she said oh that’s not a stye. I said it looks like a pimple its tender to the touch and it’s located on my eyelid, if it’s not a stye what is it?. Her response. «I never said it wasn’t a stye». At this point I thought I was in the Twilight Zone. I dismissed her behavior again and then I asked if I should see an Ophthalmologist. She replied. «yes there’s one down the street you can go to her». I was thinking to myself I cannot believe this lady is talking to me this way. I then said that’s ok I will find one my own. She replied. Oh well since you are acting like you want a second opinion you don’t need this prescription and you can have your card back!!.
I took my insurance card and walked right out. I will never patronize that sad pathetic excuse for a doctor again. She is very unprofessional, everything is rushed, she doesn’t listen and I agree with the other reviewer who stated that Dr Patel and her staff act as if they are doing you a favor. I am following this review up with a letter to Pearle Vision’s corporate office, posts on Facebook and Twitter. If Dr Patel doesn’t care about customer service, she will when I’m done complaining.
Oh yes I would also like to add that Dr Patel is very condescending and seems to have some pre-​conceived notions about minorities because incorrectly assumed that I was worried about price. She spoke to me like I was some chick from the hood. She is a total jerk!!!
Cassandra Thomas
South Loop resident

The staff here is great. They get your contacts quickly and will work worth distributor to get your products quicker if need be. Even if you seem a little testy they maintain their cool. Plus they dress up on Halloween, cool.

After my frustrating experience with Pearle, Dr. Patel reached out to me (both through Unilocal and directly) to apologize for what happened. She went above and beyond in her offer to make things right, including agreeing to stay late with me one night after work so that I wouldn’t be forced to delay the appointment — so I gave them another shot. And glad I did, honestly. My experience with them since returning has been nothing but pleasant, and they followed through on every aspect in precisely the manner in which they said they would. I ended up with a very different kind of glasses than I’m used to (progressives rather than static reading glasses) and they are making a world of difference for me!
Every business has their glitches, but not every business cares enough to make things right for their customers.
And the upcoming remodel sounds like an exciting face lift!
So all in all, yea, I probably will be back.

I went in to have an annual eye exam.
I’m not sure because I asked for my prescription or not,
but after that, she just acted very cold to me.

Dr Patel is the most thoughtful and considerate eye doctor I’ve ever seen. She listens carefully to ascertain your specific needs and strives to meet expectations while balancing realistic goals for optimal sight.

TERRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE and very nasty attitudes by both the staff and the Doctor. Seems as though they feel you are doing them a favor by being there. Visited in the past and had the same issue. I tried to give it another chance, because of the convenience factor, with hopes that maybe my past experience was just a fluke.
No amount of convenience however is worth the aggravation that I feel when dealing with this business. I would rather stumble around blind in the dark then give them another penny of my hard earned money. There are way too many other places to go that understand the importance of respect and good customer service .
Save your money and your sanity for someplace that truly cares because obviously this place does not!!!

HORRIBLE customer service!!! I went in to get my frames adjusted and they said that it would be a 40 minute wait, or I could come back after 40 minutes to have them adjusted. I chose the latter option and returned after 40 minutes. Upon my return, the lady at the front desk said that I had to wait for longer and that there was no guarantee that I would be served that day! Her justification was that frame adjustments are a free service for their store, so they wouldn’t serve me until every last paying customer had been addressed (apparently, even people who were behind me in the queue!). When I asked her whether it would be better for me to return first thing in the morning, she said that there would be no guarantee of when I would be served!
Well, my response to this AWFUL Pearl Vision location is this: I wasn’t expecting a free adjustment and I would have been willing to pay for the adjustment. Now that I’ve seen how much you carelessly waste people’s time, I will NEVER be a paying customer of yours and you’ll never get a dime out me for any kind of service. Based on the other customer reviews on this site, it looks like my sentiment is shared by other people as well. Anyone who values their time should avoid this place ENTIRELY!
If only zero stars were an option on Unilocal.This store is definitely a place that would deserve a zero rating.

I had a very professional and cool experience for my first time here, the staff were very resourceful and not to mention that since there’s a new owner they have a very cool selections of frames. I’ll be back!

If you value your time and sanity, please avoid this Pearle location.
First off, last year, they LOST my contact lens prescription, and I had to get a second eye exam in less than a year. And I had to do quite a bit of persuading/​complaining before they agreed comp this extra exam.
Then this year, they billed my insurance incorrectly charging me an extra $ 20. When I explained the mistake (while still in the office), I was told there was nothing they could do as this is the amount my insurance pays even though my insurance card clearly states my co-​pays and coverage. She didn’t even offer to contact the insurance company to double-​check?! And this is all after I called a week in advance of my appointment to confirm that I had pre-​authorization for my exam. Ugh! So I called the insurance company myself from the parking lot. They explained the mistake that the eye center made right away and instructed me to go back inside. I had to hand my cell phone to the receptionist so that the insurance agent could explain to her how to bill for a contact lens fitting… step-​by-​step!!! Finally, I was refunded my money without an apology.
Then a month goes by without receiving a call that the contacts I ordered were in. So I called to find out the status and learn that they were NEVER ordered. After all of that, they seriously never ordered them! It’s as though you have to laugh to keep from crying with this place.
After I get my contacts, if I ever do, I’m never going back. Yes the location is convenient but I’d rather pay out-​of-​pocket for eye care somewhere else where the staff is not completely incompetent.

