all staff is absolutely nice and welcoming. my daughters love coming to this optometrist

Dr. Gonzalez is a true professional and knows what he is talking about. He gave me an extremely valuable diagnosis and the correct RX for my baby within 5 minutes of evaluating her. I had spent an entire year going back and forth to Stanford and they couldn't tell me if my daughter's nystagmus was permanent, or if it was hereditary, or due to something that happened in utero. He knew immediately just based on her medical history! AND he obtained all of her records from Stanford and read them before seeing us which sped up the appointment significantly. I've spent hours at Stanford trying to keep a very active baby busy while waiting on specialists, which isn't easy or fun. The appointment was only 5-10 minutes long, which for me was an absolute blessing. It's hard to get toddlers to co-operate let alone take one to an eye appointment. We were in and out- with the correct RX! He's very nice. Don't mistake him being efficient for being rude. Kids don't want to hang out in doctor's offices. I found his approach very helpful and look forward to returning with our daughter as needed. His office staff was also very nice, and very efficient. I love that he takes all types of insurance including medi-cal which is hard to find for kids. read more

Dr. Gustavo is a wonderful ophthalmologist who truly stands out for his expertise. He is clearly very knowledgeable, but what makes the biggest difference is how simply and clearly he explains things. He takes medical information that could feel confusing and breaks it down into language that actually makes sense. Many thanks! read more

All three of my kids go here. Very fast, efficient and friendly staff and optometrist. He is very good with small children that are a little more difficult to conduct eye exams on. 10/10 definitely recommend! read more

Dr Gonzalez did not do all the testing for glaucoma. I was referred to Stanford which confirmed it. Then I call the clinic to cancel my follow up appointment. Two weeks before my follow up appointment date I get a text confirming an appointment I already canceled. Received a bill in the mail from an appointment that was 6 months ago. Just mailed the bill off and got another bill (1 week difference) in the mail stating that if they didn't receive payment (the payment I just sent) in 10 days then there would be further action. read more

I've consistently had great experiences at this office. From the moment I arrive, the staff is welcoming, professional & efficient. Dr. Gonzalez provides outstanding care--always patient, attentive and thorough. He takes the time to explain everything clearly, answers all my questions, ensuring that I feel comfortable with my treatment plan. I genuinely feel that my eye health is a top priority here. I highly recommend Dr. Gonzalez if you're looking for high-quality ophthalmology care. Note: been a patient for several years now, longer than I've been a Yelp-er read more

Staff were so welcoming when walking in And also for scheduling. The Dr was amazing too knew already what my daughter had as soon as he seen her and explained to me what her condition was and also let me know that My daughter will be needing glasses maybe within the next year or two. Im Glad I took her here ! read more

Outstanding service. Dr Gonzales takes the time to listen to you. Explains everything

The front desk staff was extremely friendly and helpful. The visit with Dr. Gonzalez was nothing short of amazing! My kid loves him and he is very good with her. I love his efficiency. He made sure we understood everything and I was free to ask questions as needed. Dr. Gonzalez is a life-saver and is extremely talented. I feel a sense of relief knowing he is my child's ophthalmologist. read more

The most unprofessional front office staff I've ever encountered! If you're going to this office because you've been told it's the only pediatric ophthalmologist from Monterey to Palo Alto I URGE you to make the trip! that being said the doctor is nice enough and knows his stuff it's his staff that have 0 people skills. 10/10 do NOT recommend. I was frustrated to the point of tears BEFORE even seeing the doctor and finding out that my child is 3/4 blind in one eye. All in all a terrible experience solely based on his staff. Just don't waste your time read more

If I could give this place zero stars I would Dr. Gonzales is very rude, I had an appointment and he told me that my son needed glasses but he wasnt gonna need surgery now he told me that he might need surgery even tho my son said the images correctly. read more

If possible I would report zero stars. The degree of passive aggressiveness and condescending language Gustavo Gonzalez displays is off the charts. My questions were answered with remarks spoken 50 percent slower than normal speech. When I asked why he was writing me a prescription for glasses when I had excellent vision and just needed reading glasses and he said I could get those at a drug store he literally aggressively tore up the prescription he was writing. I thought at first it was personal but I see from the reviews it is his regular behavior. Literally frightening experience that I wouldn't wish in anyone. read more

Same complaint so many others have had. I walked out feeling condescended to, like I had bruised his ego by asking questions and advocating for my child. "Well, since you're so convinced that you're right maybe you should go see another doctor." Felt totally rushed like we were going to make him late for something. He's now sent us to Stanford twice to see other specialists, both of whom were much kinder and demonstrated much more "respect for persons." Fortunately, both Stanford doctors have disagreed with Gustavo's findings, and took the time to explain to us, and to put us at ease, about our daughter's physiology. read more

