I scheduled my appointment the month before then received a call 2 weeks before to remind me of the appointment. I called back and said yes I will be there. A few days before my appointment I got another call to remind me so I called to confirm again and the girl said she had no record of any appointment for me and I explained that was odd seeing as how I already called and confirmed the week before and she said I do not see it and I said a have the voice messages confirming the date and time she said some girl didn't move my account info over because I had not been there in a few years. The doctor and the assistant were extremely nice and did a great job but my issue with this location is the check-in people. There was a younger and older lady (at a computer that said Shannon) who works in check-in. The older lady acted extremely rude did all the talking when I came in the office. Neither greeted me but acted like what do you want, pissed someone came in to their empty office space. Both rolled their eyes when I said I submitted my intake forms online (per their website request to do so prior to my appointment ) and submitted copies of my insurance cards because I did not have physical copies yet of my cards. The office was empty so it's not like they were busy. She said "just let me see your cards" and I said I cannot because I do not have them yet but did pull the virtual cards up for her to see and enter. Apparently one specific employee was not there and they could not access anything sent online to the email. Both displayed a nonchalant attitude the entire time as I was checking in. Then told me to go across the hall to wait. I waited in another empty room. The exam with both the assistant and MD were great both were personable and friendly. When it was time to check out, and I carried my document and folder over and went to hand it to the older lady . She snatched it out of my hand rudely and when I asked about the free eyewipes samples if it was OK if I could take one she said "yeah whatever" in a very rude tone. There was never any hello, or hi from the front staff, no nice greetings just cringed,annoyed facial expressions and disgruntled attitudes. If you don't like your job that much quit find a new career because the first impression you get from a business is when you walk in the door and the people that you meet in the front office. This woman needs to be replaced. It's not hard to say Hi how can I help you with a smile it goes along way and NEVER yank anything out of patients hand when they are just trying to hand it to you. The front office is going to lose business for this practice if they do nothing to fix it. read more

I was not happy with Mark Scroggs' manner in 2014 and did not return to the practice. When I simply didn't call back to make a follow-up appointment, I got a remarkable letter, which said in part: "This letter will confirm my decision to withdraw from your care as your ophthalmologist. It does not appear that we can maintain the quality of relationship that is vital to your medical care and treatment. "I have stressed the importance of compliance to achieve a favorable outcome for your medical treatment especially (sic) keeping scheduled appointments. However, it has become apparent that you have not followed my recommendations. As our medical care is considered specialized, it ends with the receipt of this letter ..." The only reason I kept this letter for so long is because I just couldn't believe how weird and rude it was! I didn't do anything other than simply not make another appointment! Sadly, from what I've read here, I don't see much of a difference in recent reviews. :( read more

Deceptive practice, rude stuff. Don't go there, period! My 16 years old niece went there for an eye exam. She called before making the appointment. She was told it is covered by her insurance. Confirmed with the doctor when she was there. Then, she was later charged $61. She and her Mom went there and was told that is the deductible, which we confirmed with BCBS is not. I went with them again -- only turned away by the rude office manager. They even called policy saying that I disrupted their business. They refused to offer any explanation for their lie, refused to let me speak, and refused to schedule appointment with the owners to settle the dispute.... I was their patient once and changed as I just didn't feel right at the time. I guess my instinct is right. So, DON'T GO THERE. There are many wonderful eye doctors in Chapel Hill, even in the same building. read more

The doctors are good, but the receptionist is quite rude and messes stuff up a lot. I recently came in for an appointment that she insisted I didn't have. I was able to have my son text me a photo of the appointment card with the receptionist's handwriting. Once I proved her wrong, she blamed it on the computer and acted like it was a huge problem, but they'd do me a HUGE favor and try to fit me in. The other thing I hate is the horrific christian country music they play in the reception/ waiting room. It's torture. But hey, I can see better. read more

