I walked into Brattle Square Optical the other day bc I needed my sunglasses adjusted. Unlike two other optical shops I went to prior, Brattle Square neither charged for the service nor made me feel bad just for walking in and asking. The staff was wonderful--friendly and accommodating. They adjusted my sunglasses right away, and they did so perfectly. I'll definitely be back for any other optical needs in the future. read more

Dr. Phillips seems very competent which is why I'm giving this review any stars to begin with. What I cannot excuse is the way business is practiced here. From the moment you walk in, it's almost like a game of mousetrap in what sort of clever ways the doctor and staff try to divorce you from your money. I had read that there were problems with insurance claims before my check-up and I walked in with my insurance rep on the phone. Despite a 15 minute conversation with the front desk about how "XYZ insurance company doesn't pay for a lense fitting" my insurance adamantly insisted that they did. They handed me a bill for almost $200 and said deal with it (great customer service plan). Concurrently, the Doctor didn't write the prescription I had paid for. Instead he gave me a "starter kit" of contact lenses and said come back next week at which point he did nothing but look at my eyes and said "buy a 6 month kit". After explaining I had a company discount on lenses and offered him to price match it was almost like I was disowned. TL:DR the prices are out of control, they try to up-sell at every step and push all the paperwork onto the people choosing to come here. No thanks. read more

I came here to look at new frames with my wife. It's a nice enough shop inside with some nice frames, but the staff was not very helpful, and the store smelled of one of their takeout lunches. After perusing the selection my wife found a pair of frames that she liked. We asked one of the associates for a price because there are no prices listed on the frames themselves--this should have been the first red flag! We were informed that the glasses were $540. That was over twice what we had expected to pay, so we asked if they could write down the model number. They refused and announced that providing model numbers was against their store policy. Needless to say, we left after that. We later found the same model on Amazon for under $200. I would not recommend this place. We ended up going down the street to another shop that had much better service and pricing. read more

Just great customer service. Courteous. Helpful. Knowledgeable. They also have very good taste in eyewear and have a large and well curated selection. I have found a new home for my glasses needs. read more

I give it 2 stars since the doctor is great but everything else is out of control. - I was told several times my glasses were ready and every time I went to pick them up, they where NOT ready. After a while they found them in a stack of glasses they didn't check before. - When they tried to charge my credit card, I guess they moved the decimal point way too much. My credit card company blocked my card because they tried to charge over 120K. I think this was an honest error, but when I went back to the store and told them the issue, they laughed and didn't apologize. - The total cost I was told was different in the end. They also had to get back to the insurance twice, as they made an error (charged too much) with the first invoice. - They push their most expensive frames and don't listen to the customer needs. I could go on with more examples... Again, the doctor is great and there was one more employee in the store that was very useful but everyone else I met there is just in some kind of a "parallel universe". read more

We have been using their service for over 5 years now. The doctor has been very nice and professional, however, we noticed that after they moved to this new location, the staff's attitude has changed and it seems that the only thing the staff cares about is to sell you expensive eyeglasses. We recently ordered new pairs of eyeglasses and to our surprises, they didn't have transition lenses which we clearly told them we wanted. Even without transition, the lenses still cost me $350! Later I had other frame issues and again we got some outrageous quotes - I was told that I either have to pay $170 to fix the frame or pay another $220 to buy a new frame. I told the staff that I don't want to fix them since it is over my budget. I went back to get my broken eye glass, they were really cold and didn't either bother to smile. We will not come back anymore. read more

I had identified a pair of frames that I wanted to purchase at another Optician, but because Brattle Square accepted my insurance, I decided to come here to purchase them instead. My first impression was that the staff was fairly rude and unhelpful. I wasn't too concerned with the customer service, since I just wanted to buy my frames and get on with it. When ringing me up, the owner asked for my full social security number to look up my insurance, which seemed odd. I asked her to use my name/DOB instead. She then told me the retail price of the frames was $610. That price was far higher than I remembered from the previous store, so I asked her to double check, and began to Google them on my phone. She then corrected herself and said she "entered it wrong", and that they were actually $510. She went on to tell me that her store would lose money by taking my insurance, so that I was really lucking out. I felt very uncomfortable with the experience, and decided not to move forward. I told her that I would have to compare prices at other stores before proceeding. She then threatened to report the other stores for selling frames "under the suggested retail price". The following day, I called two other stores that carry the same frames, and the true MSRP is $340. I would be very careful about purchasing frames here, as it appears they are happy to scam their customers. I would not trust any of the employees here, seeing as the owner is such a conwoman. read more

