Oakland Vision Center

This review is based off my first visit here a few months ago. It does not speak to the optometrist’s skills or ability for refraction or attending to any other eye problems. As far as I’m concerned that was fine. I saw Dr. Gill.
However, I will say that my experience here felt like I was going to a used car lot and getting the full what-​can-​I-​say-​so-​that-​you-​walk-​away-​today-​with-​a-​car treatment. I will flag some ethical issues regarding Gill’s consultation (or, if you want to be more lenient, we could also refer to this as misstatements).
In addition to having incredibly poor eyesight, I have dry eyes. So just as background I use a prescription eyedrop each day called Restasis.
Gill recommended that I use 2 drops of Restasis instead of one. Okay fine. She also recommended that I buy and use tea tree oil, which she was selling for $ 30 a bottle (if I remember correctly). According to Gill, the tea tree oil would help with the dry eyes.
To her credit, she disclosed that this was her own product (this is a must when you’re peddling products for personal gain and you’re using the aura of your degree and expertise to sell the product). However, she made the point repeatedly, and with great emphasis, that she «guaranteed» that my eyes would feel better. «For sure.» These are literally the words that she used. And well, this is just plain stupid to say. If you are a healthcare provider, nothing is guaranteed. In fact, healthcare often times is trial and error. Let’s see what works, and what doesn’t. Tea tree oil as a solution to dry eyes is no more guaranteed than Tylenol is a solution for a headache (but at least there is peer reviewed evidence that Tylenol is a painkiller!). And Restasis doesn’t even work for a number of patients, so what does it mean that two drops is guaranteed to solve my problem?
So yeah, stupid. Unless of course, you’re trying to sell your own product for personal gain. Then it becomes very smart to say something absurd like «guaranteed.» I asked Gill whether there were any peer reviewed studies demonstrating the product’s effectiveness for the specific eye problem I had. She obfuscated a bit, but basically the answer was no.
And I also remember this very clearly. I never said I wanted the product. She never even asked me if I wanted it. She just assumed that I was going to buy it. So when we were done, she took it out with her and they rang me up for it. I let the assistant know that I did not intend to purchase the product.
They really try to SELL here. And hey, I get it. It’s a business. My problem is more about HOW they’re trying to sell you stuff. By mischaracterizing the effectiveness of their products, or boasting about effectiveness without any scientific evidence.
I can’t recommend this place.
EDIT ON 05/​20/​2016:
I am editing my previous post to address the eyecare provider’s response.
I will again emphasize that my review is not based on the optometrist’s skills or ability to treat eye problems. I want to clarify this because the eyecare provider’s response says that she has «managed over 10,000 cases of dry eyes» and she «spent the last 2 years developing cleansing products for [her] dry eye patients.» This is irrelevant to the point I am making.
So what is my review about, if not the eyecare provider’s ability to treat patients? It is about the hyperbole and misleading language used to lend credence to the provider’s treatment plan or products. Every person is different. It may very well be true that most patients will respond favorably to a particular treatment or product. It may be appropriate to say something to the effect of «I really think this will work» or «In my experience my patients have found this helpful.» Instead, Gill «guarantee[s]» success. «For sure.» Huh?
So here’s another clarification. This eyecare provider either doesn’t know the difference between words (the words used indicate 100% efficacy for all patients, an assertion not substantiated by that thing called evidence, or objective evidence anyway), or she does know the difference and is misleading her patients. I’m going to go with the latter.
I’ll also respond to this particular statement: «I do assume that patients will follow my treatment plans. Doctors do that.»
Good healthcare providers present treatment options and an explanation of pros and cons. Accepting any treatment option is up to the patient. So then it is up to the healthcare provider to ask the patient how he or she would like to proceed. Good providers do not simply explain pros; «guarantee» the success of a product, which if purchased, directly benefits the provider; and then ring up the patient without even asking whether he or she wants it.

They’re the best. They were even voted that. Dr. Gill tells it straight to you because she is concerned about your eyes.

Dr. Gill is the best for adults and children. My children and I have had the pleasure of being patients of Dr. Gill for several years. I had a scary, painful and serious scare with several pieces of glass in my eye. Dr. Gill treated me for a few weeks and nursed my eye back to health going above and beyond! Thanks Dr. Gill and Staff! And my lil one looooves her new glasses.

I have been a patient of Dr. Gill’s for a very long time and have never had a bad experience. Dr. Gill is very knowledgeable and very helpful to explain any issues you may have with your eyes or glasses. It’s also great to know that Dr. Gill really loves what she does; she’s created a vegan, all-​natural and non-​toxic cleansers for women who use eye makeup. I’ve been using the Eyelid Makeup remover and it really does take off all of your eye makeup better than any expensive store bought product that I’ve used. Besides, the store bought products always made my eye lids sting from the alcohol that’s contained in it, this one doesn’t.
The staff at Oakland Vision Center rock; they’re very courteous, helpful and super friendly and knowledgeable as well. The selection of glasses are great too and you WILL find a pair that suits your liking. If you’re unhappy with your current eye doctor, maybe it’s time for you to switch to an office WHO LOVES EYES!

