Shoutouts FYidoctors in San Rafael Whatever anyone thinks, this place will forever be my haven. I wasn't supposed to be here. I wasn't their patient. I didn't have an appointment. I hadn't purchased my glasses here. Until that day, I had never walked through their doors, let alone knew who they were. I was just someone driving to a wedding in an unfamiliar area when, without warning, the lens fell completely out of my prescription glasses. I've worn glasses virtually my entire life and never experienced anything like it. One second I'm dressed up, driving to a wedding and going about my day. The next I'm frantically looking for the nearest exit and closest shop that can urgently repair my glasses. You can 'see' how difficult and stressful this situation was, with a sprinkle of already being late to the ceremony.... It sounds almost funny afterward. In the moment, it wasn't. I put 20 minutes onto a parking meter and dashed off blindly for this store. Mind you, it was minutes before closing. I walked in, explained what had happened and prepared myself for all the perfectly reasonable questions: Are you a patient here? Did you buy these from us? Insurance? ID? Do you have an appointment? Instead, they just helped me. They took my glasses, put the lens back in and secured everything. Without me even asking, they inspected everything, checked the opposite side and tightened that screw too so I hopefully wouldn't find myself in the same predicament again. I offered to pay them. They wouldn't take a dime. I was in awe. I hadn't even expected them to take me, let alone be this attentive and caring. I wasn't looking for a freebie. At that moment, I didn't care what it cost. I was dressed for a wedding, away from home, and my glasses had catastrophically failed while I was driving. By the time I walked back around the corner to my car, I still had 9 minutes on the meter. But maybe the reason such a small interaction affected me so much is because of the contrast. This wasn't the first time these glasses had fallen apart. The 1st time this happened, I went back to the practice that actually sold them to me. I was their established patient, wearing glasses purchased from their office, and they still wouldn't let me do a walk-in. I had to go through the normal scheduling process to find an appointment time for a repair. Ridiculous. I remember joking with the opticians there, "Oh thank goodness it happened while I was safely at home. Imagine if my glasses suddenly fell apart while I was somewhere unfamiliar and actually needed them." Then they did. While I was driving, no less. I was nobody to these people. My own provider had every reason to consider these glasses, and me, their responsibility. This office had none. I cannot overstate how much that contrast floored me. A practice I had never given a dollar to treated my eyewear problem with a level of urgency, kindness and basic humanity that I hadn't experienced from the practice where I actually bought the glasses. That's why I'm writing so much about what was probably an incredibly ordinary few minutes in their workday. To them, maybe it was just tightening a screw and putting a lens back. To me, it was somebody coming through for me during a genuinely lousy moment when they had absolutely no obligation to. The ratings here are remarkably high. I've also seen the recent criticism from longtime patients who feel things have changed since the business changed hands. I'm not here to tell those people they're wrong. Their experiences are theirs. I'm here to add mine. And mine is admittedly unusual. I haven't had an eye exam here. I haven't ordered glasses here. I can't promise anybody what their experience with those services will be. But I can tell you something most reviews probably can't: I know how these people treated someone when they weren't their customer. If you're reading reviews trying to decide whether to give this practice a chance, that's the perspective I can offer you. Based on my experience alone, I'd feel comfortable giving them the opportunity to earn my business when I actually needed an optometrist. Maybe that's an unusually strong opinion to form from such a short interaction. But sometimes eleven minutes tells you a lot about a business. At least compared to the practice that sold me these glasses... I certainly found my haven. read more

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I have been going here for almost 10 years and still highly recommended Dr. Iwami. He is very thorough and his prescriptions are always great. Sadly, they have been acquired by FYIdoctors and the overall business quality has suffered. The glasses service is especially poor. There are no proactive communications from the staff about problems with the glasses order that affects delivery. Both times in the past 2 years I have not received a call about my order. This time it has been nearly a month before I got my new glasses. read more

