Dr. Karen Collom has been my family's optometrist for over 23 years. She is amazingly caring and thoughtful in the optometry services she provides, taking time to explain what is happening with your eyes, test results, etc. Her office also has a very board and expansive selection of glass frames and sunglasses to choose from. I highly recommend Dr. Collom for optometry services. read more

The rudest ffomt desk person who set the totally negative tone. She has no concept of welcoming a new patient and explaining services. she asked me what kind of glasses I wanted and I said I did not know, I would rely on skill of optometrist to recommend based on Dr Prescription. She raised her voice in derision... "No! You choose."! When I said I did not know she kept pushing that isn't their problem. I said I wanted to speak to optician first. She said I had to commit first. totally unprofessional demeaning experience. I was visibly shaken by the receptionist screaming at me. when I met with optician Diane she was calm explaining pricing but was not knowledgeable about lens options. I could not in good conscious endure giving these people one more minute of my time. I advised optician I was extremely uncomfortable. She said she understood. I walked out and will not be returning. read more

Dr. Collum is incredibly competent. She's been my optometrist for a decade or so. In that time, my vision changed dramatically with age (readers!). Then in 2023, I had a macular pucker / epiretinal membrane issue that she diagnosed. After the ophthalmology procedures, she has been helping me optimize my vision. She even helped me navigate vision benefits! And the team that support her are so friendly and helpful. High recommend! read more

The doctor tested my eyes and provided a prescription that is way off too much. It is blurrer than my current eye glass. Feels like half the degree of my current one. I don't understand why a professional place can come out off so much. This place is so cheap that they don't have the trail glass for you to walk around in the clinic and feel the prescription before it is decided. From previous review, it sounds like they also use cheap manufacturers to do the lens. The front desk told me she never heard of a trail glass and they never do it. She is so rude and makes it sounds like my question is stupid. I did eye exam many times and this is the only time that I don't need to wear the thing to feel. What's more, they take the first action to opt me out as their patient and ask me to find another doctor. The front desk is even ruder. I said you are not professional. She said it with a smile: you are professional. This is how this place sounds like. read more

I took my new eyeglass prescription that I got from my ophthalmologist to Laurelwood on 12/9 to see if I needed to have my lenses replaced. Not remembering when I had the lenses made, I asked the receptionist to check whether the prescription for my sunglass was any different from the new prescription. The receptionist went through her computer records and said that my eyeglass lenses were ordered last August and that the prescription was different. I asked her to double check this information because I believed that my prescription from last year to this year was the same (which I later confirmed at another optical store). I took out my sunglasses and asked if I can have them physically checked out but she declined. I then asked several times if I can make an appointment with an optometrist to have them checked, but she adamantly refused, saying that I needed to go back to the optometrist who had given me the new prescription. Overall, she did not know how to read the prescription but acted like she did. She was very disrespectful and arrogant. I initially was planning on getting new lenses there if deemed necessary, but I will NOT be going back to this store anymore. read more

I'm a delighted customer at Laurelwood Optometry, and I'm grateful to the friend and neighbor who recommended them. Karen Collom is a great doctor, and I am impressed with her level of care and expertise. read more

I highly recommend Laurelwood Optometry. I've been going here for years. I searched on Yelp a long time ago and came across Laurelwood and glad that I did. Dr Collom is the best. She's super detailed, friendly, and helpful. I also bring my kids here as well. My kids feel super comfortable with Dr Collom. Overall a great experience each time. Tip - make sure to call in advance because their schedules fill up fast. read more

Laurelwood Optometry - Optometrists Near Me - San Mateo, California

Dr Collum will not check glasses made by a third party manufacturer. She flatly refused to do it. This is horrible customer service. Other optometrists evidently do it as a free service. The refusal also comes close to a violation of section 456.2 of the Eyeglass Rule. Anyway, time to find a more customer friendly eye doctor who puts my eye health above their bitterness that I didn't buy expensive glasses from their shop. read more