I have been taking my child to this dr for the last year. Every time I go he is really rude. Rushed, talking down to me, irritated when I ask questions or don't understand something. His communication skills are subpar. I do believe he is probably a good physician however I just can't continue to use him. We will drive out of the area if necessary to get someone who doesn't belittle me in front of my kids and can slow down long enough to explain something complex. I'm very disappointed that someone of his stature can't be more respectful and have a better bedside manner. The rest of the staff are fine. Friendly, no other issues or complaints with them. They seem to have an adequate collection of kids glasses though like most offices the pricing is very high. read more

We were told by Dr. Gonzalez that my youngest sons vision was not correctable past the age of 5 and a half or 6 years old. At another visit Dr. Gonzalez said the vision is correctable until the age of 10. He sometimes tests my son's vision with glasses and sometimes without glasses. When he tested my son's vision with glasses, I asked if we could test it without to see how my son's eye was really improving. He snarked and said that made no sense, he would never do that....(except he had in the past) We also left my son's glasses with them for what we were told was going to be one week, so the lenses could be changed. 4 weeks later we still do not have my sons glasses back. Every time I call I'm told it will be there Friday or Wednesday. The Monterey location isn't even open on Wednesday (which I found out when I called to see if my sons glasses are ready). They don't have to do a good job because there is no other pediatric ophthalmologist within a 2-hour radius of us and they know it. They also never call you back or answer the phone. The lab they work with CSC in Watsonville is extremely rude. If you call to try and get an update on your minor child's glasses, they will tell you it's a HIPPA violation and hang up on you. I'm not sure who is lying and saying my son's glasses will be ready when they're not. It's either the CSC Lab or Gonzalez's staff. If you don't have to go here, don't. read more

We love Dr. Gonzalez! He's an amazing Doctor and helped fix our sons eye condition. He's compassionate and has great bed side manner. I highly recommend him and his offices services. read more

My son has been waiting for eye surgery for a year. Because it has taken so long, we are no longer going to qualify for the financial assistance that would have helped us with this surgery. This is because this Dr. only does surgery ONE day a month, even though he works with children and is the only person in the area. Every time your child gets sick he gets moved to the back of the line. The line is three months long. Anyone who's ever spent any time around children knows that they get sick OFTEN. So instead of hiring additional staff or scheduling additional surgery days, they have decided that patients come last. I absolutely blame this doctor and this inept office for the fact that my son will not be able to get this necessary surgery. The only thing that could possibly make this right is rescheduling the surgery for this month while there is still time, but the office staff are rude and nobody here cares about the patient. I hope that this doctor feels satisfied with having messed up my sons chance at having normal vision in his adult life. read more

This review is primarily for the optical shop, run by Rhonda Chambers. The care from Dr. Gonzalez was fine, he's the only MD PhD pediatric ophthalmologist in the area and you'll see him if your child has anything out of the ordinary with his or her eyes. The staff are all bilingual. The optical shop does not have the largest selection of lenses and frames, but in our experience they did the best job for kids in terms of fitting and making sure our son was happy and able to care for his frames and lenses, particularly given the high wear kids put on their eyewear. I do give them very good marks for replacements and fixes for several broken frames, under warranty, including going to the trouble of shipping new frames to us very quickly after we'd moved out of the area. I think the word "professionals" really applies here; we were treated professionally and Rhonda does a good job with the work. read more

I took my son to DR. Gonzalez because like many in the area he's the only pediatric specialist. The doctor was so rude, ignored all my questions like if I wasn't even talking or existed in the room. He doesn't take the time to explain what he's doing and he rushes through the exam. So disappointed in him. But him and his staff are quick to want him sell you a pair of glasses. No thank you So now I drive over two hours to take my son to Dr William Good and buy glasses at Costco instead of giving this offal doctor any business. He's not worth my insurance money or my co pay. I'd rather take a full day off work to take my son out of two. read more

I don't like writing bad reviews. But, this office made me beyond upset. I waited for a very long time to be able to set up an appointment for my 7 yr old daughter. I walked in there and was excited that she finally was going to be able to see the doctor ! So then I was greeted just fine, but her attitude started changing. I told her if I can pay with a business check, and she told me that she had to check with the manager. After she checked she told me that the visit would be $50 more just for paying with a check ! You have to be kidding me right ... you can imagine how I feel at that point. I was extremely unhappy, and I told her my frustration because of how long it took to schedule and for someone to call us back. And she said she didn't care . Then u said that I was going to write a really nice review. And she didn't care and said okay have a nice day!! So on top of everything she basically laughed at me, and didn't care and didn't try to help at all ... instead they made it all worst !! read more