Come prepared to spend a lot-- frames I can find for $350 online are being sold for $425. But I have to say, they have a gorgeous selection of frames and truly helpful and concerned staff. I felt very much like a well-taken care of customer. read more

I was not impressed with their ability to process my insurance. They didn't properly read my benefits and overcharged me by $200. I had to fight the claim and go back to my vision insurance carrier to have them contact the office. They were also insistent that I schedule another eye exam visit before ordering my contact materials, which would have cost my an additional visit. I would be cautious of going in and make sure to review your benefits and stick up for yourself if you feel an additional visit is unnecessary. read more

The doctor followed up with multiple calls to my cell phone, reminding me to schedule my next appointment. I had to block the number from my phone. read more

Can't recommend this place enough. Stopped in to get a new pair of glasses to replace the scratched up lenses I'd worn out over the last year. Immediately greeted and assisted on entering. The staff is super helpful and friendly. They helped me go through countless frames, as I'm very picky about the style I like. They didn't make me feel rushed at all, but were insistent on making sure I found the pair I wanted. When it came time to purchase, they were very thorough in making sure they had all my insurance info looked up and quoted me the total/best price they could get me. They also looked up my current pair that are scratched up and found they are still under warranty. So turns out I can get those lens replaced too! I walked out feeling really confident in myself and will definitely be coming back in the future. read more

As other reviewers have mentioned, after my contact appointment they claimed that with my insurance I should pay $140, despite expecting only a small copay. When I expressed my surprise they said this was due to the doctor being a specialist. Before paying, I looked closer at my insurance and there was no mention of such an exception. I asked again and the receptionist immediately said ok, you can just pay the $35 copay. They also did not give me the results of the examination, saying I would need a second appointment. UPDATE: They have emailed me my prescription. read more

Bottom line and you can see it with all the negative reviews there is one person here who is very rude and dismissive. Customer service is abysmal - I had a problem with the glasses and was told it was my mistake and they were not going to help. I was told to call the company that did the prescription direct. When I asked for a phone number so I could do that, I was told to look it up on the internet and sent on my way. I ended up calling and was told it wasn't a problem at all and they couldn't understand why I was calling direct because Brattle was suppose to re-issue the request to have new ones made. Have witnesses two other clients getting the same treatment, that their glasses issues were their own mistakes and trying to charge them. Will never return. read more

Doctor was fantastic! Patient and thorough, really a fantastic experience. The staff was also very nice.

The doctor is brilliant, friendly and professional. The office is beautiful, and the staff is also excellent! Just amazing customer service! On top of that, they have the chicest glasses! read more

I have major and constantly changing eye issues. This is the first place to find contacts suitable for my eyes. My corneas are finally happy! Though they are a bit expensive, they have really wonderful customer service. They help me get contacts as quickly as possible and if ordering is taking a while they provide me with trial lenses. They also were very helpful in finding frames that fit my face and my incredibly high prescription. I came in on a Monday and they had the glasses ready by Thursday. All in all, they are knowledgable and have appreciated my business for the past three years. read more

I've been a patient of Dr. Phillips' since my freshman year in college almost twenty years ago. There is a reason I've followed him to each new practice location during that time and why I am seriously planning to continue seeing him for my eye exams, contact fittings, and glasses needs even as I am on the verge of moving out of state. He is attentive, thorough, knowledgeable, and just a very kind and caring human being. He truly is concerned about your eye health and ensuring that you have the best fitting and most comfortable lenses possible. My husband even goes to him now too. I highly recommend him / Brattle Square Optical for your contact and glasses needs. read more

I get my eye exams here and my glasses and contacts. I am a photographer with complicated vision issues and it's of the utmost importance to me that I have really good prescriptions and eye exams. Dr. Phillips is great at figuring out my complicated prescription and tweaking things so that I am comfortable. When I get new contacts, I am always sent off with trial pairs and then come back in a week for a second check. Their choice of frames and lenses is fabulous and I have never felt they are pushy, in fact the opposite. I highly recommend them. Because I am on Medicare, the only thing covered for me is a yearly eye exam, so I cannot comment on the intricacies of various insurance policies. However, in reference to a previous review, I find it almost impossible to imagine that anyone at Brattle Optical would cheat someone. They have tons of business and do not need to do that, and seem far too decent to do something underhanded. I will always go back to them. read more

I had a great experience at Brattle Square Optical. Dr. Phillips saw me immediately, and did a detailed eye exam, using cutting edge technology so that I didn't have to have my eyes dilated in order to have my retinas examined. He also recommended contact lenses which actually correct my astigmatism AND are comfortable, which I didn't think existed! I was about to give up on contacts before this visit! I had a great time picking out my frames, as Brattle Square has a large selection of beautiful glasses and sunglasses. So glad I found this place. read more