I've been going here for 16 years. Doctor is competent and thorough but the bedside manner is rough. A bit high pressure to buy frames - a discount offered only if you buy frames on day of service. I have brought my frames to be adjusted after I mangled them and they do so begrudgingly. You cannot come in to persuse frames without an appointment. read more

Unlike some mall optometry shop, Dr Collom cares about your eye health than trying to sell you glasses. My whole family have been seeing Dr Collom since my kids were 2-3 years old. Highly recommend Dr Collom for your eye health needs. read more

Dr. Karen Collum & her staff are amazing! Karen is very caring & personable! We have been seeing her for years. She is very efficient and precise with how she does her work. Our entire family goes to her. Every time I visit it's like catching up with a friend that I haven't seen in 6 months to a year or so. Depending on how often I have to visit. Overall it's an absolute pleasure visiting Karen. Thank you for all you do for my family & I. read more

My entire family has been seeing Dr Collom for years. She is extremely thorough, caring, and great with kids. Never had an issue with getting my kids' eyes dilated because she's so good with kids. Appointments are 45 minutes long and she's always on time, which is a rare quality these days in medical providers! read more

My optometrist Dr. Wong definitely needs some love on Yelp; I'm sure Dr. Collum is great as well, but Dr. Wong works there too & is awesome! He is so friendly, patient, & caring. How much do my friend & I like him? I have Kaiser, and her insurance doesn't cover her visits here, but we both still pay the full amount & come here to see him. She has also told me about some mishaps she's had with her contacts and he has always come to her rescue. He'll give you his personal phone number (though I misplaced it somewhere) in case you ever have an emergency. He also doesn't make you feel like a patient; during your exam he'll have a conversation with you and he always asks about my family who are also his patients. The office is nice and clean with a great selection of eye glasses. The receptionists are also friendly as well. I have been seeing Dr. Wong for seven years and plan on continuing to see him for years to come. read more

I love his place! I live in the Downtown SF but drive all the way here!! Super courteous and professional staff. Suzie the receptionist is very helpful and sweet. Dr. Collum is amazing! She's an optometrist yet knew a lOt about other health issues. She even went above and beyond and went online to look up some information for me! So my previous optometrist said that, "if you don't have perfect vision..that's that..you're eyes are bad" yet Dr. Collum let me know there is more to it than just having bad vision. She said there are underlying health issues causing us from having perfect vision. Dr. Collum is professional and friendly..I never felt rushed and she made me feel comfortable. I did a first time contact user session with her and she was through and extremely patient and helpful. A week later I received my contacts and she checked up on me to see how they were suiting me. I also received a letter thanking me for my visit! read more

Awesome eye doctors and great customer service. I even buy my Maui Jim's here. Love my Maui Jim's....especially saving money by buying 'em same day as an eye exam. Though this is an insurance benefit, not a local promotion, I would much rather buy OTC eyewear from an optometrist than the mall. They have been great adjusting fit and returning products when damaged. I really felt listened to when getting an exam and selection my first ever prescription pair of glasses. read more

Laurelwood Optometry - Optometrists Near Me - San Mateo, California

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Dr. Collum is impressive in multiple respects - science/medical-based knowledge, patient bedside manner, efficient handling of insurance benefits, COVID-safe procedures, and overall competence. She clearly knows what she's doing. She did a thorough eye exam with complete eye health and medical history, a complete check of my previous prescriptions (2 pairs of eyeglasses that were both done incorrectly by previous optometrists, and my hard contact lenses), and was able to problem solve the complexities of my early tomid-forties-changing eyes. I went to two previous optometrists who gave differing opinions regarding my glasses prescription, and whether I should get progressives / bifocals yet - it was a mess, with two failed attempts at glasses. Dr. Collum was able to competently assess the issue and adjust my prescription, and educated me about all the factors that inform my prescription. She was able to fix the issues that other providers couldn't, and also did an efficient job incorporating my VSP insurance benefits into the visit. Wonderful staff as well, and pristine COVID-friendly procedures from beginning to end. Highly recommend! read more

