I would like to add my review of this place and echo with all the other previous people that I agree with everyone in saying that the front desk people at this office are extremely rude and unprofessional. I don't know how this place is able to get away with treating people in such a horrible manner. I called to make an appointment as a first time customer who has never been to this doctor before and the front desk woman told me I cannot be seen at their office and hung up on me. No explanation given! What an incredibly jarring experience. Please be warned that this place is unbelievably unprofessional! read more

Spent minimal time with me. Had four other patients at the same time. Still not confident I got the correct prescription. A regular check up - most charges not covered by insurance. I too regret not reading the reviews prior to my visit. read more

Insurance users beware. Unfortunately my experience with scheduling as a new patient is consistent with other reviewers that I am only now reading. When calling to make an appointment about six week ago, I asked about verification that my insurance would be accepted. I was informed that his office could not verify my insurance until the day before or the morning of my appointment. I was informed that I would be charged a canceled visit if the insurance wasn't covered. I should have take that as a warning and gone somewhere else, but I wanted to support a local medical doctor and small business. I was informed that I needed to call Cigna (and IMed) to verify. The person on the phone was very nice and gave me specific questions to ask Cigna which I did. Cigna informed me that Dr. Clark was in network, and my medical and vision coverage were linked. I called Dr. Clark's office back and told them what I was informed, and the office said that I was set. I asked again if they could confirm, and the person said no. I said that I would be very disappointed if I showed up the day of the appointment and was told something different. I showed up today, and Dr. Clark's office informed me that the benefits were not link even though they were in network. I asked to share my disappointment with Dr. Clark. The receptionist said that I could leave a voicemail later. I requested just 30-60 seconds of his time to share my constructive feedback about a way to onboard a new patient. He stepped out and heard my concern. I was shocked to experience Dr. Clark as defensive and who even raised his voice. He interrupted me at least three times. I informed him that I would leave a negative review, and he became more aggravated. I replied that I didn't want to debate but was hoping to give constructive feedback. I thought that it was best that I leave as he was not receptive to that feedback, and I was repeating myself. My biggest regret is that I did not read the other negative review before making my appointment. read more

Unfortunately, after being a patient of Dr. Clark for over 20 years, I've found that his front desk staff, particularly Monica, along with the office manager Michele, have a very poor attitude and provide terrible customer service. They seem to be unwilling to deal with insurance claims, and instead push patients to pay out-of-pocket for everything. While Dr. Clark is a kind person, he tends to rush through appointments and doesn't give patients much attention during visits. It's disappointing to see how much the quality of service has declined. If Dr. Clark will hire and train better front desk staff he might be able to continue provide a better care, customer service and keep his patients. read more

I have just had my yearly eye exam with my ophthalmologist of many years, Dr Jacob Clark, in Alexandria. He is caring, extraordinarily professional and is almost as concerned about my eyes/vision as I am...he wants to get it right and puts in the extra time to make sure my contact lenses and glasses are about as exact as humanly possible. When I get out of the chair at the end of an exhaustive eye exam there's a feeling of lightness... it's very comforting to know that I'm in such competent hands. His office is clean, fresh and very efficiently run with kindly and patient personnel. read more

I was slated to see Dr. Clarke this morning - but canceled last week due to a conflict. I called today to reschedule and they told me their policy is to not reschedule a patient who cancels their first appointment. What? This is ridiculous. They might as well just say they don't take new patients anymore. What a waste of time. read more

Had an appointment a few months ago in which I had to endure the wait time and appointment which took a total of 3 hours. The front desk said they didn't take my insurance (even though I found the clinic through my insurance's website) so I had to pay full price for the exam. I am making this review today because I went to a regular MyEyeDr clinic to get my prescription updated, and during the appointment, they asked me if I had already had a vision appointment this year. I told them the above and they said it looks like they charged my insurance anyway, and that they couldn't use it to cover my exam today. We even attempted calling the clinic for information today to no avail. Please pick somewhere else to go to, as this feels very scammy. read more

