I have had two excellent experiences (once in the summer of 2016 and once recently in the summer of 2017) here at Dr. Chao's optometry office and will definitely be coming back for any future eye care needs! I rarely write Yelp reviews but had to for Dr. Chao and her staff, because they truly go above and beyond to ensure that you receive the best possible care for both your eyes and general health/well-being. Communication: Their website is easy to navigate and very informative. My favorite part is being able to request an appointment online and receiving a prompt email response. Dr. Chao and her staff are very quick to reply to emails and calls and are willing to explain any details about your appointment. Additionally, I do not ever get the sense that they are trying to sell me products or rip me off when I come into their office, which I really appreciate. Appointment: I am always greeted promptly and usually wait under 15 minutes to see Dr. Chao (this includes the pre-tests by her wonderful staff). The machines/tools used at her facility are very clean and advanced; I feel that the multiple pre-tests create a well-rounded, complete picture of my eyes to help Dr. Chao determine any issues. Additionally, they recently added the Optomap to their collection, a super cool camera that captures 200 degrees of your retina which supplements a dilation to make sure the parts of your eye under the surface are in good shape too! The only possible issue I observed would be the length of my appointment: my last appointment took almost 2 hours due to a complication (which I will address at the end of my review). However, I feel that it is due to Dr. Chao's extreme thoroughness and concern for my well-being that some extra time is needed. To me, these are great qualities that I want from my optometrist! Dr. Chao: Dr. Chao is very thorough, kind, and patient. I never feel rushed during my appointments with her and feel like she takes the time to explain everything from the pre-test results to what recommendations she has for me regarding contact lenses and better eye care habits. Additionally, she doesn't hesitate to go out of her way to help; I was unsure about my insurance coverage, and she personally called my insurance company to confirm what was and was not covered. Contact Lenses: I have no experience regarding getting framed eyeglasses here, but I was able to pick up my year's supply of daily contact lenses within a week after Dr. Chao ordered them for me the first time I visited her office in the summer of 2016. If you're still not convinced by my essay of a review and the multitude of amazing reviews for Dr. Chao, I have one last story to share that I believe shows how much Dr. Chao truly cares about her patients: After dilating my eyes and looking at a picture of my retina, Dr. Chao noticed some strange areas near/on my retina in my right eye and recommended that I see an ophthalmologist ASAP. Unfortunately, it was already late in the afternoon when I tried to book appointments that day, so I was unable to reach anyone. Just as I was beginning to freak out, Dr. Chao came to my rescue and informed me that she had already called the ophthalmology offices covered by my vision/medical insurance describing my situation and asking someone to contact me for an appointment. I ended up getting a call back the next day and set an appointment to see an ophthalmologist just two days after meeting with Dr. Chao! During this whole time, Dr. Chao kept an email exchange with me to make sure I was giving the ophthalmologist all the correct and complete information she found about my right eye. I was blown away by her willingness to help me even with her busy schedule and her concern for my health. All in all, I could not recommend visiting Dr. Chao more. She and her staff will take great care of you! (: read more

Great service and selection. Staff is courteous and professional and helped me patiently find the right frames for me. Highly recommend.

Professional! Dr. Chao and her staff are the consummate professionals. Although I'm not a patient here, but was referred to for my Veterans Affairs Claims and Compensation exam, I was treated very well. read more

Christine J J Chao, OD - Business entrance - Optometrists Near Me - Davis, California

Dr. Christine Chao is amazing!! I have an annoying prescription and I've bounced around for years to different eye doctors so I've experienced many different optometrists. Dr. Chao is the first that's felt like she truly cares for her job and clients. On top of that, their whole office is so sweet and kind, and they are great communication wise. I've had calls and texts from them and it just feels really easy to be in contact with them. I have nothing but praises to sing for this office, staff, doctor and all. read more

I've been here twice for routine visits and I love Dr Chao and all her staff. It's always a pleasant experience and I'm grateful that I found them. If there are typos in this it's because my eyes are dilated haha. Highly recommend! read more