Let me start of saying I would recommend this doctor in a heart beat. There were a few things however that made my experience exasperating.
First of Dr. Gill is the truth. Very knowledgeable and extremely hip. She is incredibility smart and made me feel super aware of my current eye issues. I didn’t feel rushed out the door I felt like I was talking to an old friend. She is simply amazing.
Aesthetics: location is right next to 19^th Bart. When u walk in the décor is super hip. The glasses are mounted on stylish corkboards and they are complimented by the earth tone colors of the establishment.
Products: the glasses are friggin dope! Super nice. Foreign even. But range from like $ 500 – 700. pretty pricy. But the staff are working with you one on one helping you decide what frame perfectly fits ur face. These staff are extremely skilled at upsales. They had me feeling like I needed all the bells and whistles of glasses. They are so good I’m contemplating not paying my rent one month.
Lack of communication:
A week prior to my appointment I communicated that my insurance faxed an authorization that waived any co payments. A day before my appointment a secretary called with concerns that my appointment would get canceled as she had not heard from my insurance. I politely asked her to check her fax she apologized as she realized they had it. The day of my appointment they charged me a copayment!!! I asked if they could speak with my insurance. The young lady smooth walked off with the money explaining that she would follow up (she did not).
I have no doubt that my issue will get resolved. I would definitely recommend this place if u are a big baller, are extremely hip and are looking to explore outside of your status quo.

I love love love this office. Dr. Gill and her staff keep a clean friendly environment. From the moment you book your first appointment you know this is the right place for your eyes. How could it not be when they have a whole product line called «We love eyes.»
I made my appointment about a week ago and had my appointment yesterday. Signing in and filling out paperwork was a breeze. I was called in promptly from the waiting room. A staff member did my pre check before I met with Doctor Gill who found laziness in my right eye and a bit of near sightedness. Wonderful. I haven’t been to the eye doctor in 5 years so I really didn’t know what to expect.
We finished our check up. She made sure to explain all the procedures we did and I was off to choice glasses with Eracili (probably spelled that wrong.) I could tell from the moment we started choosing frames she was passionate about helping others find frames for their face. She came back with 20 pairs to my 2 pairs. I ended up choosing a pair of Anette Valentine Frames that I can’t wait to get.
If you are looking for excellent care and a real selection of frames this is your spot. Look no where else. GO TO OAKLAND VISION CENTER.

Dr. Gill is the best optometrist I have ever been to. She gives me the most thorough eye exam, so much so I can read the smallest print with with my new progressives glasses. I was not blessed with great vision, and getting great glasses has always been a challenge, but not any more with Dr. Gill. She is the most competent optometrist I have been to.
She stocks a great selection of glasses, and her staff are the best with scheduling appointments, knowledge of insurance benefits, and most of all helping me pick out and fitting me for the perfect pair of glasses. I am on my second round with Oakland Vision Center.
The entire staff is very friendly; they all seem like they really like what they do. They are all great with follow up, which is rare these days. I have no desire to look elsewhere for eye care.

You can tell that this business is very well run. The office hums efficiently and the staff is very friendly and happy. Dr. Gill really knows her stuff. I always feel like I’m in good hands with this practice. Very highly recommended!

I’ve been wearing glasses for 22 years and have been through good and bad experiences everywhere. Dr. Khela was top notch.

I made my eye appointment and met with Tanya Gill. She is amazing. Such a great personality, wonderful sense of humor, and very cool. The office is chic and decorated beautifully. There are lots of frame selections. The staff are all hip, young and friendly. I am so glad I found Dr. Gill and her team!

just went back to for my annual exam, and yep, dr. gill is still the best in the biz. my only complaint would be that their online booking system is a bit buggy, but the receptionist who helped get my appointment sorted was so helpful and patient with me that i truly didn’t mind dealing with a few scheduling hiccups.
take complaints about this place with a grain of salt; this place is run by a team of people who truly care about the patients who walk through their doors, and as long as you communicate with them, they really will go out of their way to help. i’ve never been happier with my optometrist as i am here, and i say that knowing that, if i ever move away, i’ll be more than willing to make the trek for dr. gill and her incredible staff.

A great office for getting your eyes taken care of. Dr. Khela is super sweet and professional, as is everyone else here. They helped me out with understanding costs before I came in (thanks!) and really want to keep you up to date on the newest technology and products available for your eyes. They are also super generous with samples, which has been a lifesaver when I’ve run out of contacts! I had a bit of a reaction to having my eyes dilated (which is totally my biology, nothing they did wrong!), and Dr. Khela let me come back in and get it looked at and had me back out with some drops for it within minutes. Parking is a little awkward, but there’s a lot on 17^th and Broadway that works fine. The office is a nice, clean space with a welcoming interior. I’d definitely recommend them!