Have seen several optometrists in the Bay Area over the last 20 years and can't say enough good things about Dr Iwami. I have a complicated prescription with astigmatism and bifocal requirements and I've gotta say I've never seen better than after my appointment with Dr. Iwami. We've started sending our kids there too, and we are all very happy. read more

Best optometry office I've ever been to! Dr Iwami is as delightful as he is professional and careful with the exam itself. Nick (helps figure out which frames you need) is on his game in all ways... good with design, patient while explaining lens options, and smart about insurance. Highly recommend. read more

Place it great. Only place to go. Last year I went to some lady on throckmorton in mill valley and she was horrible. This dr. was on top of it. read more

I've been coming to Eye Designs for many years. The staff is great. It must be a good place to work as they stay for a long time. The equipment is state of the art. I opt for the optional testing, even though my insurance doesn't cover it, as my family has macular degeneration. Dr Garcia is friendly and knowledgeable. He makes me feel comfortable. When it's time to pick frames, the staff give honest feedback about what looks best. I will continue to visit once a year. I recommend you give them a try. read more

I have gone to a succession of optometrists over the years, and almost all of them were good experiences. I had my first exam with Dr. Garcia today, and I feel this was the best optometric medical care I've ever had. From now on I'm sticking with Dr. Garcia. His level of expertise and intelligence are conspicuous, yet he does nothing to show off or promote himself. He just explains things thoughtfully and thoroughly, projects a supportive and caring attitude, and asks great questions. That's how you figure out that this is real expertise, and it's all the better that he's a very nice man who really does care about his patients. read more

I stopped in on a random Saturday to see if the folks at EyeDesigns could tighten up my stretched out eyeglasses. It was busy, but Dr. Tim graciously took my eyeglasses to the back, and returned with my glasses, feeling snug like the day I bought them. Dr. Tim wouldn't accept payment for his service. THAT is some some old-school, merchant goodness. So refreshing to encounter that these days. I am definitely going back the next time I have eyeglass, or sunglass needs - they are a very pro outfit at EyeDesigns Optometry. read more

Dr. Garcia has outstanding "bedside manner." Very clean and modern office. The examinations were thorough and well explained. I highly recommend this office for your eye health needs. read more

We've been coming here for years for our eye exams and great eyewear. Dr. Garcia, Nick, JoAnn and crew are fantastic! They have upgraded their equipment to state of the art technology. Highly recommended! read more

Dr Garcia is great and I wholeheartedly recommend him as an optometrist. My wife and I have been seeing him for several years. Sadly, the frame and lens part of the business is not currently top notch. My wife had the unfortunate experience of ordering new lenses for Kate Spade frames that she bought previously at Eye Designs. In the process of putting new lenses in the frames, the technician broke the frames. The technician told my wife that the frames could be temporarily repaired and that she would order new frames of my wife's choice and provide them at no further cost. When my wife returned to Eye Designs today, she was told by a different technician that the new frames and lenses would cost approximately $750. The original technician was in the office but would not come out to discuss the discrepancy with my wife. As a result, we intend to take our frame and lens business elsewhere, but to continue to get our eyes examined by Dr. Garcia. read more

Very professional and state of the art equipment. They were very transparent about charges and what was covered by insurance. Would highly recommend. read more

Vicki met me at the door with a smile. She's a true professional administrator so she put me at ease and I felt like things were gonna be positive. I walked in with two pairs of broken glasses, thinking they could not be fixed stepped in was Nick - he proceeded to fix both of my glasses quickly and timely. I recommend this eyeglass company to everyone. They are easy to deal with and solvers. read more

Dr. Garcia is a top notch optometrist. He's thorough, gets your medical history updated at each visit, and his bedside manner is caring and professional. The staff is wonderful, efficient, and professional. Especially during these pandemic times, they let you know ahead of time how long they think glasses will take to get made. I can't recommend Eye Designs Optometry highly enough. read more