After 6 months, I had to send glasses back in because ANOTHER delaminating issue with the glasses. They charged me 25$ for shipping even though this was clearly their issue for choosing a cheap factory to produce lenses. If you're going to be paying top dollar, I'd suggest going somewhere else where they give you top of the line lenses and care in return. read more

Very professional and personable, I like the customer service. VSP accepted... Nothing more to write about... read more

I have been attending this establishment for my optical needs for nearly two years now. Dr. Karen Collum is who I let tend to my eyes and carefully inspect them with each visit. She is passionate about her work and always methodical and thorough with every detail to ensure you are getting the best eye care possible. I feel very comfortable with her and she is always on top of her game in handling any problems I have encountered with my contacts in the most professional way possible. She was very patient in my quest for new contacts seeing me nearly a half a dozen times until I felt I had the right contacts, and she too shared the drive for the same goal. I highly recommend this place and have never left the office feeling anything less than satisfied in getting the highest level customer service and specialist eye care I hope to find and receive. read more

update: Dr. Collom did help me pick out a wicked pair of orange and black glasses that make look like Tiny Fey! If only I were as funny and clever... ****** Dr. Collom was referred to me by a co-worker/friend who goes to her and loves her and now I love her too! Not only is the location extremely convenient for me (I work on the same street) but Dr. Collom is very thorough, professional but yet nice and easy to talk to and yes, doesn't use doctor-speak! I love that she went over my insurance with me to make sure that I got the contacts I needed but still took full advantage of my vision plan. I need new glasses and am excited about having her help me pick out a wicked pair :) read more

Dr. Wong and I had a lovely little chat while he checked my poor, aging eyes for defects. Great staff and great patient care. If you're in need of an eye exam, I highly recommend Laurelwood Optometry. read more

Thanks to my optometrist in Florida, Dr Daniel Llewellyn and the reviews on Yelp, I made an appointment with Dr Collum fir today. And she is everything one could ask for in a more than competent, thorough as well as friendly and concerned optometrist. When it comes to the health of my eyes, I want the best and that's what I believe I found today. 'Nuff said. read more

I was sick and tired of going to Len's Crafters or Eye Exam due to poor service. It always feels like those places rush you and you have some young kid trying to do exams for the doctor. And then the doctor is rushed to do your exam because he has tons of people waiting in line. So this year I decided to go to small shop and away from corporate America. I am very proud of my decision. This place is hospitable, clean, and I had a very pleasant experience there. Also, they do take VSP insurance which Eye Exam/Len's Crafters does NOT. I saw Dr. Wong and was entertained by his small talk. He is a very cheerful and upbeat guy. I saw he had a lot of pride and care in his work. He seemed very happy and content with helping people see better. He found out my previous Eye Exam prescription was completely wrong (there was a term for it and I can't remember now) and he corrected it. He was careful and thorough with the exam. I decided to buy the contacts from their shop rather than 1-800-contacts because I believe a place like this needs to be supported by their own community. GOOD CUSTOMER SERVICE IS PRICELESS. I would definitely recommend this place to anyone that : 1) has never been to an optometrist and needs to feel comfortable 2) hasn't seen an optometrist in a while and needs to feel comfortable 3) has VSP insurance 4) appreciates good customer service 5) wants to support local businesses rather than corporate America I plan on scheduling next year's annual check up with Dr. Wong (unless of course I move to Brazil....) read more

So I've been out of college for 3 years and haven't seen an eye doctor since my senior year. The time had finally come (I finally got vision insurance through my employer - VSP!) I checked yelp and found Dr. Collom. It was quite easy to make my appointment over the phone and I was even able to come in a few days later. The office staff was friendly and Dr. Collom was approachable, amiable, good-natured, and overall professional. It looks like I could use glasses if I wanted (My prescription was barely enough to have the insurance cover if I wanted them). Dr. Collom told me that I really don't need glasses, but that I could come in at a later date if felt like I did need them. She saved everything in the computer just in case. Wow! That alone says a lot. If you're new to the area or just looking for a new eye doctor - this is the place to go and Dr. Collom is who you want to see! read more

