I've been a patient at Helmus + Baker for over 3 years now and I couldn't be happier. The staff is always friendly, helpful and welcoming. Dr Baker is always a great joy to see. He always has suggestions and tips for me, and is always welcoming and friendly. The online appointment system is perfect for folks like me who are always just too busy to call. My contact always arrive way faster than the estimated time. Most people go years without visiting their Optometrist. Me... I like mine so much, I make sure the first thing I do on the new year is make an appointment! :) read more

They have a nice and courteous staff, but they could not answer my question of out of pocket costs, while their competition answered over the phone... Edit: I raised this review to 3 stars. While I dislike the inability of 3 different technicians to answer my questions on cost, at least Alex's office is very friendly and explains their reasoning very clearly. I personally just do not appreciate having to pay for an exam before I can have any indication of the cost of the fitting. Last year without vision insurance, I have paid $35 dollars for an exam and fitting. The projected co-pay for this office was between 33-55 dollars with insurance. My personal threshold was that I did not want to pay more with insurance than I did without insurance, and they could not clarify this before I was stuck paying for the potentially higher cost fitting. However it took less than 5 minutes to find the price at a local competitor over the phone, hence the poor rating. While I understand the reasoning behind the opaque pricing in healthcare, I just prefer clear pricing. read more

This optometry store in downtown Davis offers a full service. From exam to contact lenses to eye glasses, it has it all! The doctor was professional and the staff very friendly. Definitely recommend. They also take many different kinds of insurance! read more

The optometrists overall have been pleasant, however my primary issue is the appointment policy. I was told recently that because I missed 2 appointments (no-show) that I can't make any more appointments and am able only to call daily for a walk-in availability. That would have been a fair policy only I did not miss 2 appointments. I missed one due to having flu symptoms/high fever, and I called once I had my facilities. I work in a medical setting and am very cautious about exposure. I also cancelled one appointment as I still had a fever. I attempted to explain this and was informed I had no additional options. We have 4 family members who were going twice a year, so have a history of keeping our appointments. It was disappointing to have such an unfair reaction without an option to discuss. We won't be going back. We are a 2 parent working household and value consistent providers, very unfortunate and disappointing experience. read more

I would have lost the vision in one of my eyes without Dr. Julie finding a problem and quickly getting me in to see a specialist. She saved the vision in my eye and I am filled with gratitude. She's never in a rush and genuinely shows compassion and caring. Her office runs smoothly with the staff being meticulous about their protocol to keep us safe during the pandemic. Helmus Optometry is truly a gem in our town! read more

It makes me so sad to put one star. But honestly after today's phone call I will not be returning to a practice I have been seeing since I was 6 years old. I'll start by saying the doctors, are phenomenal. They are compassionate and intelligent persons who genuinely care about their patients. I have incredibly bad eyesight (astigmatism in my right eye and extreme near sightedness in my left) I wear contacts everyday or glasses because my eyesight is so bad, and has been my whole life. I've been seeing dr mark as long as I can remember. I received a phone call reminding me to schedule my yearly check up appointment and to reorder contacts and glasses. This is where it gets ugly I called today and spoke to unnamed receptionist who begins with an attitude from the start. (I'm a receptionist for a geotechnical engineering firm in West Sacramento) so I tried to stay calm and polite and kind hoping to sway her cold tone. I asked if I could see dr Mark if he was available on the 16th. She then gets attitude with me asking if I have ever been to that office before, I reply yes many times, here's my name and my date of birth. Meaner now, she asks what kind of insurance I have, I say VSP with my company. Getting even more rude she then screams at me, WE HAVE NO DOCTORS ON THE 16th CHOOSE A DIFFERENT DAY. At this point I finally said something, I asked, why are you speaking to me so rudely? I don't understand why you are speaking to me this way. She then coldly responds , I'm not being rude, you need to pick a different day. I ended saying, thank you but I'll have to call you back I will not be calling them back. Not today or ever. Obviously they have plenty of business so they won't need mine. So after 24 years, I'm saying goodbye. And I'm sorry to leave, but I just don't have the time to be treated so horribly. I'm sorry if she was having a bad day, but you shouldn't take it out on the customers on the phone. read more