I had a great experience with Dr Garcia. He was thorough and took his time explaining the results of the exams - he was personable and kind. The staff were professional and pleasant and went out of their way to accomodate my ever changing schedule. I would definitely recommend this service and look forward to going back to pick out my new glasses and order them. read more

I actually wrote a 5 star review here three months ago after having a great experience: friendly greeting, attentive customer service and overall positive visit for a Friday afternoon. That afternoon I ended up ordering two pairs of lenses/frames, despite the out of pocket expense. It seemed worth it at the time. Flash forward 6 weeks when I try to check in on my order (they never seem to answer their phone and it was otherwise by appointment). I had been told my order might be 2-4 weeks. I finally spoke with Joann (?) and she informed me that they had misspelled my first name on my order and therefore it had just been sitting there, not sent to the lab, for 6 weeks. Why would it take 6 weeks to figure out that my name has an 'a', not an 'e' ??Nonetheless she was very apologetic and insisted that she'd 'put a rush order on it' and add extra features at no charge. I was understanding and felt like it was an honest mistake. Flash forward ANOTHER 4 weeks and I stop by in person to check on things. Not only was one pair of my glasses completely off (someone else's prescription perhaps? I was told to " give it some time to adjust"), but Joann didn't remember who I was and suddenly her apologies for messing up the first order seemed like a figment of my imagination! So it was back to the lab, another "complimentary" rush order. Now, about 3 months after my original order and paying out of pocket about $900, I stop by in person again to hear "the lab got my name mixed up with my husband's order"... Seriously?? What a friggin mess this place is! I can only speak to the retail dept here. I've heard good things about the doctor and exams, yet I highly recommend buying your frames and lenses elsewhere! read more

I'm a completely satisfied customer. Dr. Garcia and staff are friendly and professional. Because I will be looking through them and not at them, I had the ladies in the office select my frames for me. Their choices for both pairs of glasses are most excellent! I recommend this strategy to anyone who's game. read more

I have coming to Eye Designs since Dr. Garcia starting working in this pratice.So it's been let's say 20 plus years.Dr. Garcia and his staff are clear, concise and friendly. It's obvious they want your business by how they interact with their patients. Explanation on what they do in the exam as well how your insurance benefits work for you is explained and made clear. Thanks for your many years of service, Rob L. read more

Buy your glasses somewhere else! Dr. Garcia is amazing and top tier optometrist with added benefit of sense of humor. However, his once consistently wonderful team seems to now unapologetically provide less than excellent service. I came in a month ago for eye exam and ordered 2 pairs of prescription glasses plus lenses for sunglasses. I needed the sunglasses for trip to Mexico on 3/6 and was assured they would all be finished within 2 weeks. Although, would have been easy to take prescription to Costco for much less, I like shopping local and it was more convenient so was glad to give business to Eye Design. Unfortunately, I receive a call a few days later saying that the young man who works there had forgotten to mark the lenses so I need to come back in, which I did. This was on February 11th and I asked if I would still receive my sunglasses on time for my trip on 3-6. The reply was "that will be no problem!" WRONG! Went into pick up glasses today only to discover that the prescription sunglasses had not been delivered. On top of it, when I expressed disappointment woman stated "they have no control over delivery times" and made me feel like I should have anticipated the possibility of delay. I told her that I knew it was not her fault but that the staff should not promise there would be "no problem" but rather that there might be possibility of delays. I would have purchased lenses at Costco since I already owned the Tiffany frames. Now I have no time before my trip. After adjusting my glasses she finally apologized and said she would "talk to Dr. Garcia and ask if I could receive a discount. " That is the least that should be done since i not only asked once but twice during the purchase and after the goof that they would arrive on time. Honestly, expecting the worst and hoping for the best at this point! read more

