I was never going to post anything here, but reading other reviews from people about their awful experiences with the staff emboldened me to write this review and let future patients know what they are in for and what to expect from this place.
I originally used to go to Crisp Vision's Salinas location, they were fantastic! The doctor, the staff, all super great! Then sometime last year I got a letter saying that location was closing and to go to the Monterey one instead.
In November 2020 I knew that I needed a new pair of glasses since my current ones are falling apart, and also to update my glasses prescription, so I went to their website and made an appointment. One week later, no response, no conformation, so I try calling them.
And calling.
And calling.
Kept getting nothing but the recorded message, leaving my info, waiting days, calling again, rinse and repeat.
Finally, I go there in person, the lady at the desk tells me that they've been having trouble with Comcast, and that's why their website and phone systems have been failing to record any info all month.
Any you know what? I totally believed that, it made sense! And I'm sure that line has worked on a lot of people who never read the yelp reviews for this place first, just like me.
So, she makes a big show of writing my info down on paper, "because the computers are down", saying maybe they can see me in March.
I think to myself, "aw man, I don't want my eyes to hurt for that long, that's almost 5 months!" so decide that in the meantime, to ask a copy of my prescription so I can get a cheap pair for classes online to hold me over till then.
The moment I ask for it, the woman visibly FREAKS out, and this isn't the first time I've had the receptionist at an optometrist become hostile at the %100 LEGAL request for my glasses prescription info. Remember kids, no matter what they say, even if it's the doctor themselves, optometrist offices HAVE TO PROVIDE YOU WITH A COPY OF YOUR PERSCRIPTION UPON REQUEST!
But a fool am I, because this woman back in November was being so sympathetic and reasonable that she somehow managed to talk me out of it by promising that she would contact me the moment anyone canceled, so I figured that would be like maybe a month or two tops and walked out.
SMASH CUT TO FEBURARY 2021. Since The start of January, I have again begun the cycle of trying to book online, calling, waiting, calling again, trying again online, and finally today drove on over to just get an appointment booked, ANY APPOINTMENT.
Well, let's just say it was awful, I was cut off in midsentence, half listened too, and they pulled the same "Let me write it down of this piece of paper and maybe we'll get back to you in four months" song and dance they pulled in November.
Ok, I get it, I can translate what is being communicated:
"Find another doctor, we have way too many more patients than we can handle, but we can't just tell you to give up and try somewhere else. So sorry, but this is all we can keep doing with you until the heat death of the universe".
Ok, understood, I hear you all loud and clear. That is not what I am angry about.
What I am angry about, is the radio silence for months and months.
What I am angry about, is living with painful strained eyesight for months and enduring it because they didn't want me getting new cheap $20 glasses online, so they said whatever they had to so they wouldn't have to give me my prescription.
What I am ANGRY about, is all the time I wasted sitting on my hands when I could have found another doctor and had new glasses ages ago, instead of being given this evasive treatment for months on end.
And the thing is, the actual eye doctor at this place is probably just as good as the one I had back in Salinas, but I have no way of knowing, because of the above stated reasons. read more