I've been coming to Dr. Baker at Helmus Optometry for a few years now, and I've never experienced anything but friendly, professional service. He's a nice guy, and is willing to explain anything. I've been going to optometrists since the 3rd grade, and he's the first eye doctor to finally explain to me what astigmatism meant! I've never had any bad experiences and would recommend this office to others. read more

Thought I'd update my review strictly on Dr. Baker! He is a genius and I'm grateful he caught pressure on my optic nerves during a thorough eye exam. If it wasn't for Dr. Baker's concern, my VERY serious medical situation may have been caught too late. I commend Dr. Baker and am extremely appreciate of his care! The below review may have been out of the ordinary so I wanted to be sure I positively commented on the care of Dr. Baker! read more

I just recently moved to Davis and was in need of a good eye-care specialist. One of my friends from the area recommended Helmus + Baker as she knew the Helmus family from childhood. I am very happy that she did. The location is good; right downtown, not too far from Central Park. It can get crazy in this area (especially when there is a farmer's market), but you should manage to find parking nearby if you drive. The facility is rather clean and presents itself as slightly upscale, and the service follows suit. The staff was friendly and welcoming. The doctors are knowledgeable, take careful notes, and really listen to you as a patient. I updated my contact lens Rx here; that experience was nice. There is a large selection of frames as well; I would certainly turn here to find a new set of frames. All in all, I would readily recommend Helmus + Baker to anyone looking for an eye care specialist in Davis. read more

I can't say enough good things about Dr. Julie Helmus. I have been a patient at Helmus Optometry for twenty years. I was seen by both Dr. Mark Helmus and Dr. Joanne Helmus and now Dr. Julie who possesses all I would ever want in an optometrist. I have a very difficult prescription for my contacts and eyeglasses and it can be tricky to get a good outcome. Dr. Julie got my contacts prescription so accurately that I went to a shooting range in Whistler, B.C. where the Olympics were held and I shot a perfect score on the Biathlon range! Pretty amazing for a senior citizen with compromised vision! Then when discussing my favorite activity of swimming, Dr. Julie asked me if I used prescription swim goggles since I'm vision impaired without glasses and my contacts get too dry under goggles . When I said that I had looked into previously but was discouraged at the $200 price tag, she immediately went on her computer and found a swimming site that sells prescription goggles for under $7! While they aren't perfect they served the purpose well of seeing while swimming. She also commented these last several years that I'd actually see better once I got cataracts then had cataract surgery with a new lens. So last fall at my annual eye exam she mentioned that I could have the same cataract surgery with new lenses even though I don't have cataracts. The only hitch was that this procedure is not covered completely by my insurance. I decided to explore this option and now have new lenses in both eyes, just like cataract surgery. For the first time in my life I can see 20/20 in one eye and 20/30 in the other. Pretty amazing for a lady who's worn thick glasses since age 5. I would never have explored this option without her presenting this possibility. I am extremely grateful to her for her advice and my new vision is truly miraculous! Dr. Julie is warm, professional, and well educated in optometry. She's smart, intuitive and intelligent! Her office is taking more precautions in disinfecting than any doctor office I have recently visited. Patients must wash their hands immediately, their temperature and even oxygen levels are taken and all pens are disinfected as well as all eye testing equipment. I can't say enough about this wonderful provider. read more

This place is truely great! I walked in for my appointment and before I could sit down was taken back for diagnostic tests. Once done sat down for maybe 5 minutes and the doctor showed up. My exam was extensive, easy and she made everything easy to understand. The office is so high tech and so so so clean. So glad I picked this place! read more