16 years ago Dr. Gonzalez preserved my daughter's eyesight. I was a brand new mother and he diagnosed her with an eye syndrome, of which congenital cataracts was included. At 5 weeks old Dr. Gonzalez removed lenses in both of her eyes. She has never been able to see more than light or color in her left eye but she does have amazing vision with correction in her right eye. His bedside manner, professionalism, and calming demeanor meant the world to a very new and concerned mother. He will always be know as the man who gave my daughter sight. Thank you Dr. Gonzalez and staff! read more

Loved the visit. Took covid precautions seriously. Great attitude from all the staff. Dr Gonzalez was pleasant and listened to to all my concerns. Would recommend to family and friends. read more

Dr. Gonzalez and his staff are the wonderful. I have been going to Dr. Gonzalez' office for a while. The reception staff have totally changed: these ladies will greet you with a warm smile and the attitudes are gone! After you are taken in the back for your eye tests, I was thoroughly explained each procedure and what to expect by the technician. They were very nice as well. Then it's Dr. Gonzalez' turn. He's caring and efficient. He listens and adjusts accordingly. Recently I had to return to adjust my prescription. The optometrist Cindy, could not have been more kind about it. Because I have progressives, Cindy made sure that they were aligned properly in my field of vision. The whole time adjusting my glasses and asking me questions to ensure a perfect fit. When I returned a week later to pick up my glasses, Cindy made sure I was satisfied with the fit, and that I could see before I walked out the door. During this entire process, Dr. Gonzalez was walking out after seeing patients and saying hello to patients while checking in with staff. Cindy is awesome and always has a smile on her face! Epic! This office is warm and cheerful. It's a great practice for kids as well as adults. read more

Very nice and professional. Takes the time to listen to what's going on and is quick to address the problem. Office staff is very nice and accommodating with scheduling appointments. read more

The staff, including Dr. Gustavo were extremely patient and kind. Thank you for all the help picking out the right glasses too. read more

DNA sent me a collection notice for my bill that my insurance denied for services not covered. Had called the staff to tell me why they billed my medical insurance and not my vision insurance provider for services rendered, receptionist said that they will forward the question to billing... Well no response from billing dept. Just a collection letters and final letter that denies my family from ever using their services ..... So... I'd been seeing Rhonda for over 20 + years, starting when Dr. Kandler ran the place, looks like we'll have to cut ties.... for incompetent staff ... Rhonda was a great read more

My child has been seeing Dr. Gonzalez for over 2 years now. Our visits are always pleasant. The front desk is always friendly and welcoming. I couldn't ask for a better wait time. My child enjoys going to this doctor and that is all that matters to me. My child is treated with respect and kindness and she always looks forward to her next visit. Dr. Gonzalez is efficient, friendly, intelligent and great with kids! I couldn't ask for a better Ophthalmologist for my child. read more

I had the pleasure of working for Dr.Gonzalez and I will truly miss the entire staff. Dr.Gonzalez really cares about his patients, even after the patient is gone he always checks in with the staff to make sure the patients were happy, got their medications and any of their questions answered. He is GREAT with the little ones and I fully trust him with my kids medical vision needs. Kari the office manager is also very caring and sweet. Goes above and beyond to make sure the lenses orders are correct and will make sure to fix anything that might be wrong or simply not perfect for every patient. She pays a lot of attention to detail and helps with the correct frame pick for the patients and is very knowledgeable. Although I no longer work for this office I will definitely still remain a loyal patient to the practice not only for myself but all my family members. He is the best and Monterey is very lucky to have such a skilled and dedicated doctor. read more

Frustrating Experience about 2 months ago with the optical department, I payed $500 out of pocket for my sons glasses, I was told they will be ready in about 2 weeks. I would call to get an update after the 2 weeks passed and I would always leave a message for the reception to pass on to her and every time I would get a call back it was from the receptionist, never the older lady who works at the optical department. I was irritated because I almost felt like she was trying to avoid talking to me, a month later passes and I'm barely getting my sons glasses after never being updated by her. I pick up the glasses over a month later and there was something wrong with the back string, I had to walk back in to let her know she seemed irritated and told me "it does work" she herself couldn't find the problem and made herself look bad for trying to make it seem I wasn't putting it in right. She said she would order me a replacement and AGAIN a month later no call back for a silly string. Very unprofessional in my opinion, I myself deal with my own customers on a daily basis so to have had experience this, it's very frustrating. read more