SHOCKINGLY UNPROFFESIONAL!! As a doctor, Dr Clark is nothing special; not fantastic, not terrible...vanilla ice cream (skills & bedside manner) - I say this because that was my experience with him the first time I saw him. Today he lied and accused me of yelling (I didn't) when my husband went in to ask why they mistreated me! Today, . His office manager and the optometrist however KICKED ME OUT of their little (EMPTY) waiting room at 8:40am (my appt was at 8:30am) because I was on the phone with my insurance trying to verify my coverage (which mistakenly printed out as not effective - that was the office managers best effort of confirming coverage - she refused to call!) I had surgery yesterday, and made it to this appointment because of how long I'd had to wait for it (1.5mos). Nonetheless, without any concern for me, and knowing I didn't have a car - I told them my husband had dropped me off because I'm not allowed to drive yet post-op) they made me leave the office and try to have my call out in the cold with rush hour traffic on Washington St. I asked if they had a little room I could go to, they said no. I RECOMMEND NOT INTERACTING WITH THIS HORRIBLE CLINIC AT ALL COSTS!!! AVOID AVOID AVOID!!! read more

I had my first visit with Dr Clark for my yearly eye check up. The office staff and technicians were very friendly and efficient. I did not have any wait until I was called into a room for the exam. Dr Stone was very cordial and gave me some options for handling my astigmatism. He made copies of my cataract replacement cards for my record and reviewed my history. The technician was savvy and noticed that I take metformin. She asked if I have diabetes, which I don't. All in all it was a pleasant and professional experience. read more

Dr. Clark and his team are fantastic. My husband and I have both been seeing them for almost 3 years. He always takes the time to make sure everything is OK with our vision and our health. I appreciate his bedside manner and feel like he is an extremely competent DR. In addition, I got my prescription updated and felt it was too strong after the fact. His team adjusted my prescription quickly and efficiently. They had me in and out. I can't speak highly enough about Dr. Clark and his team. Thank you for everything! read more

I've been seeing Dr. Clark for 6-7 years now and find him to be through with my eye exams and willing to listen and get my prescription zeroed in, works with me on various types of contact lenses. As his office is a warren of cubes I've also heard his manner with other patients. Thus I have trouble understanding some of the negative reviews on here. There have been different front office and staff assistants over the years, some more friendly than other but I appreciated the people I dealt with in Nov. of 2022. Also the optician adjoining his practice - Monica - has always steered me right with glasses. Though currently there are supply chain issues at getting sample frames in, she's working with me to get frames to try on from styles I like. As of Nov. 2022 this office is still following April 2020-type covid protocols, so you'll need to wear a mask and get your temp checked at the front door. Dr. Clark was recommended to me by a friend; I'd happily recommend him to others. read more

Dr. Clark made me cry last time I was in the office by badgering and belittling me. Like other reviewers have noted, his bedside manner is non-existent and he bullies patients by treating them like misbehaving children. I do not understand how he stays in business, since he makes the experience of visiting the eye doctor so unpleasant for his patients. I certainly won't be coming again! Good riddance. read more

OMG. I have NEVER been treated so rudely in a medical office. I have two medical insurances and was questioning why they were charging me over my co-pay amounts. The receptionist called the business manager to the front office and rather than explain the charges to me, she was extremely unprofessional and rude. She began yelling at me and then told the receptionist I would not be allowed back, she slammed the office door as I stood there in shock at the behavior. Dr. Clark may be a good optometrist, but his staff is the worst I've seen. I strongly urge you to avoid this doctor's office. I arrived home and immediately contacted my insurance company to intervene and they tried contacting Dr Clark's office but no one answered the phones and it was only 2:30pm. Several messages have been left asking them to return the call. I deeply regret not paying attention to a review I saw about this office. I would give 0 stars if allowed. read more

This is a horrible practice. There was an icy February freezing rain outside. My appointment was at 12:30, and I arrived at 12:15 on foot. They told me I had to wait outside in the freezing cold because they are afraid to have any sort of waiting room. I'm going to find another eye doctor. read more