Dr. Garcia is amazing! He is friendly, welcoming and informative. This is the first eye visit where I actually enjoyed having my eye examined. I found this optometrist on Yelp and I'm happy I did. The staff but friendly but the doctor's energy was on another level and you just feed off it. Super happy with my visit. I would definitely recommend to any other looking for a new optometrist. read more

So a while ago I decided to change my eyeglasses and also order new pair of hard contact lenses,Dr Garcia and his team did an amazing job to ensure my contact lenses fits my eyes,it was beyond my initial exceptions and I ended up, got one of the best eyeglass frames in my entire life from this place!(the design of the frame is so unique that I have been received tones of compliments from total strangers.) the whole staff here are very friendly and make sure you get what you are looking for. I highly recommend this place and I will come back for my next and additional pair of glasses and contact lenses in the future. read more

I've been going eye designs since about 1995. At that time Dr Nakagura and his opticians were first rate. True professionals. I was bummed when Dr nakagura retired but couldn't be happier with Dr Garcia. What a fine man and doctor he is. I wholeheartedly recommend him. The reason for only 4 stars is (and I was reminded after reading some of the reviews), the retail side did end up sending me (I now live in Florida) me regular prescription glasses when I ordered sunglasses. But of course mistakes can be made. read more

By far the best Dr. experience of my life. I have been a patient since 2003. I originally went to Dr. Nakagawa - and didn't think it was possible to ever have a doctor as kind, professional and thorough as he was. I now see Dr. Iwami and adore him. He is exceptional! I am always taken care of as soon as I enter the office by Linwood Naylor - he is knowledgeable, professional, kind and has a very gentle manner. The receptionist who greeted me on my most recent visit wasn't familiar to me - but was lovely. Very infectious smile and kindness - the qualities you want in someone who greets you. I did not deal with the office manager on my last visit but have had less-than stellar experiences with her during previous visits - which may not be fair since everyone else is so over the top great. She's kinda like the enforcer - has a job to do and does it, just doesn't have the kindness the others do. I do wish they would take a little more care in their communication after appointments - following up on delivery information, etc. I had one bad experience with not having my lenses ordered a few years back but it was not a big deal because I wasn't out of them. But how you treat patients AFTER they give you your money is crucial! I would highly recommend Eye Designs and have done so many times over. read more

I usually don't post a review for a business but I HAD to for Dr. Garcia and his staff at EyeDesigns. To keep it short: When I first met Dr. Garcia, he mentioned his first and last name and later told me he doesn't mind people calling him Ron. WHAT?! He's a doctor who doesn't mind people calling him by his first name without the well-deserved title!? This just goes to show the amazing and friendly character of Dr. Garcia. Not only did Dr. Garcia do an eye exam, he dropped TONS of useful and practical knowledge on eyes and how to take care of them. I loved it. Dr. Garcia is amazing, I don't know why people would say otherwise. Thank you Dr. Garcia! read more

This place is awesome! I've been coming here for a couple years now and I can't imagine going anywhere else. My boyfriend's mom recommended this place to me. She's been coming here for 10+ years and loves it enough to recommend & now I do the same! I see Dr.Garcia and he really is so good at what he does. He will tell you things about your eye balls you never knew before. The staff in the front is just amazing and professional. Seriously theee best! Just come here already! Oh and Len is so freaking great I can't even put into words. read more

I've been coming here for the last 5 years and have no plans to leave despite having moved out of San Rafael. This office is clean, friendly, and efficient. I never feel like I'm waiting for long for my appointment and everything from the exam to checkout is easy. The doctors are friendly and always have a smile on their faces. The staff is knowledgeable and makes understanding my options and coverage simple. I definitely recommend eye designs optometry! read more

Dr. García is friendly and welcoming. I have nothing but great things to say about him BUT staff/timeliness is the reason for 2/5. Little knowledge or lack of thoroughness when it comes to insurance. The women I worked with didn't even fully look at what was covered and tried charging me for extra services when my insurance actually covered it. I have also been waiting over 2 weeks for a pair of trial contacts. I have been given one update in which they said they aren't in yet and don't know when they will be. read more