Dr. Gonzalez really demonstrated care about my now 8yo's ocular health. I've been taking my now 8yo to see Dr Gonzalez for about a year since we moved to the area in 2018. My LO has been wearing prescription lenses since she was 4yo. This is the first eye doctor that thoroughly communicated the state of her "eyes" and developed a plan to help improve her sight. He's one of the first practitioners to demonstrate that he cares about my LOs eyesight improving and not just doing an eye exam and writing a prescription. Just to note, we've seen Pediatric eye doctors in various parts of the US and oversees and this is a "first" for us in the four years we've been doing this. In addition to the quality eye care, Cindy (the lady that runs the optical area), is very thorough and super friendly. She explained all costs associated with getting the prescription filled and even informed me of options in case the glasses get broken within 12 months of purchase (this has happened a couple of times for us). So if you're a family looking for a practitioner to help improve your child's ocular health, I recommend Dr. Gonzalez. read more

My husband had an eye injury and was referred to Dr. Gonzalez via the E.R. After looking at other reviews we were a little concerned, but our insurance sucks and we're limited with doctors that we can see, so we went in anyway. It was a great experience!! The front office was nice and we hardly had any waiting time once we arrived. The exam room was clean, comfortable, and had updated equipment. Dr. Gonzalez is excellent! He isn't very chatty, which could be what other's are misinterpreting as rude or irritated. He simply gets straight to the point. He's super thorough with his exam and very clear and detailed with his explanations. He answered all of our questions and made us feel good about moving forward. We hate spending all day at the doctor's office and with Dr. Gonzalez's efficiency and clear competence, we were in and out in no time and very well taken care of. My husband was extremely happy with Dr. Gonzalez. We would definitely recommend him and visit him again in the future. read more

My family only went for Rhonda Chambers, who was an expert at fitting glasses. But now she's been fired after decades of dedication. Dr. Gonzales' other staff are always changing, don't know what's going on and you are treated like you are doing them a favor. Time to start looking for a new eye doctor. No contact lens fittings...do yourself a favor and find another office read more

I love Dr. Gonzalez. He is the best really, for me and my son. Go to him. Just don't buy your glasses there. I gave them the benefit of the doubt, now that they no longer have a licensed optician, but it's no good. They can't tell you when glasses will be in, they are no help in trying to pick them out, and they don't know how to fit them to your face. I sat there for 20 minutes while they bent them incorrectly over a dozen times. They actually bent them in the middle, totally changing the look of the glasses. By the end, I was getting very frustrated, I didn't want my brand new glasses to snap. They actually asked me if I wanted to do it. That is what they are getting paid for, I don't know how to do it any more than they do. In my 33 years wearing glasses, I have never experienced such bad customer service. They really need to get someone in there that knows how to do it. It should take bending the glasses twice tops, no more than 3 minutes. Just get your prescription from Dr. Gonzalez and go elsewhere for the frames. Anywhere else would be better. read more

My two boys 6 & 7 have been coming here for the past 2 years...Dr. Gonzales is awesome! My boys look forward to seeing him and his staff because he gets on their level and explains things to them directly, in a way a child can understand, which for me is great! I decided to make an appointment for myself. Brenda in the Optical Department is very helpful and worked my insurance to get me the best possible benefits. read more

Due to various moves and the severity of my sons eye issues, he has seen a dozen different ophthalmologists in his 13 years of life and Dr. Gonzalez was the only one to link his eye issues with the underlying genetic cause, within 10 minutes of seeing him. The office is clean, welcoming, and the staff was friendly and competent. No waiting 2 hours in the waiting room for your appointment. read more

I took my 9-month-old daughter to see Dr. Gonzales in January, after being referred by her pediatrician. My husband and I had been noticing her right eye wasn't always tracking properly with the left. I went into the appointment expecting to hear our daughter had strabismus and needed patch therapy. As it turned out, the diagnosis was much more complicated than that. Upon examining our daughter, Dr. Gonzales believed she had an underlying condition causing the problem with her eye, a birth defect of the skull called Craniosynostosis. He referred us to Lucile Packard for a second opinion, and his suspicion was confirmed. Our baby needed major surgery on her skull to allow enough space for her growing brain. We got the diagnosis just in time to schedule surgery while she was still in the ideal age range for the best possible outcome. We had never even heard of Craniosynostosis before our appointment with Dr. Gonzales. It was not caught by her pediatrician and I have no idea how long it would have been before it was discovered had we not taken her to that appointment. My husband and I are so incredibly thankful that Dr. Gonzales recognized the symptoms and put us on the right path to getting medical care for our baby. We would not hesitate to recommend him to anyone looking for a knowledgable and experienced opthomologist for their child. read more