Do not go here if you value your vision. Bryan did cataract surgery, and my right eye experienced extremely serious, serious problems. I called their emergency line in the evening, but the on-call doctor, Dr. Scroggs, failed to return the call until the next morning. If Scroggs had picked up he could have told me to start using the steroid medication, I had on hand already. His failure might have caused me many months of misery and terror. One can only conjecture about why Scroggs failed to to return an emergency calls at 11pm, 12am, and 4am. The conjectures lead one to imagine Scroggs might have been involved in other unsavory activities. He never gave an excuse. Bryan insists the cause of the problem was one thing, while UNC records say something else. Regardless, the problem is on on him, and on that there is no denial. When I wrote them both doctors letters describing their missteps, the wrote me a letter of apology. Now, does anyone want their eyes operated on by doctors who have to send out letters of apology? Be forewarned if you should be thinking about this practice for anything other than an E I O eye exam. I would recommend a clinic, say UNC-Kittner or Duke-Eye Center. George Tauchen george.tauchen@gmail.com read more

Professional and personally responsive. Dr Scroggs is a superior model of best medical practitioner.

Drs. Scroggs and Bryan are excellent. The assistant who answers phones is obnoxious. I called to find out why my on-line payment did not appear to have gone through and continued to show I owed a $35 co-pay. I tried to pay several more times but the system would not acknowledge my payment. I waited 12 minutes for someone to answer. I told her I was frustrated because I had a very long wait, and in an unpleasant, curt tone, she said "It's Monday and there are a lot of calls." OK, but, what ever happened to common courtesy? It would be so easy to have just responded politely and professionally something like "I'm so sorry you had to wait so long, sir. On Mondays, we always get a very high volume of calls and it can result in long wait times. How can I help you?" During the conversation that followed she continued to be curt while I was trying to understand what was happening. (The answer is that, once submitted, the payment becomes "pending" until a person manually processes the payment). A little kindness and sympathetic tone goes a long way to soothe a frustrated patient who is calling. Medical offices would do well to ensure that their front office is practicing proper etiquette. read more

My wife and I have used these doctors for decades. I have nothing but good things to say about the doctors. The nurses and the staff are equally professional and kind. The billing department on the other hand--I do not and would not trust them, and in my opinion, they do not treat their customers with any respect or courtesy. They refuse to acknowledge the possibility that they could make a mistake. Caveat emptor. read more

I was scheduled for cataract surgery and a week before the first surgery, I received a call from the office saying that the out-patient surgery center did not accept my insurance. I obviously cancelled the surgery because I don't have that kind of money. I expressed my dismay and moved on. However, I just looked at my credit card statement and noticed an office charge of $35. When I called requesting a refund, the woman I spoke with refused to issue it. What did I get for that $35 charge? Time wasted. Frustration that I have to start a new search for a surgeon. But, hey, reading George T.'s and Kevin T.'s experiences, maybe I am lucky! read more

After a disappointing eye experience at another Chapel Hill opthalmology clinic, my husband and I decided to take our services elsewhere to Carolina Opthalmology Associates (COA), and I'm glad we did. Dr. Bryan was very thorough during my eye exam and took the time to explain potential changes to my eyes during my second pregnancy. Since I was a first-time patient there, he wanted to dilate my eyes to do a more detailed exam, but gave me special 0.5% drops in consideration of the growing baby. I was impressed at his expertise, as well as the warmth and professionalism demonstrated by the other technicians on staff as well. Once the eye exam was complete, they handed me my glasses and contact lens prescriptions; there was no implied or overt pressure to take my business to the in-house eyeglass shop (although I did). After ordering my contact lenses and requesting that they be shipped to me so I wouldn't have to make another trip to the office, they arrived promptly a few days later. Everything about the appointment- from scheduling the eye exam to purchasing contact lenses in the neighbouring eyeglass shop- was friendly, professional and efficient. I could not be happier that we switched opthalmology clinics, and COA will now be our permanent home for ocular care. read more

OMG. A fantastic experience all around! COA is leagues better than another local place we frequented before making the change! And a **huge** shoutout to Christina G. & Yelp for recommending this business to my wife. Unlike my wife, I saw Dr. Scroggs for my annual eye exam. I truly appreciated his professionalism, friendliness and attention to detail. Honestly, one of the best experiences I've had in years seeing an Opthamologist. The staff is timely, friendly, helpful and accommodating. Not once did they ever make me feel like I was being a burden to anyone throughout the whole process[1]. Before seeing the Opthamalogist, the assistant went through the usual battery of #1 or #2, #3 or #2 etc. The peripheral vision test was done manually (which I prefer) and the glaucoma test was done as a pressure test[2]. Dr. Scroggs had a great demeanor - very personable and relaxed with a great "bedside" manner. He walked me through the whole process explaining every detail of the examination. Of course, the same could be said of all the staff there that I encountered on that visit. As others have already mentioned, they perform Lasik procedures and offer free consultations if interested. Maybe one of these days I'll consider it! The office is spacious and both the outer waiting room shares space with an ENT practice, but there are plenty of seats, reading materials and free wifi to occupy yourself while waiting. The longest I had to wait was during the dilation process. Re: specific insurance policies: We have additional vision coverage through VSP which both COA and the adjoining Vision Center do accept. 5 easy stars for a great overall experience and we'll definitely be back next year with the rest of the family! [1] Yeah...I tend to ask lots of questions. ;-) [2] Apparently, Dr. Scroggs prefers these over the air ones. read more