Review Title - Front Desk & Exam Staff / Doctor Are Great ... Optician Karen is Terrible !!! Review Description - On 1-2-2020, I was greeted respectfully & politely by the front desk staff ... my wait was not long at all. Doctor Paymaun Asnaashari was great ... I liked him and he is a true asset to the practice (caring, good listener, polite, soft-spoken, pleasant, thorough, etc). This was my third visit to this Optometry practice since my first during the summer of 2018. The first two visits were mostly very positive, from my arrival to my exam with Dr. Mark Helmus (who unfortunately for us as patients is now retired ... but, very happy for him) to the opticians who patiently and pleasantly assisted me and my daughter choose glasses & contacts. Marlene D (Optometric Tech) was excellent during my first visit on 6-4-18 ... patient, helpful, genuine, thoughtful, thorough, and accurately described all the various options and costs involved. This was the first ever pair of glasses that I was selecting in my life and she made the experience easy and comfortable. Being on this Earth nearly 60 years, I have obviously experienced much in life and have dealt with hundreds, if not thousands, of individuals within the various services industries throughout that time ... Marlene is amongst the best I've encountered ... truly an asset to this business. Unfortunately, that first pair of glasses (an expensive pair of Ovvo glasses) arrived to me flawed ... the right lens would "pop" off spontaneously and for no reason. This occurred dozens of times over the following several months ... I'd carefully insert it back in, it would stay put for a while, then pop back out again, sometimes a few times per day. Life's responsibilities and general busyness kept me from coming back in to Helmus until April 2019. I also didn't want to be without this only pair of reading glasses, so I waited to obtain another pair (from another retailer) before attempting to get the original pair addressed. At that time, Lisa N (Optometric Tech) assisted me with repairing ... apparently the lab did not size and fit the lens in correctly onto the frame. She, similar to Marlene, was very pleasant, understanding and empathetic ... since the glasses were still under warranty, she had them sent back for repair and I've not had any issues with them since getting them back. I was very pleased and impressed with how Helmus stood behind its products and I appreciated the level of excellent customer service that I received from the front desk staff, Dr. Mark Helmus, Marlene and Lisa during my first two visits to their establishment. However, on this last (third) visit on 1-2-2020, I had the misfortune of being helped by a Karen for the process of attempting to select & purchase another set of glasses ... she was horrible! She is very loud and obnoxious (so in a small, quiet location such as this, everyone hears your business), did not listen to my needs, acted impatient and continuously cut me off and spoke over me ... not at all customer service oriented. She was completely reluctant to inquire with or otherwise check out the product providers' web sites, catalogs, etc to determine if there might be any other frames more specific to what I was looking for and to my liking. So I was forced to settle on frames that were on display ... needless to say, while I eventually did find glasses that would have been acceptable, I chose not to purchase them, entirely due to the poor service experience that I received from Karen. I like to reward good attitude, behavior and service ... and if I don't receive it, I will take my business elsewhere as there are almost always other options and choices. When it was time to pay for my co-pay and exam, she ended up somehow duplicating my charge, so I had to call back in several days later to obtain a credit ... once again on the phone she was unapologetic, did not listen very well and spoke over me, and generally had an attitude that was the least bit empathetic. She is in the wrong business and we sincerely believe she is a liability, and NOT an asset, to Helmus Optometry. When I shared my experiences with my wife and adult daughter who both had also visited the practice recently, unbeknownst to me at the time of my visit, they too had similarly poor experiences with Karen as well ... she needs to be retrained, refocused and/or re-positioned. In response to my original post within Google Review, Dr. Julie Helmus attempted to contact me to discuss my negative experience/feedback. I did not appreciate her veiled attempts to simply have me change and/or remove my post. I've seen in other reviews her espouse how important customer service is and how she values their customers' business, but in this case, all she demonstrated was that she only cares for standing by & up for her employee and in "keeping a lid on" my sharing the awful experience I had with just this one "bad apple" within their employ. Sad! read more

Jessica was great on the phone and was familiar with plans. Doctor was very nice, friendly, helpful and thorough. Lisa was very personable and helpful in understanding my plan and making final decisions on frames and lenses. Thanks for a great visit. If you live in Davis or the surrounding area this is the place to go for eye exam, frames and lenses. read more

My family always receives excellent care from the staff and doctors at H&B. They remember who we are and greet us with genuine enthusiasm.