Been coming to Eye Designs for almost 10 years. Clear , concise service and friendly. It's obvious they want your business by how they interact with their patients. Explanation on what they do in the exam as well how your insurance benefits work for you is top in class. Love this place and all the glasses I have got! read more

My entire family have been patients of Eye Designs, and Dr. Garcia's for years, and I can tell you, there's no finer optometrist in Marin County... and I've tried a few. The staff is friendly, professional, and have your best interest in mind. Look no further if you're in the market for a new optometrist. read more

Disappointed. I came in requesting prescription sunglasses be made for me. My one requirement was that they be done before my vacation trip started 2-1/2 weeks later. I was assured this was not going to be a problem. Two days before my trip, I called the shop. No sunglasses, and they weren't going to be ready in time. EyeDesigns blamed the lab, and took no responsibility for any of it. I'm still waiting for a call back from a manager. They've lost a customer for good. I'm going back to Marin Optometry in Mill Valley, where I received excellent service for years before moving to San Rafael. read more

My husband and I go and see Dr. Garcia. Great guy so pleasant to chat with as well as a great doctor. We've been going to him for over 10 years because we left the city to San Rafael- The staff is awesome as well and their office is kept very clean! read more

The folks at EyeDesigns are friendly. Roger is one of the guys you're likely to run into there, and he's always helpful. I've gone back to have him adjust my frames from time to time. Why only 3 stars. Their business hours drive me nuts. I've now gone THREE times during what would seemingly be normal business hours only to find they're closed. All three times I had to drive quite a ways to get here so it was inconvenient all three times. The first time they were closed it was because I went on a Monday, and they're closed Mondays. Learned that the hard way. Then I cam back the following Tuesday but they were closed that day because Monday was a holiday. The third time was around lunch time. Their lunch hours differ from day to day. I wish these guys would just be open during business hours like a normal business instead of making it a moving target. read more

I have been going to Eyedesigns since I was a kid, even when I didn't need glasses I still came for checkups. In my early 20s my vision began to deteriorate rapidly and Dr Garcia was so reassuring, calming, patient with my questions and gave excellent eye care advice. He is one of my favorite doctors in any practice. I recently saw Dr Iwami on my last few visits and he is equally humorous, patient, calming and knowledgeable. The staff is amazing, they always understand my insecurities about wearing glasses and guide me to the best frames for my face shape, skin color, hair color, eye width, etc... And they ALL call me by name and ask after my mom who goes here too. They also keep a superior stock of mid level designer to highend brands and have the most current exciting trends. I just sprung for a stunning pair of Fendi frames, so beautiful they literally make me want to pop out my contacts and start wearing glasses again! Thank you Eyedesigns for over a decade of warm friendly service and beautiful eyewear options. read more

EyeDesigns Optometry - Trying on my new Fendi frames inside EyeDesigns. LOVE! - Optometrists Near Me - San Rafael, California

Cancelled appointment 2 hours before on the same day. I had rescheduled many commitments in order to keep this appointment. Maybe it is best just to do a walk in!! read more

I have used this place as my goto for eye exams and business while I lived in Marin I recently moved to peninsula and wanted to keep my connection to this location. I made an appointment and due to traffic - I was going to be about twenty minutes late. About fifteen minutes before my appointment time on my drive from peninsula toward marin county, I called the office to let them know u was running late. A doctor got on the phone and told me that I would need to reschedule - I was almost to GGB. I tried to convince him I was only going to be twenty minutes or less late - he continued to insist. They have lost my business and well this is now the referral I will be leaving. Sorry but you could have handled this so much better ... read more