Dr. Khela is great! They entire staff is friendly and really pleasant to work with. I am very glad to have found Oakland Vision Center!

Uhh, I have mixed feelings about this place. I had called specifically looking for retina scanning technology in lieu of getting my eyes dilated (e.g. Optomap), and was told that they offer it. I found out during my appointment from Dr. Gill that they in fact did not offer it, and that the receptionist I spoke to didn’t know even what it was. I was very unhappy about this slip up… I ended up getting kind of a half-​retina inspection. I’ll wait until next year’s appointment somewhere else to deal with this.
I also had to wait 30 minutes past my appointment time to be seen for my visit here –_​–
For eyeglass frame selection, all of the frames they handed me to try on were over $ 400. I do not want to drop $ 400 on frames if I’m going to get new frames every year per my insurance… I was not a fan of the frame selection process. They seem to discourage browsing on your own. I appreciate the attempt for personalized attention with them bringing frames to me, but I would have been more comfortable knowing the prices of everything I was trying on first.
Anyway, although I will not be returning here for future visits, I have to say that their location is quite convenient near a BART station uptown. Whether a patient can be seen on time for an appointment seems to be a bit spotty. Their staff is very friendly and helpful though. Everybody else seems happy with this practice, but clearly it is not for everyone; I just didn’t have a good experience myself here, but I’m glad for how this business is doing for the rest of their clientele.

The reviews were right about Dr. Gill. She is very professional, and knows her eyes. I had a rough time with my first appointment and I definitely let it be known. Dr. Gill personally reached out to talk to me about the problem I had, and also helped me out, fixing all the problems I had with a follow up check up. She was very thorough, and let me know everything that was going on with my eyes, so that I understood fully. Thank you Unilocal for recommending this optometrist office and Dr. She is definitely a professional, and runs a great optometry business. The receptionist ladies are also very nice as well. I will be here again next year for my follow up. If you’re new to the city, and are looking for an optometrist office, hit up Dr. Gill.

Dr. Gill and the staff are fantastic. Everyone I worked with made me feel at home, and I felt like Dr. Gill worked really hard to get the right prescription for me.

The exams seemed good and the choosing of the frames and glasses fitting were friendly. It’s the front office staff that needs some training. I arrived on time to pick up the glasses I had ordered. I sat. I sat some more. After 20 minutes, I said to the receptionist «It’s been 20 minutes. Am I going in soon? I need to get back to the office.» She said she’d check. But she didn’t. Another five minutes went by and she did nothing. No call to the back, no walking back to investigate. Nothing. Didn’t she think I’d notice?

Nicest, friendliest optometrist I’ve ever been to! And what a hip staff.
Excellent selection of frames, including Masunagas, which took me by surprise because I haven’t seen them anywhere except one other store.
I would recommend 100%.

I have always been fond of optometrists because you never have to undergo physical pain. I made an appt so see Dr. Gill and she was fantastic! She is personable, hip and knows her stuff. I appreciate health professionals who are able to explain terminology in layman’s terms and offer professional, candid advice — Dr. Gill included. She also offered a sample of eye drops and contacts that would be worth trying, and that gesture was thoughtful.
They have a pretty good selection of glasses, from the lower-​end brand less to the higher-​end ones. I ended up with Oliver People’s with digital lenses (by dr.‘s rec), which was beyond my budget, but I am so glad I ordered them! I am justifying it as a good «life investment.» Def. recommended if it’s within your insurance policy.

It’s too bad, I really liked the doc when I saw them a couple years ago. But here’s what happened when I wanted to make a new appointment this year: I made an appointment using the system on their website, which asks you to input three possible times. The next day I received an email, «We do apologize as we no longer have the requested appointment times available.» I replied asking for more times.
Them: «Our next available appointment is 3:45 pm on Wednesday, May 28^th.»
Me: «I can’t do the 28^th, and usually I can only do Wednesday and Friday. What else do you have?»
Them: «I have Wednesday, May 28^th at 3:45 pm available.» (HELLO??? Can you read?)
Me: «I can’t do the 28^th. What else do you have?»
Them: «Thursday the 29^th at 12:15 pm?» (HELLO??? Did I already mention Wednesdays and Fridays only?)
Me: «How about another Wednesday or Friday?»
Them: «Wednesday, June 4^th at 3:00 pm.»
Me: «ok!»
Them: «I’m sorry, that appointment was taken right after I offered it to you sorry :(The next available is Wednesday, June 11^th at 3:30 pm.»
I booked it. I was waiting for this for over three weeks. The DAY BEFORE the appointment, they called at 12:32PM and left a voicemail to get my insurance info. I called back the following day (the day of the appointment) to give it to them, and they said they had canceled the appointment because I hadn’t returned their call.
Take what you like and leave the rest. I’ll go someplace that can make and keep their appointments.