I had some service issue with my regular Optometry so was looking for a new place. After some research I narrowed it down to Helmus and Baker Optometry. To start , they have very convenient online scheduling where you just pick a day and available block of time. And they seems to have wide selections of frames. I scheduled Saturday morning. Few days before the appointment, I received email to confirm the appointment and they send me the form as well which can be filled and sent to them to save time on the day of appointment. So Saturday morning went around 15 minutes earlier. I didn't fill online form so I was asked to do so. Once form was filled, I was promptly taken for pre- screening. All the usual stuffs but they have option for retina scan for additional cost. I went for it just to make sure everything is fine with my eyes. Once prescreening is done I was promptly greeted by Dr Mark and went to his office for eye exam. I found his examination very thorough and explained me in detail after looking at my retina scan. Peace of mind that my eyes are good and just need glasses for far sight. The lady who helped me to pick frame handed me tray to put the frames of my pick. One frame is finalized she explained me other options like adding anti- glare and so on. Once everything is finalized paid the due and out of there. Now waiting for my glasses. From start to finish, just an excellent service from everyone. This will be the Optometry for me and my family. Highly recommended to all. read more

My kids see Dr. Helmus and she is beyond wonderful. She is approachable and kind. I got my first pair of bifocals and her staff helped me pick it out. I have gotten endless compliments. Super pleased with her office. read more

Bad sales people, good optometrist and staff Went to Helmus + Baker Optometry to get fitted for contacts. I was seen by Doctor Talaga, she was kind and very informative. She worked with me to develop the proper perspiration based of my needs. I am active at playing sports and I complained that my last contacts made seeing close difficult, which limited my ability to catch or look at a phone. She was able to give me an adjusted prescription to account for this change. I was given a few days trial pair and told to return if I liked them to order a box. I returned a few days later looking to order a box. The sales person Jerry was sent to help my purchase. She brought out a 180 contact set and said the price was 145 dollars. The particular brand was MyDay Daily Disposable silicon hydrogel contacts by CooperVision . I was interested but this being my first time buying contacts asked to see a different brand or a different contact material for a cost comparison (since Dr. Talaga told me these were the best for your eyes, but also the most expensive). Jerry the sales lady seemed shocked and said that she could not show me a different pair. I asked why not and she told me there were millions of other brands and materials. I again asked to see an equivalent contact brand so I could get a cost comparison and she refused. I am no expert in contact lenses but I think they should know equivalent brands or materials since they know my prescription. Furthermore the salesperson had a displeasing mood very contrasting to the rest of the establishment. Jerry was unwilling to help me and continued to turn her nose upward. I decided I know longer wished to be in her company. I asked the lady in the front for a print out of my prescription and am now currently searching the internet for contact lens prices. For a nice establishment , had a very bad time. read more

I have worn glasses and contacts most of my life and been to many optometrist offices. But the doctors and staff at Helmus and Baker really stand out. From the beautifully decorated entry to the modern equipment in each examining room, I felt that I was in very good hands. The doctors who examined me were patient and caring. They took their time and answered all my questions. The technicians and office staff are friendly and professional. I am very glad I am a patient here. read more

The doctor was very good but the glasses are very very expensive. I made another pair at costco and found out that costco is way cheaper with same brand and quality glasses. read more

I saw Dr. Alex Baker and I am extremely impressed by the entire office! I was seen right away, the staff was kind and courteous, the eye ware selection was great and the information provided regarding my Dx was detailed. Dr. Baker took the time to go over my appointment in great length with me and even called me back directly when I had called after my appointment with questions. I would definitely recommend this office for all your eye care needs! read more

My wife saw Dr Talaga who was very pleasant and explained things so you could really understand. She also suggested eye drops that have helped out with her dry eye problem. The staff was also very friendly. read more