I had a very unpleasant interaction with this physician, and was left feeling emotionally injured. I am not saying that my feelings were merely hurt; the depth of the resulting emotional distress was far deeper than that. I have not had a similar experience when dealing with any other physician. In my opinion, there are too many complaints like this that are being vented, in this and similar venues, for there not to be some substance to them. These negative reviews, many of which are similar to one another, appear not only in the published Yelp reviews, but also among those reviews which are deemed unworthy by Yelp for publication. You can access the unpublished reviews by searching for and clicking on a link on this site. Dr. Clark might do well to reassess his bedside manner, his demeanor around his patients, and the protocols of his office. And at his age, and at this stage in his career, it is my opinion that this kind of advice should not be necessary. read more

My review goes out to Jenelle at Jacob Clark's office who greets you with love, kindness and a beautiful smile. She is the heart of that office, helps accommodate my crazy travel schedule and feels like a friend immediately. Jacob Clark is very lucky to have her as are his patients! read more

This doctor scheduled too many people at the same time and takes forever!!! I won't be coming back here at all because he doesn't value your time and makes you feel rushed. Doctor is not personable. Not a great experience here. My appt was at 130 didn't leave close to 4. The front desk staff the African American girl name Crystal I think is very nice but other than that I rather take my business else were. read more

Like many here, I was put off initially by the negative reviews, but always like to form my own opinions. First off, on my very first appointment, I was running 45 minutes late, got to the office, and Dr. Clark was STILL able to squeeze me in. Normally, any Dr. would have brushed me off, especially my first appointment at his location, but this was not true in this case. Welcomed me with open arms. Secondly, during that first visit, Dr. Clark was very professional, to the point, and extremely knowledgeable. Probably one of the better visits to a Dr. I have had. Lastly, on my follow up visit at his office just the other day, two weeks after the first visit, I showed up early, and was seen early. In summary, Dr. Clark is a pleasant, to the point, no nonsense kind of Dr., so if you are looking for someone to make you smile, laugh, or have idle chit chat with, you may want to visit a clown clinic at one of your preferred prior locations. read more

Haven't been to the eye doc in 10 years thanks to LASIK, but started to notice degradation in my vision, so came here on the recommendation of a colleague. Dr Clark was great. Professional, efficient, direct. That's how I prefer my medical professionals to act, and he was extra thorough with me because I have terrible history in my family of serious eye problems. His office is attached to an optical store so if you need glasses and don't care about paying for convenience, that's nice. read more

You know...I kinda felt bad like maybe my review before was too mean....Now I don't feel bad at all... So I went to Dr Clark to get my new glasses in Crystal Optical...whose Hours are Mon-Fri 9-5.....thanks yes not everyone lives and WORKS in old town...so when should I come get my glasses? Beside the point...I made time- told my boss I would be in late whcih is in itself a struggle- and showed up at crystal optical at 9 am on a friday.... Except one thing is missing....the girl for the optical shop. The receptionists were there and were like oh just have a seat so i sit down and waited for 20 minutes before they said...Oh she won't be in until 10 am.... 10 am wow....so should i wait? Nope. I'm already way late to work and I have a lot to get done so I just leave. SO thank you Crystal Optical for completely WASTING my time. Now I don't have glasses, lost an hour of pay, and I'm annoyed. Wonderful. So if you're going to buy your glasses here...I suggest going at 4pm? Which I assume she'll actually be there? Or maybe making an appointment. Who knows. read more

Pros: The front-desk staff is always friendly and helpful, wonderful people. Cons: I made an appointment for a contact lens exam and fitting, and told them this was my first time getting contacts. After having an eye exam done, Dr. Clark proceeded to dilate my eyes, finish the exam and then quickly hand me off to the woman in the room doing the fitting. After my eyes were dilated. Meaning I couldn't see anything. Needless to say, the contacts never fit right, and it was only after going to an amazing eye doctor in Philadelphia (after moving) that I realized how awful this experience really was. There are plenty of good eye doctors out there - go somewhere else. read more