Although I live in Durham now, I still ride into Chapel Hill to go see Dr. Scroggs, as I have for several years now. Dr. Scroggs is friendly, and an excellent doctor. I really ought to still be irked with him, since last time he dilated my eyes to the point where I couldn't find my way to the Vision Center to pick up my lenses. Basically, I bumped off the walls giggling, as I walked down the hall. I've also been happy with the service I've received at the Vision Center. I need my lenses special-ordered. Because I'm blind. I get them quickly and for a decent price - also, they offer a discount for University employees. I know that they do laser surgery; my friend had her LASIK here and was very satisfied. I haven't taken the plunge yet, but if you're bolder than me, this would be a good place to have the procedure done. read more

Nice offices, on-site Vision Center (for glasses and contacts), and two doctors to choose from (I use Dr. Scroggs). The staff is mostly friendly and definitely efficient -- it's still probably best to book an a.m. appointment as they can tend to fall a bit behind later in the day. In my experience, the Vision Center is super-speedy -- drop off your contact prescription and it's available for pick-up in like 2 days! They came recommended by two separate colleagues at my last job, and I will definitely pass the recommendation onward. read more

I saw an optometrist south of Chapel Hill recently, and when I couldn't see properly, he looked at my retina, which looks normal. I explained that it looked like I was seeing the world through a gray fuzzy donut, but he insisted there was nothing wrong, and I should feel free to find a second opinion. I went to Dr. Scroggs for that second opinion. While not a retina specialist (who knew that there was such a thing?), Dr. Scroggs saw enough to immediately schedule an appointment with a local retina guy, Jan Kylstra, who also seems top-notch. That gray fuzzy donut is some sort of weird bullseye maculopathy, and we're trying to figure out what's causing it. I'm not happy about that damned donut, but it's nice to have competent doctors in town! read more

This place employs the rudest people I have ever met. No one wants to help you & they act like they are doing you a favor just by being there. Also apparently my husband was diagnosed with a medical problem that was never discussed with him nor did he ever receive any information from the doctor concerning this problem. We only found out about it when we were billed. They can charge more for your exam if you have a medical problem. read more

This place is terrible. I was new to the area and will never recommend this place. I was fitted for contacts and they were giving me headaches. When I went in to try different contacts, the appointment secretary said I could come in and get new contacts and would not be billed for a new appointment. This was not true. They billed me and my insurance didn't cover the second appointment. The billing specialist, Shannon was extremely rude in her approach with talking to me and I was appalled at the way she thought it was appropriate to talk to patients. The receptionists were very friendly and I wish I caught their names because they tried very hard to make the situation right. It's sad when a doctor's office cares more about the money than their patients. read more

Horrible customer service, charged me a no show fee for an appointment THEY scheduled for me a YEAR ago, called them, asked for help, we're rude and nasty. read more

Watch out for inflexible no-show fees ($50) if you have a conflict. This place is not interested in getting new patients. I am voting with my feet and have taken my business elsewhere. read more

This is review for Carolina Opthalmology, specifically Dr. Shaw. I think he is new? I have never had a more perfunctory, hands-off, uninterested and unconcerned, unprofessional eye exam in all of my life. He was so aloof and seemed more concerned with getting the appointment over, and getting me to be hopefully a candidate for Lasik, than my eye concerns. I felt like a patient in a factory...in and out....as fast as possible....the more money you make. This was the McDonald's of eye doctors!! Zero bedside manner. If you want to be treated like a number, barely examined, passed off as if you're stupid and get on to the next patient, then go to Dr. Shaw. read more