I only write reviews when I'm compelled to write one based on a very good experience or a very bad one. I don't have time for mediocre experiences. 1. Dr. Chao, Stephanie, Ernest and the rest of the staff here are very informed and respectful to their customers 2. I don't feel pressured when buying my contacts or glasses from them, they informed me of my options and I choose the rest. I grew up in SF and this is by far my best experience. ( Not exaggerating! ) 3. Up to date equipments, knowledgeable staff and good advice on the type of contacts I should get and no pressure to buy back up glasses. Most importantly from the first email I've sent to my most recent visit, I've always felt comfortable communicating with this office. P.S. Thanks to Dr. Chao I'm not walking, biking, or driving straight into you. You should be thankful. read more

Fantastic place, family like atmosphere. Dr Chao is really nice and explains things in laymen's terms. Staff is very friendly and patient with me when selecting frames. They have a decent selection and kept bringing more and more to me to make sure that I get the right one. Keep your eyes open for this place! read more

Christine J J Chao, OD - Patient staff. Helped me select fitting frames and even helped me take pix to send to friends to double-check - Optometrists Near Me - Davis, California

Friendly staff, and a family environment! They were very patient with me in picking out potential sunglasses frames, even when I didn't even up buying one in the end (I'm a poor college student). I ended up getting contacts, and it was a great experience overall. Highly recommend. read more

You can trust Dr. Chao and her staff to always give you the best eye care possible. I leave every visit feeling like Dr. Chao took the time to explain any issues or just to educate me on my eyes. But most importantly, she knows what she's doing. Also, her staff, including Stephanie and the assistants have always been very nice. After 4 years of being a patient, I might just return to Davis whenever I need an eye checkup. read more

I really appreciate the service I get here. Dr. Chao is patient and is willing to hear me out about my vision issues and explains the medical side of things so I can understand. The lady at the desk is really sweet, too, and she helped me figure out my insurance/cost stuff, going above and beyond to help me out with that. I got both new glasses and prescription sunglasses here some years ago, and I recall how they figured out the best arrangement with my plan so I would save money. Not sure about the negative experience one person wrote about below, but truly, they're really professional, kind, helpful, and efficient. read more

Really nice optometrist and really nice staff too! Too bad that I graduating and won't be able to come to Davis anymore to come here. The appointments are not rushed for me at all (they only take a short time anyway). There is a lack of many glasses options, but there can be some great pairs! It doesn't hurt to try on anything. And the staff help out in the selection, so if you're not sure of something, they will assist you whenever they can. I definitely recommend! read more

Not very impressed with Dr. Chao's office. I went onto Daviswiki and yelp to read the comments before going for a checkup. Seeing how every comment on here was very positive, I had a high expectation. I feel that majority of the comments are exaggerated. I been wearing glasses for 11+ years now and felt that the service was subpar. I felt rushed during the eye exam and they were not busy at all. Very limited selection of eyeglasses frame and restrictive office hours. Bought glasses that did not come with a courtesy micro fiber cloth for cleaning (stingy). On a positive note- All the equipments are very new.They have much better equipment than any other places that I have ever gone to. read more

Professional services only = 5 stars. The office is clean and updated, there is a lot of parking outside and Dr. Chao is very nice and personable. A young student (I think) administered an eye test (the "game" where you click the button whenever you see a light and that thing where they shoot air in your eye) on me. Dr. Chao tested my vision and was very efficient and quick. Sales experience = 0 stars. The only reason I wouldn't come back is because the lady at the front desk is SO overbearing and hard to work with. She was completely comfortable pushing me for every dollar she could. She kept asking me if I wanted to exhaust my available insurance amount. I finally agreed and purchased a year supply of contacts from them (of course, paying ~2/3 out of pocket). I asked if I could get a prescription in case I run out before the year is over (life happens and i always end up tearing my contacts or throwing them away before the 2-week time-period has passed; hence, I need more than 12-months worth of contacts in one year). They said, no, that they don't do that. Then they qualified that statement to "prescriptions for emergencies only" and of course, you would be buying through them. Then she pressed the issue of whether I needed new glasses OR maybe I needed new lens in my current frame? At that point, I really just wanted to GTFO. I wouldn't come back here. I've never been to an optometrist that had a sales person more pushy than this one and I honestly have never been to an optometrist who will not write me a contact prescription after having sold a 1-year supply (I suspect this is yet another sales tactic to force you to come back to buy directly from them). read more