Been going to Dr Collom for a couple years now after getting jerked around by Kaiser. I was in desperate need for new contacts and glasses and Dr. Collom saved the day! Prices are fair, the entire staff is congenial and they are even open on Saturdays. What more can you ask for? read more

I come here every year for my eye exam and new glasses. Both optometrists are very nice. Karen Collom is my doctor. She's awesome- and definitely talks to you. She's not one of those doctors that say... NOTHING and make you feel uncomforatable. Dr. Collom also helps you pick out a pair of glasses, and fits them perfectly to your face! She won't let you have a pair if you don't like them! The place is super clean. read more

This is my second year with Dr. Collum (both me & hubby). We have been very pleased by the service and quality of care. In fact, Dr. Collum corrected prescriptions for both of us. I have found the staff to be reasonably helpful & friendly, though most of the service comes from the doctor herself. Dr. Collum does talk very fast--confuses hubby, but doesn't bother me because I work in HR and understand how the benefits plans work already, and because I'm a pretty fast talker myself. I can understand why some would be put off by her, though. Not the largest selection of frames, but adequate, and at good prices. I have found that they are very good at helping me maximize my vision insurance benefit and budget for my needs. read more

Lots of reviews here about Dr. Collum, but very few about Dr. Wong. I just moved to the bay area recently and as you know, it's nerve-wracking to worry about dentists, doctors, and optometrists. After looking at the reviews online, I made an appointment. Dr. Wong is very friendly and makes you feel very comfortable. He was incredibly thorough and took his time explaining things to me. He found a mole in my eye socket (yes, a mole!) and made sure all my questions about this were answered. He seems to really love his job, too, which is nice! I also got a pair of sunglasses out of it! :) Yay! Very pleased with the service here. read more

I found Dr. Collum on Yelp. I thought she was an excellent, thorough eye doctor who took a lot of time during the exams. She was a bit alarmist in warning me to be alert for symptoms of retinal detachment but that only bothered me a little. I liked the fact that she wasn't pushy about making me buy glasses but, instead, let me see how much improvement I would get with a new prescription compared to my old glasses and whether it was worth the cost. After several years, I decided I really did want new glasses. Unfortunately, the new glasses was worse than the old glasses! Dr. Collum had me come back 3 times to check my (apparently wildly fluctuating) prescription, referred me to another doctor for a 2nd opinion (who charged me naturally), charged me for 1 of those return visits to her, and finally gave me a new pair which was still worse than my original and said it was the best she could do. Since my old glasses were consistently better than the new ones, I don't see why we couldn't get to at least that point. The following year, I canceled my annual appointment with Dr. Collum as I was uncomfortable with my previous experience. The receptionist accepted the cancellation and I never heard from them again. Makes me wonder if patients cancelling and never returning is a normal event for them. read more

Wow!! Super nice women - they adjusted my glasses without a charge and were friendly and helpful. Prices aren't bad for frames. I may be going back next year. Good parking and great customer service. read more

One of the most daunting things about moving to a new city is trying to find good health care providers - doctors, dentists, opticians...I was way overdue for an optometrist check-up when I moved to San Mateo, mostly because my previous optician was in Los Gatos, and I didn't fancy driving all the way down there just to have my eyes looked at. That's where Yelp came in... I searched the site for optometrists in San Mateo, and decided on Laurelwood Optometry after reading everyone's glowing reviews of Dr. Karen Collum. I am SO GLAD I went - Dr. Collum is the best!! She is even open on Saturdays, so I didn't have to take an afternoon off of work to go and get my eye exam done (if you want to stop in on a Saturday, though, be sure to make an appointment, since Saturdays are appointment-only.) Anyway, Dr. Collum was really thorough and explained everything to me in a way that was informative, but not condescending. I needed new frames, too, and she sat me down and tried a bunch of different frames on me based on my face shape - it was hilarious, she would put a pair on me, step back, and say, "Hmmm...no." And then she would put the next pair on. Normally I would want to do all the picking out myself, but I totally trusted her to give me something that I wanted (plastic, cool color, indie-looking) that would also be flattering to my rather round face. I decided I really liked a pair of brown tortoise-shell, rectangular Calvin Klein frames that she picked out that were pink on the inside. As I was getting both new frames AND placing an order for contacts, Dr. Collum explained that with my insurance plan (VSP), I would be better off having the insurance pay for part of my frames, since those were much more expensive and I could save some $ that way. Yesssss!! I have since been rocking (and loving) my new glasses! A few weeks ago, I woke up with some eye pain (turned out to be a sty) but I called that morning (Saturday) and Dr. Collum came in early - before the shop opened - to see me. She didn't rush me either - and told me just what to do to help it heal. The woman is a doll. Now that I have a few friends in San Mateo that are looking for an optometrist, I always recommend Dr. Collum - she'll be getting my (and my friends'!) business for a long time to come. read more