The service that I received from Helmus optometry was the best service that I have received from any professional provider- possibly ever. I was very impressed from beginning to end with Helmus optometry. I had not been to the eye doctor in four years as the Doctor then told me that while I did have astigmatism, glasses wouldn't help me and so I never thought to have them rechecked. After months of headaches, I found Helmus optometry as an approved provider through my insurance. I called and I was able to get an appointment on a Saturday within a week! I had a scheduling conflcit arise late on Thursday afternoon, and when I called and asked for a different date and time, they were able to schedule me that same morning but earlier to accommodate my schedule. Dr. Mark Helmus saw me and really explained what was going on with my eyes. Although I had been to the eye doctor before and I was told that I had astigmatism, I didn't know what it was. Dr. Helmus explained to me what it was and within each eye the difference. Dr. Mark Helmus explained the two different prescriptions that I could get, but put them in a numbered priority list to help me decide which would be the best for me depending on what my insurance would cover. The next step in my process was to pick out my frames, however I have never been a user of glasses- or sun glasses- so I had no idea what to look for. The assistant was fabulous and very helpful. She was very patient with me as I tried on probably 50 different pairs before we found the pair that looked the best. The front desk receptionist was also great in so many ways! She was very nice and accommodating. She also went the extra mile to lookup what the benefits undermy secondary insurance were so that I could decide if I would be able to get a second pair of lenses. By the time I finished trying on the frames, she had already contacted my insurance carrier and got my insurance plan benefits. I would HIGHLY recommend Helmus optometry to anyone. Thank you Helmus Optometry for being so on point with customer service and excellent care! read more

I booked an appointment over the phone with their staff a month ahead, since they were busy and that was their earliest available. Finally on the day they tell me that they don't have my appointment written down, and if I wanted to schedule an eye exam to fill out their form - I had already given them all of my info over the phone when I scheduled the first time. Really frustrating to wait so long and schedule your day around it for them to forget and not have any of your information saved. read more

The Helmus practice in downtown Davis should now be a landmark! The service is impeccable, the doctors top notch, the technicians super helpful and patient! The prices are very reasonable for the brands they carry. Even when there are questions around the billing! Which is what happened after my recent visit. Since I required a detailed receipt for FSA submittal, something didn't quite match up so I had to speak to Stephanie, who is very professional and was able to sort everything out and get me going. I submitted my receipt and got my FSA account all squared away! We have been coming here for ages and will continue to do so as everyone there is awesome! I highly recommend them if you're in the Davis area. read more

The care is excellent. Dr. Baker seems to genuinely care about my health as evidenced by listening to my concerns, doing thorough exams, and taking the time to explain what is going on and how to better care for my eyes. The staff is friendly and incredibly helpful. The frames are great. Everyone is smiling and seems happy to be there. Highly recommend. read more

As a student here in a college town, as well as being an athlete. I have a high dependence on contact lenses when I need them. I came here last year to get a contact lens prescription, which I did. Fast forward a year, I called the other day to ask and see if my prescription has expired because I had remembered they had given me a 1 year lens prescription. Therefore I had assumed it was expired and called to make an appointment. The lady I was speaking to (I won't mention her name because that's not my intention) told me that my prescription HASNT expired and that I don't need a new one. She even placed me on hold so that I get to speak to the optician to order contacts from them (business). I let both of the ladies who had been telling me that my prescription wasn't expired know that I'm going to order from 1800contacts. I happily placed my order to receive my contacts. However, this morning I receive a voicemail from 1800contacts telling me they can't process my order because Helmus&baker revoked my prescription. Very unprofessional. First off, my prescription hasn't changed. I've been wearing the same prescription for years. Secondly, the minimum prescription length given to patients is 1 year. 2 years with the approval of the doctor. However, it's understandable that they just want to keep having you come in for checkups. It's a business and they will do whatever they can to schedule more appointments. Unprofessional to have two separate opticians say that my prescriptions NOT expired only to revoke it when 1800contacts call. Anyways I called today to ask what in the world is going on. The lady behind the desk told me that they care for patients eyes and want them for yearly prescription renewals. Do my eyes really lose vision in a matter of a couple days for it to be risky to renew my prescription? Making matters worse for a low income college student who needs contacts for the upcoming soccer playoffs, the lady said that Dr.Helmus will call you back today before we close to help you. I got no call. If you don't believe this review, feel free to read other reviews stating the unprofessionalism of the staff. They really don't want to help. read more