It is a rare jem to find an eye doctor that not only has the expertise and knowledge, but who also has a bedside manner of kindness and compassion. Dr. Chao has both! Being an optometrist myself, I referred one of our patients to her because they were moving up to the Davis area. Dr. Chao helped her out with contact lens services and really saved the day so my patient could see just in time for school to start. Dr. Chao went over and above the call of duty to help my patient out. I am truly grateful to have found Dr. Chao and recommend her to all patients in the Davis area that wants an optometrist who really cares. read more

I've been going to Dr. Chao for close to 6 years. Before going to her I was having headaches and it was because she found that my prescription was too strong (prescription was from kaiser doctor). Since then, I've found Dr. Chao & her staff to be attentive, patient, and accommodating. I used to be a student at Davis so it made sense that I went to her, but even moving out I still come back to Dr. Chao for my yearly check-ups. *the only downside is that her eye glass selection is not very extensive read more

I made an appointment for both my husband and I with Dr Chao because our insurance changed and we weren't able to see out regular optometrist, she had good reviews so decided to make our appointments with her. First off we were the only 2 people in for appointments as well as her first appointments of the day. It took them over 20 mins to take us in. So that set us back a lot. Then our exams took almost 3 hours to complete. For a regular check up that was ridiculous to me. My husband needed new glasses. The selection of frames is minuscule, I decided to get my prescription and get mine else where. My husband REALLY needed his so he just decided to chose frames they had there. I asked how long it was going to take they said 2 weeks. Seemed like a lot to me but he decided to just do it. I emailed them On October 7th (2 days shy of 2 weeks) I emailed them to see when my husbands glasses were going to be ready. All they said is that they were in process at the lab. I guess they didn't want to bother to call the lab to see when they were going to be ready and give me a more specific answer. 3 weeks go by and nothing, finally after almost a month I call to see if they were there, and they were! They got them on the 9th of October (our appointment was on the 26th of September) and it was now the 21st. My husband was furious. We had not received any calls or anything. When I went in to pick them up they said they had emailed me. Which I'm guessing went into my junk folder (I'll accept responsibility for that) but I had made it very clear to them more than once that my husband needed the glasses badly. After that initial email they never attempted to email again (even after no response) or call. They tried to rectify the situation by giving us a 10% off for which I thanked them. But we will definitely not be going back to see Dr Chao. I don't care if I have to pay everything out of pocket to see our regular optometrist... Our whole experience with Dr. Chao was a nightmare!!! Never again. read more

Awesome optometry office! Small but efficient AND they treat you like family. They spent at least an hour helping me find the best frames for my face before openly recommending that I take their prescription elsewhere to find the perfect frame. They didn't mind at all that I wasted an hour or so of their time trying practically every frame in the shop on! I once strayed to Golden Dublin Optometry, which only served to make me appreciate this office that much more. If you're in Davis, this is the best optometrist in town! read more

This place has the best customer service I have ever seen. Doctor Chao can even cure optometristphobics. State of the art technology, brilliant minds, and friendly smiles, even though its not a dentist office. Incredible. read more

I've been coming to this office for about two and a half years now for my eye check ups! It's amazing, since I normally avoid seeing the optometrist if I can help it--but each visit with Dr. Chao has been very professional, welcoming and positive! The staff is very helpful, as they will take the time to help find the perfect frame or make adjustments to glasses. Even though I've moved out of Davis, I won't go anywhere else for an optometry appointment! read more

Before purchasing my second pair of frames from Dr. Chao, I shopped around Davis to see what my options were. I still found 2 out of my 3 top choices here. Dr. Chao and her staff are extremely kind and knowledgeable and give excellent feedback regarding your eye care needs. I made a noon appointment between classes and while I was trying on frames, Dr. Chao would check in to make sure I wouldn't miss class. Great customer service! I am happy with the unique sea-glass green frames I chose and get compliments on them all the time. read more

Dr. Chao and staff are so nice and friendly. Dr. Chao is very patient. The office is clean and neat, the staff are very helpful and kind.