I have been to many eye doctors over the years and have like them all. I have pre-existing conditions. However, Dr. Wong was able to find things and come to conclusions that other doctors have not. He is incredibly intelligent. I think he keeps more up to date on current literature than most, as he found conditions others have not. He was very friendly. I think he is a little nervous with silence, but very nice. read more

Karen Collom is great. Calm, cool, efficient and doesn't talk to you in "doctor-speak." I actually understood everything she was saying and she helped me pick a pair of frames (yes, by myself) that I keep getting compliments on 3 years later. She doesn't try to diddle you either and figures out the best deal for the insurance you have (or don't have). She is a gem. A true gem. Plus - she's open on Saturdays for those of us to are nine to fivers... read more

Susan at Laurelwood was SUPER helpful and patient with me, what a great shop!

Dr. Wong takes his job seriously and he listens well, not to mention that he's very knowledgeable about the latest treatment. I would recommend him to anyone. Actually he was recommended to me by my co-worker...so that's how word of mouth happens. Enjoy! read more

Dr. Karen Collum is a consummate professional, who really cares about getting it right. She is the best lens fitter I have worked with in over thirty years of contact lenses. She is particularly good with difficult eyes with astigmatism, which both my wife and I have. I have always said the difference between just o.k. and great is not a little difference, it is a big, big difference. I believe she can correct almost any eye to 20./20. The difference in your vision between 20/20 andor 20/15 and 20/30 is a big difference. She is also nice and will make you feel comfortable during the process. She has high standards and will not compromise those standards to just get a lens on you. I couldn't recommend her more highly. Ray G. read more

Dr. Collom is a stellar provider. She is competent, caring and thorough. I have VSP insurance and need progressive lenses and there is no pressure to buy their products despite a wide selection of frames. I have received nothing but the best care over the last few years and am I so happy to have found her. I look forward to my annual exam and I love that she is always on time and a great communicator. I live in Half Moon Bay and the location is perfect for me with easy parking. read more

If you're looking for a new optometrist, see Dr. Karen Collom. She's very professional, thorough, informative and personable. Like the others said, she helps you pick out a pair of glasses that suit your face shape. My husband had his appointment with Dr. Wong and was professional and personable as well. read more

I'm a first-time patient of Dr. Collum and she is absolutely wonderful! She is very thorough in her examinations and has such a warm personality. I appreciated the fact that not only did she go over the well-being of my eyes in great detail, but she went over insurance coverage with me and what benefits I could take advantage of now or put on hold. This office is located in a strip mall right off of Hwy 92 and parking is very convenient. Most importantly, I didn't have to wait very long to be seen, as you would normally incur in a hospital setting. read more

I had a gas-permeable contact lens fitting here. It was pricy, but it is cheaper when you come back to renew and update your prescription annually. Anyway, as it happened, I had to get one of them redone on a return visit, since a lens fit can change a bit once you start wearing it. But Dr. Collum planned for that. The contacts were probably the most comforting fit for contacts that I've ever had (I've gotten them from 2 other optometrists before). Since I'm not a good candidate for Lasik, this is important to me. read more