When I needed my glasses adjusted, I initially went to a different eye place in Hyde Park. They bent my glasses so bad that my vision was messed up and I had headaches. I went to Pearl Vision to get them fixed. They explained why my vision was off and fixed them so they fit perfectly. Then I fell while rollerblading and totally busted up those glasses. I had to get new ones. I went back to Pearl Vision because of the great service I had received before. I have never liked so many frames in one place before. Usually, I just settle for what looks best. At Pearl Vision, I liked two so well that I couldn’t decide between them. Because of a BOGO offer, I got both. The service was excellent. Helpful but not crowding. The time to get the glasses is reasonable (7 – 10 business days, with a holiday in there too). I highly recommend this store.

Since my daughter started wearing glasses I have been taking her to Hyde Park Pearle Vision. Not only did they make it fun for her to choose her glasses they were very patient being that she is only 6 and wanted to try on every pair. I want to say the young man that helped us name was Robert he was beyond helpful in all the aspects of getting my daughter her glasses. All the employees there were so helpful and kind and made my daughter feel great about her glasses.
Even when waiting to get her lenses cut for her transition they were very engaging in conversation. Parents know that waiting for a child is not an option but here they engaged her in the conversation as well as to not make her feel like she wasn’t there like most places tend to do. Our experience was a great one.
If you are a parent and you want great service not only for your child but for yourself i would say come to the Hyde Park Pearle Vision. The selection is great for kids and that is something as we all as parents know they have to have cute and pretty if they are little girls lol. I will forever continue to do my business. The staff is remarkable.

The doctor and staff are friendly and professional. Dr. Patel has taken over the practice from Dr. Kline, and I think she is great. My family and I will continue to go here for our vision care. I recommend this location to anyone. I am totally satisfied with the care I have received. Everyone here is very courteous.

I’ve been getting eye exams/​glasses/​contact lenses at this Pearle location since I was about 10 years old. Unfortunately, it looks like I won’t be doing that anymore, and I’m pretty sad about it.
The doctor and staff have changed some time in the last two or three years, and this was my first time going in since the change. I should have known that things weren’t going to go well when the staff couldn’t find my file. My contact lens exam with Dr. Patel was fine, though it felt slightly rushed. She gave me two different pairs of trial contacts at the end and instructed me to decide which brand and prescription I preferred when I came back in for my follow-​up appointment.
When I went back out to the reception desk to book my next appointment, I initially asked for the next Monday. The receptionist was about to go ahead and book the appointment when I realized that was Labor Day, and I told her to move it to Tuesday. It wasn’t until then that the receptionist realized that the office was supposed to be closed on Labor Day, and that they still had appointments scheduled for that day. Not a good sign.
I came back in the next Tuesday, wearing my glasses, since you usually have to take contacts out for eye exams anyway, only to be rather rudely asked by the receptionist if I was wearing the contacts I had chosen. I replied no, but that I had decided which ones I liked. She carried on rather rudely, «You were supposed wear them for two hours before coming in, and to come in wearing them so the doctor can check how they fit on your eyes.» I said that no one had told me that, to which she responded, «Yes, she did. The doctor tells everyone.» I’m pretty good at following doctors’ instructions, especially if they’re given explicitly, and I know that no one told me that. I even went back and read the Contact Lens Fitting consent form that they had had me sign, and it doesn’t say that anywhere.
The receptionist told me to wait while she spoke to the doctor. While I was waiting to see if my situation could be resolved, a man came in with a Pearle Vision bag that contained boxes of contact lenses. He said that he thought there was something wrong with the contacts he received. It turned out that his prescription was –4.00, but that the lenses the office had ordered and given to him were +4.00. At this point, it was clear to me that this staff was doing some seriously sloppy work.
When the receptionist came back, she told me that I would have to come back, and would I like to reschedule. After all the shoddy work that I had witnessed in my very short time spent in this office, I told her no, that I would just reschedule somewhere else. I realize that this was a rash decision on my part, especially since I had already paid for the exam on my last visit, but I was just at my breaking point for dealing with ineptitude.
It’s really unfortunate that I won’t be able to support a local business anymore, but if I have to choose between proximity to my home and quality service, I’m going to choose quality service.

At first, my review wasn’t great, but I have since changed my tune. The owner and her employees worked quickly to help solve the problem with my glasses. They were friendly, helpful and efficient. I recommend this store for your glasses and eyecare needs.
I love supporting local Hyde Park business, and I hope others will use them for glasses or other eyecare needs.