We have now been going to Dr. Chao's office for about 10yrs. They are great! It's a small office and I love it! Stephanie and Dr Chao make going to the eye doctor a fun experience! Dr Chao is very clear on all procedures and Stephanie is so fun to pick out new frames with. I would highly recommend them. read more

Really nice people. They were able to book me quickly and I didn't have to wait too long. Eye exam was really quick and everyone was really friendly throughout the process. They also clearly broke down all the costs so there were no surprises. Frames selection was a little limited but I found exactly what I wanted for both regular glasses and sunglasses. Would definitely love to come back. read more

My eye exam wasn't rushed at all, Dr. Chao was very nice and so was her staff. I took a long time to pick out my frames (45 minutes) and I was so grateful for their help, especially the receptionist, who took the time and didn't get impatient with me. When I finally chose the frames I wanted, I noticed it was 5 o'clock exactly and it was closing time but she had another patient to help choose frames for after me which made me feel really bad because I was very indecisive... Needless to say, very professional and they were straight forward with their billing fees and took the time to explain that to me also. I would definitely come back again. =) read more

Dr. Chao and her staff are very attentive individuals. Just like other reviewers, I'm appreciative of how patient Dr. Chao is and how she listens to my concerns. I can tell Dr. Chao cares a lot about her patients. I whole-heartedly recommend her as an optometrist. Also bonus points for being an Aggie! read more

Dr. Chao goes above an beyond what you would expect from a normal optometrist. Plus with a friendly staff and great office this is a win win for anyone. read more

Frankly, this is the most friendly optometrist I've ever been to, or actually any kind of doctor. Dr. Chao and her assistants were very patient and conversational. The assistant that informed us of our options seemed to recommend the appropriate option and give us accurate information, rather than make us spend more money. read more

Great customer service and support staff, and Dr. Chao is excellent in answering your questions and is honest with you about what you need (or more importantly, do not need). Comfortable vibes, nice and clear office, good communication via email (which is helpful for those that prefer this method of communication). Overall great experience. Great that they take SHIP too (UC Students, I am looking at you). read more

I've been wearing glasses for 17 years and have had 3 prior OD's. The experience I had at Dr. Chao's office had been the worst of all. Dr. Chao is a nice friendly young doctor. However, her staff is the reason for the 2 stars. The 2 front staffs that helped me was very rude and pushy when it comes to selecting frame and lenses. In the end, I felt that I was riped off. I ended up paying over $300 for a typical pair of single vision glasses, I did have insurance. At lenscrafter I would have paid similar amount without insurance for a better frame and lens with much better and quicker services. I was not too impressed with the pair of glasses I received. I would not recommend this place. read more

I've never had a bad experience with optometrists, and this is true with Dr. Chao as well. So what usually determines whether I go back to an optometrist or not is their staff, because I tend to interact with them much more. Stephanie is the most genuinely friendly and helpful staff I've ever interacted with at a doctor's office (ANY doctor's office for that matter). And for this reason, I miss Dr. Chao's office and wish I could go back to Davis for my new prescriptions! read more

Dr. Chao and Stephanie were wonderful! They really helped me with a tight spot and were able to book an appointment quickly. Both were very professional and quick to answer any questions. I'll be going here from now on. I also found the online appointment request to be very efficient. read more

Been going to Dr. Chao's for several years & always appreciate their great customer service! They are more than willing to talk about what will be the cheapest for students with SHIP health insurance plan which this poor student appreciates! read more

Outstanding service! I have been a patient for over 3 years now and I am completely satisfied with my care. Today I accidentally ripped my last contact. I emailed Dr. Chao in a panic because I have my last fitness test today and I really needed my contacts. Dr. Chao offered to call in my prescription so I could get contacts the same day!!! I am beyond relieved and thankful to have a great optometrist. read more

I broke my glasses and needed to get a new pair as soon as possible. A friend of mine referred me to Dr Chao's practice and I was very satisfied! This was my first time picking new frames on my own so I needed some help; Stephanie was very patient: she assisted me with looking at different frame styles and options. They also told me that the glasses would take about 2 weeks but they were able to get it done within a week and a half. All of the staff members were also very friendly and helpful! read more

Dr. Chao and the rest of the people in her office are awesome! I ripped my last pair of contact lenses and broke my glasses within two days of each other, right before heading out of town for a vacation. I'm new to Davis, and didn't have an established optometrist, so I was desperately calling every office in town hoping someone could fit me in for a same-day appointment. When I called Dr. Chao and told her what happened, she fit me in for a same-day appointment even though she hadn't been planning on seeing any patients that day. Her office went above and beyond to help me. They were friendly, professional, and patient as I agonized over which frames to get. They also were great at explaining my UC Davis SHIP insurance benefits to me, and making sure I'd be able to get the best deal I could on contacts and frames. I highly recommend Dr. Chao and her staff. read more