I have only used their services for getting my glasses and my GOD they're the best. They have accepted all of my insurances. I used to have UC SHIP and then changed to VSP and they accepted both. I feel like they always have the 20% discount even if your insurance doesn't cover the charge. Their customer service is pretty good as well. Last time I sat down with Marissa and we spent almost 2 hours going through magazines, online inventories, and brand websites picking sunglasses for me. She is awesome!! read more

My son was seen here several months ago and received new glasses. The service was polite out front, but the doctor himself was very friendly. When we had to choose frames, they wanted to choose for us a small number to see out of those which were covered by our insurance. When I called to make myself an appointment, they said they were no longer accepting new patients with Partnership Health Plan. After reading other reviews, I have concluded that this business is more concerned about making money than providing healthcare services to their community. Too bad. I guess if you like being exclusive, they're perfect for you. read more

My appointment was at 3pm, I saw the doctor at 3:15pm right after the pre-appointment exams. Really appreciated how respectful of my time they were. The doctor was also amazing, and the staff extremely professional and friendly! Lastly super impressed by the technology they used. Overall, recommend 100% read more

Great staff. Everyone there is very friendly, easy to book appts online! Dr. Baker was more on time than I was! They are efficient and get you through the exam process quickly but are always accommodating with giving thorough answers to questions. read more

Love this place! Excellent location, atmosphere, doctors, staff, and selection of glasses. I've been going here for more than 5-yrs and plan on continuing (even if I move out of Davis, and the drive back is reasonable). read more

love this place! my first time there today and the service was great! the receptionist was very polite and welcoming....along with the optometrist and another staff that was assisting me as i picked out eyeglasses that i was interested in. i am very excited to get my glasses within the next 5-7 days! everyone at this optometry store/location was very patient, helpful, and willing to answer any questions that i had which made me feel very comfortable. btw, they offer some sort of discount for students. =) read more

Just picked up my new frames. Stephanie was very friendly and helpful! Dr. Helmus was great too. I've been coming here for 18 years, quality service read more

I went to dr. helmus on the advice of a family friend. My last Dr. had me in these contact lenses that were not good for my eyes. Dr. Helmus was able to explain this to me in a way i was able to understand and get me into new better contacts. I would definitely recommend going to him! read more

I wanted to shout out and let you know you have been a help to a whole family if finding glasses over the years. It is so nice to go back to the same place for each person. They take most insurance. Great job keep it up read more

I have been seeing Dr. Joanne for the last 7 or 8 years. I am always amazed that she remembers who I am and small details about me. That little gesture will make me a faithful patient for life. The staff is always friendly and helpful, the frame selection is incredible and I always leave feeling like I was cared for. read more

I stopped into this optometrist when the screw came out of my Ray ban Sunglasses. The receptionist greeted my right away when I walked in. I explained that I needed a screw replaced in my sunglasses and she assigned a technician. The tech fixed my glasses in about 5 minutes and they didn't charge me one cent.. It was completely free! What a great place! I will definitely return. read more

Over the years, I've been very pleased with the service and selection at Helmus + Baker. I recently had to bring back a pair of semi-rimless glasses that kept breaking -- a design fluke, not the optometrist's fault! They allowed me to exchange the unsatisfactory pair for a new pair, no questions asked, and their staff was extremely patient and helpful in guiding me to an excellent replacement pair. I am very grateful for that and am glad to continue my enthusiastic recommendation of this optometrist. read more

Spoke to the receptionist and she was very short with me and overall quite rude. I believe if you want your business to do well in a competitive university town, you should put someone on phones who is a bit more personable. Not sure the quality of the office quite yet, but so far I'm not very impressed with their service. read more

Great staff who are very helpful. I appreciate the Saturday hours as an option.