This place is a rip-off. I have vision insurance and they handed me a bill for $200 for a regular eye exam and contact lens fitting. I paid up and called my insurance company who informed me that I shouldn't have been charged anything. When I called this place up demanding to know why I had been charged, the Dr. told me he can't 'treat me for free.' I went back in person and he glared at me and said 'oh, I remember you' and he and his staff were very hostile. I made my insurance company talk to them and got a refund. Avoid at all costs. read more

I know this is an eye Dr., so maybe not something you normally gush over, but I love this place. My husband and I are both patients and they're very nice to us. We're not very fashion saavy, so we ask them to pick our frames whenever we need new glasses and they always do a great job. There is low staff turnover and they're always knowledgeable and nice. They have cutting edge technology and do a great job. I highly recommend them. read more

The service was so bad. I left in tears. I had really liked 3 pairs of glasses which I was trying to choose between in terms of cost and fit for my face. At first, the saleswoman Clary was helpful, but all of a sudden as I was asking her for estimates, she became really aggressive "telling me I already told you." I responded that I'm deciding between multiple pairs and since she didn't give me a definitive price, there was nothing wrong with asking the price again. She then proceeded to tell me that she doesn't like people questioning her. She rolled her eyes. I told her that this customer service was extremely inappropriate. She sarcastically said "too bad." That empty store had no customers whatsoever, just 5 associates who just sat and watched, not offering to help or take over. When I asked for a manager, this saleswoman responded there was none. I'm truly disappointed because I was ready to buy these glasses, but the people in there are just terrible. I would absolutely not recommend going into that store. read more

A very terrible service. They quoted one price than when we said we have VSP. They doubled price. Totally deceptive.

I found Brattle Square Optical through my insurance company's recommended local providers. My appointment went well and Dr. Phillips himself was kind and thorough. I ended up purchasing a new set of glasses, as well as upgrading to disposable daily contact lenses. Up until this point, I was happy with my interactions. However, shortly after, I was reviewing my account statement through my insurance company and noted that it had paid out two claims to BSO. One claim for the glasses that I had purchased and a second claim for another set of glasses which I hadn't. BSO had cashed both (large) checks. I called my insurance company and they told me that the second pair of glasses had been charged to a secondary allowance from my employer that I didn't even know I had. Apparently, my employer allows a secondary allowance for reading glasses for work purposes, in addition to my personal benefit. I never knew about this secondary benefit and had not told BSO of it. It's worth noting that the plans have two separate ID numbers to which claims would be made. I reviewed the claim documents online and sure enough, BSO had charged a second set of expensive glasses (with different details and amounts from the pair I actually purchased) to this secondary plan under the separate plan number. I called their office and they said that a mistake had been made and they'd be returning the money to the insurance company. I'm not sure how an entirely separate and unique claim was "accidentally" submitted to my insurance under a totally different plan number than I had given them. While it would be somewhat understandable if they had charged another patient's glasses to the same plan that I had used, how could another patient's glasses ended up on my secondary unused plan? Now, I'll let you form your own conclusions. After presumably obtaining the information about my plans from my insurance company, how did BSO "accidentally" submit two different and unique claims? If they received a reimbursement check for which there wasn't a corresponding accounts receivable balance in my name, why did they cash BOTH checks? Wouldn't the honest thing have been to return the check to the insurance company? This is basic business accounting. I won't be returning to BSO as this "accident" was a bit too suspicious to be believed. read more

Stopped in because I saw they carried Silhouette frames, and my (very old) pair of Silhouette glasses needed some adjustments. I didn't purchase the frames at Brattle Square Optical, but they couldn't have been more helpful. The woman at the front tried to fix the, and when she couldn't quite get it right, she asked their optometrist to take a look. He fixed the bend in the frames quickly and easily and couldn't have been nicer. When I eventually do need to get a new pair of glasses, I will most definitely come here. read more

I have been going to Dr. Phillips for almost 22 years, since he was at For Eyes so many years ago. He is really good at trying out new things to adapt to my changing, and aging, eyes. He explains the different factors he is trying to balance, the trade-offs, why he thinks one thing is better than another. I went to other optometrists when I live in other cities, but I was happy to come home to Dr Phillips. read more

I have been wearing contact for years!!! And I always buy glasses thinking I'm going to wear them this time and never do because they are so thick. my eyes had been really dry and red so I decided I would try glasses again and I have to say I fianally have a pair I like. The sales associates were so helpful, I have a small face, and they helped me find a pair that fits but wouldn't look so thick. They did it, I would highly recommend them! I get complements on my glasses all the time now. read more