I have reluctantly gone here for a few years due to convenience. This past visit will be the last. First off, Dr. Clark does not value your time, only your money. He way overbooks- like 3 people at one time. How does one doctor see three patients at once? By making you sit around in his office for 2 hours while he rotates through the other people who's time he's wasting. And you know this because there are no exam rooms. I mean, I don't need to know that the patient next to me had a mother who had cancer and just retired from the military and the "not so thorough" doctors who saw him while he was in the military suggested he come to this place for his glaucoma (which he apparently doesn't actually have). I heard him berate a patient who asked him about treatment options for his condition, basically telling him that he's the doctor so he is right and he shouldn't ask questions. Second, he doesn't listen. When I told him about the vision issues I was having, he made them worse, not better. When I called and told them that what he gave me wasn't working, I was told to "get used to it." My other option was to come back for another visit because he didn't listen to me in the first place. That's just bad service from a bad doctor. Several people mentioned the staff. They are hit or miss, depending on their mood. They often act like they do not want to be bothered, and don't listen. They also aren't trained very well at what there job is. This past visit the girl tried to charge me for something I didn't owe. The doctor also yells at them often in front of his clients. So unprofessional! I tried once to look at the limited selection of glasses there, as well, but as many people mention- the person who does them is never there. Even if it's her office hours, she's likely at her 3 hour lunch. Please don't bother going here. read more

Dr. Clark is a very helpful optometrist whose practice is in the heart of Old Town. He and his staff have been very professional each time I have visited. I have been able to schedule appointments within a week of my call. He does very thorough eye exams and helped me transition to contact lenses. Both he and his staff also speak fluent Spanish. They take Davis Vision eye care. I am happy to be a patient of Dr. Clark's. read more

Unlike the other review I did find the exam to be comprehensive. I could not imagine any eye exam that did not include the glaucoma/puff test. Dr. Clark did everything I would expect from a medical standpoint. That does not mean I will back. I also had concerns about my billing. Felt more like haggling for a car. I would have felt much more comfortable if all charges were discussed up front. Staff was friendly enough, but less thaneffecient. I was not impressed that they were taking with the doctor about personal issues while he was 20 min late for my appointment. read more

I've been going to Dr. Clark for over 10 years. He and his staff are always courteous and maintain a clean and professional environment. Today, I took my son for his first appointment. Even though I'm a long standing patient, I appreciate Dr. Clark and staff patiently explaining the process for my son, and ensuring that he not only understood, but was also comfortable throughout the visit. read more

Excellent service from everyone in this office. Very happy with our copay as well. Friendly and helpful staff. Thank you!

I've been a patient of Dr. Clark for over 7 years. He's very knowledgeable and has made positive improvements for me with 2 different strength contacts. One allows me to see distance and the other to read, that prevents me from needing reading glasses. read more

I'm very surprised by these negative reviews! I've been to Dr. Clarke's office three times now and would refuse to go anywhere else. The staff has always been extremely pleasant and very helpful. Dr. Clarke has been courteous, kind, and very professional each of the times I've been there. I've been led to an exam room within 5 minutes of sitting down in the waiting area. all of my services have been quite timely, surprisingly timely actually. I had an issue that three other doctors have disregarded as an issue that I would just have to deal with until I met Dr. Clarke who decided to "try something" which ended up fixing my issue. I like the clean and sleek look of the office, all of the equipment looks new. This is not a typical dash-in sheep herding mall clinic, this office is much more professional with providing service unique to each patient. I can't think of one negative thing to say about this office! read more

Can there. be two Dr. Clarks practicing in Old Town? Seriously, how are we at such different ends of the spectrum on this? I was very concerned after reading the negative reviews, but I wanted an Opthamologist rather than an Optometrist so I said, "I can deal with a brusque doctor"). Not so, this was my experience: - Called for appointment and very professional staff quickly booked me for a few days later. - Arrived a bit early and was taken in before I could even fill out the forms. - Assistant who performed intake was professional and pleasant. - Sat for maybe 5 mins before Dr. came in. -Contrary to many reviews here, Dr. was pleasant, welcoming, efficient, communicative and informative. I purposely asked a series of questions. I honestly do not know what he could have done any better to make this a perfectly normal visit. - Their prices for contacts are much better than other places I've gone. - I went next door to look at glasses. The person many reviewers said was never there not only was, but she took my current, beat up glasses and fixed them (and refused payment). I'm not making this up. I was prepared for at least a so/so visit. It was perfect, with one caveat: That is, the noise muffling system is insufficient. I listened to three people answer the same list of health and prescription questions. I was embarrassed for them. Please just have the patient fill out him/her self, or get the company who sold you the noise buffers to improve them. read more