My experience with EyeDesigns Optometry has been average. As a new patient, the staff was very courteous and kind to me from the moment I walked in the building. The wait was not long at all, pretty much immediately. The eye tech (the person who starts the exam) was very likable and kind as she guided me through the exam. Dr. Garcia was, by far, THE BEST Optometrist I've ever seen. He was very kind, informative, genuine, and hilarious! The checkout process seemed to go over well. I was told that once I submitted my prescription from my last set of contact lenses, I would receive them in 4-5 business days (which was submitted to the optometrist office literally 15-20 minutes later). My appointment was on 9/5. As of 9/14, I called the office to find out when I could expect my lenses and it turns out my lenses hadn't been ordered. While I'm not making a huge deal about the situation, I did expect to have my contact lenses in time for my pre-wedding photo shoot on 9/17. I didn't originally share my need to have them in time for the photo shoot because I felt 4-5 business days would be the following Monday or Tuesday, which was more than enough days to have them prior to the shoot. After speaking with the older gentlemen (I can't remember his name) who was responsible for placing the order, he said that my prescription needed to be verified and confirmed by Dr. Garcia before the order could be placed. I asked if there is a way I could get the expedited to have the contact lenses in time for the shoot and he stated that I would have them by tomorrow 9/15 and there would not be an extra fee involved. While I appreciate him for expediting the lenses, I'm a bit worried that I won't have the contact lenses in time. I would recommend this optometrist solely because of my experience with Dr. Garcia and everyone involved with my experience prior to seeing Dr. Garcia. Just know that you will need to follow up with their staff to make sure you order is placed in a timely fashion. (Late update to my review) The follow-up to the miscommunication was handled in the best way possible for everyone! I really do appreciate Dr. Garcia's attention to my concern and the promptness to resolve it. I don't see myself needing to find a new Optometrist anytime soon! read more

I had gone to a couple of eye doctors (including the AWFUL Kaiser optometry department who said my vision problems were my imagination) before I found Dr. Garcia at Eye Designs. Not only was he extremely professional and knowledgable (diagnosed my vision problems as a rarer type of stigmatism), he has a great doctor-patient rapport. He knows when to make you laugh and how to explain things to you. I've been a patient here now 3 years and my only previous gripe with eye designs was the frame selection, but they brought in Candace last year and she turned it around to bring in the latest brands and styles and can help you pick out some great looking glasses. Knowing that they have different hours, I always call ahead, but LOVE that they are open on Saturdays until 3. read more

I came to EyeDesigns to find frames. As an Asian, it is not easy to pick frames that are compatible with my tiny nose bridge. Frankly, I did not have high hopes for finding frames I love because it almost never happens. However, Amanda was so amazing! She quickly assessed that I'd need glasses that are designed for my tiny nose bridge and narrowed down the choices that fit the width of my face and accomodated my thick prescription. (At other places, opticians just go by frame material and color- pretty much just telling me to try on frames that are typically too tight or lack nose pads. Just kill me already!) Amanda picked out at least half a dozen frames to try out from all price points. She's very funny, warm, and extremely skilled at what she does. Unlike some opticians, I felt that she wasn't trying to push a pair of frames with fake flattery just to make a sale. At the end, I went with one of her top recommendations, a pair of Ted Baker burgundy metal frames that I love! Even enough to leave my contacts at home sometimes. Street parking is very easy to find. read more

Dr. Garcia is the best! He has great bedside manner, very knowledgeable and explains everything precisely. Great staff too. I will be switching the whole family here. Thank you Eye Designs Optometry! read more

Wow. It's so refreshing to visit doctor's offices these days and have it be a pleasant, fun experience versus a painful, not-so-fun one. The staff is knowledgeable and very helpful. Dr. Garcia is a total hoot. He's not only extremely smart and experienced but he's also super energetic and funny! He went into great detail on all the tests they do and helped me understand the tests in terms of my long term eye care. He even explained what a previous eye doctor had done wrong and made corrections that are already making big changes in my vision. I've had a hard time finding doctor's like this so I can say to with total confidence that he'll be my eye doctor going forward :) read more