Dr. Clark performed my deceased husband's cataract surgery years ago, and on that basis I went to see him when I started suffering from eye strain. I have now seen him twice in the past month, once for an eye exam and once for a follow up for potential glaucoma. Both times I was seated in an examination room within 5 minutes of arriving at the office. My first exam took two hours because I had a retina scan done after my regular exam. I was left in the examination room alone for around 15 minutes, but that was only for the eye drops to take effect for eye dilation. The second exam for glaucoma took about an hour. After the glaucoma exam Dr. Clark said I needed to come back every four months for monitoring my borderline glaucoma, and explained the options to me for treatment should I need it in the future. It did take a few hours for my eyes to return to normal after the dilation in the first exam, but that didn't stop me from seeing well enough to drive home. The only complaints I had were minor. I would have preferred getting a fillable PDF before my appointment rather than a paper form at the office, especially as I was having eye strain. But the tech helped me fill out the form because she realized I was having trouble. Measuring pupillary distance in the office would have been nice and enabled me to order my glasses on-line. And finally, the tech who took pictures of my retinas wasn't very familiar with the equipment. In the past I did use Crystal Optical to order glasses and didn't think much of them. But Dr. Clark never put any pressure on me to use them. I was given a prescription for glasses at the end of my first appointment to fill at my choice of optician. I used Costco. Dr. Clark is in my PPO so he is required to accept the copay plus insurance reimbursement as payment in full for services. Copay for my first exam was $80 and for the second exam $30. Dr. Clark is not the warmest, fuzziness human I've ever met, but that doesn't bother me as long as he listens to my complaints and offers solutions. I don't expect him to hug me, shake my hand or ask me how my cat is doing. I didn't experience any of the other issues that Yelpers have related here, and if you look at any of my reviews you'll see that I'm a pretty critical reviewer. I've never even given a 5 star review (although my very first is coming soon). read more

My experience at Doctor Clark's office was exceptional. The space itself is top notch and modern. The staff was extremely friendly and the optical shop a pleasant surprise. My exam was thorough and Doctor Clark was courteous and efficient. He took the time to answer my questions and explain my condition. I will definitely return. read more

The experience was awful. There were hidden costs that I was not aware, and the staff were impolite

Absolutely horrible patient experience. The man has ZERO bedside manner and his office staff is lazy and lackadaisical (and dress the part. I mean come on, sweatshirts, sweatpants and sneakers in a doctor's office?) Dr. Clark saw me for a eye glass appt in late November, gave me a prescription. Then saw me again last week for the contacts appointment. When I came back for the second appointment for my contacts, I asked the assistant if I could just ask Dr. Clark a quick question about the glasses prescription that he had written for me just a couple of weeks earlier, the girl said NO. No additional questions allowed because that is not what my appointment was for. I relayed this information to Dr. Clark who proceeded to BERATE and YELL at me at the top of his lungs that if I wanted to ask him any additional questions I should have called the office and told them that earlier and because of my additional questions, his ENTIRE DAY OF PATIENTS was going to be delayed. Mind you, as he's yelling at me, I have no contacts or glasses on so all i'm seeing is a blur. It made me feel so small and helpless to be yelled at when I can't even see anything. What a horrendous experience. read more

I have been going to Dr. Clark for many years and credit him wth saving my sight. His beside manner is not "warm." but is professional. He is singularly focused on the health of your eyes and that's OK with me. read more

Plus he doesn't measure PD during the eye exam, which is rude. You have to pay his optician $25 to do it and then she measures it wrong. She was off by two mm which makes a huge diff in progressives. Never. Going. Back. read more

I have gone to Dr. Clark for a few years, and I have not had any problems. The receptionists are cordial and relay any information I need to know clearly. I have never had to wait long, even when I have been late for an appointment. Dr. Clark does everything with professionalism and clarity. He talks about my results, any concerns he sees, and recommendations on moving forward. I would recommend him to my friends and colleagues living in the Alexandria area. read more

The least caring, friendly, or supportive office/doctor I have ever known! I have overlooked this in the past because his office is in walking distance but not anymore!! I made my last appointment for an eye exam by phone during which I don't remember being told to bring my contacts, as I usually wear eyeglasses. It could have been my mistake just as easily as theirs, there really is no knowing how the mistake was made... but I was open to the possibility that either one of us could be mistaken. When I got to the appt, I was told that there would be a fee because, not having my contacts with me, I would have to come back to finish the contact portion of the exam. I explained to his assistant that I didn't remember anyone saying to bring the contacts. She told me I was wrong and that they "always" tell patients to bring their contacts. I was made to feel like a liar! I kept my cool. I asked if they could give me a pair for the exam, but for some reason that wasn't a possibility. When I asked how he does a contact exam the first time he meets someone, the assistant told me that there is a $190 (it may not be the exact quote) charge for that on first visits, and that they would charge me that much if I wanted to do that. I didn't. I would have expected that any other office would say something to the effect of, "there must've been a miscommunication", or "don't worry about it we'll take care of it". Something to show that they could have made a mistake just as easily as I could have. But no, she basically told me that they would not have made the mistake - so I felt like a liar. She was cold, uncaring and wouldn't budge, so I walked out. I called back several weeks later and was told that the Dr would see me but now I would have to pay a $50 fee for walking out. Angel, who answered the phone told me that they always tell people to bring their contacts, and again refused to even entertain the possibility that they might have made a mistake. I asked that the doctor please call me back so that I could discuss this with him and I gave her my phone number. When she repeated it back to me, instead of using the area code 317 she had written it down as 217. I corrected her nicely and she responded with, "you told me 217". Again, total disrespect for the patient!! I told her that I have had the phone for over 15 years and there might have been a miscommunication but that I did not say 217. Why would I? Again I was made to feel like a liar - regarding my own phone number! Wouldn't you expect if that happened in a doctors office the response would have been, "Oh I'm sorry, I thought you said 217". But no, she told me it was my fault. Fast forward to this morning. I received a voicemail from Dr. Clark saying that office procedure is firm and that he cannot change it. (I guess he forgot that he is the sole doctor at the office and he in fact could change policy, or at least engage in a nice conversation that included the possibility that his office might have made a mistake.) This was no apology, no regret that things went bad between us, nor was there any compassion or feeling that a patient might have been wronged! None, nada! A very, very unpleasant situation with no feeling for me as a patient. I don't recommend this office to anyone. read more

Dr. Clark has been punctual and professional when I have visited him. He works well with my insurance, and his eyeglass shop in the front has been very helpful having glasses ordered and delivered. Because my insurance only covers economy frames and lenses, I had to send a pair of glasses back to be remade once, and the woman who manages the store was very helpful. She and Doctor Clark have always been a pleasure to deal with. read more

I've worn glasses and/or contacts for almost 50 years and been to many, many eye doctors. Dr. Clark is one of the best. Thorough and helpful with as many explanations as I needed. And the office is a delight. The staff is courteous and efficient. And while many eye doctors' offices are dark mazes of little exam rooms, this one manages to seem light and airy, which makes it a lot more pleasant to be there. read more

Very disappointing. the staff is fine, the Dr. is fine. Nothing exciting either way. The surprise costs are not fine. I just found out from UHC that with my vision ins. i should have paid. $10. They charged me $50. When I called to discuss it, the billing mgr informed me because I have retinal detachment, that makes it a medical exam and they charge me the $50 specialist fee. UHHH. I have lazy eye - since birth, nothing new here. Also, no other eye dr., opthamologist or otherwise, has tried to pull a scam like this. Total crap. I feel better writing this after reading other reviews. Obvious;y, I am not alone. read more