The Short:
Visionaire provides you with a top-tier optical health experience that is quite comfortable and extremely thorough. Dr. Shakil and her staff are all friendly and patient, and the office's modern aesthetic and updated eye exam technology all combine for a pleasant experience that I would gladly return to.
The Long:
After losing track of my latest optometrist, I decided to do some research on Yelp and find a new location for my optical health. I found there is a pretty large selection of optometry office options serving the Riverside and surrounding areas, but I came across Visionaire Optometry Spa with their highly rated feedback on Yelp and opted to give them a try based on the reviews. I'm glad I did.
Dr. Shakil was an absolute pleasure to visit. I would describe her personality as bubbly and welcoming, but make no mistake, it is clear that she is knowledgeable and confident in her communication regarding your healthcare as her patient and that she actually wants to help your eyes. She explained every part of her examinations in great detail and instantly answered each and every question I had. Not once did I feel rushed at any point during my appointment.
A noteworthy aspect of Dr. Shakil's routine examination is that she operates with a "Puff-Less" exam format. In other words, that one dreaded eye test that blows air into your eye as you stare at a hot air balloon down the road is a thing of the past. Personally I absolutely hated that test, as my eyes have a painful reflex to strong winds, but Dr. Shakil's updated technology makes it so that you have an even more thorough eye exam overall, without any of those typical discomforts experienced at other optometrists.
The Visionaire office is spotless and I would say seemingly "grand." They have a very modern aesthetic going on, with hints of purple and gold all over the office and an open layout that makes the space feel like a resort spa once you walk in the glass double doors; I can see where the "Spa" in the name comes from as it definitely fits the ambiance. The office is located on the second floor in a shared building with both an elevator and a staircase. There are many parking spots all around the building, some even under the building for some overhead sun protection for your vehicle.
I showed up a few minutes early to my appointment and was taken care of right away. Jessica at the reception was nice and took care of things despite it only being her third day, according to her, and Patty really helped me out getting my new glasses ordered at the end of my appointment. I believe there were two others in the office who I did not directly interact with, but everyone was all smiles and I was offered complimentary drinks which is to say, the staff were all pleasant as well.
Pricing for a routine eye exam and additional contact lens exam I would say were pretty average, maybe a little bit higher, but my most accurate reference is the last optometrist I visited almost two years ago. Everything has increased in price since then, and typically new patients (which I was today) do incur a higher cost at medical offices, unfortunately. However, Dr. Shakil's routine exam includes an Optomap Retinal Exam so you don't need to get your pupils dilated, this exam alone I would have to pay extra for at a previous optometrist, the previously mentioned puff-free eye test to avoid that discomfort, and some tear duct imaging in association with dry eye symptoms which was just super cool and helpful to see and something I had never been scanned for before. Of course, there is more to the exam than just these three tests, but keeping these exams in mind and going back to the topic of pricing, it is a much more thorough exam with an about average price which makes it more than worth it.
Thank you Dr. Shakil and the entire Visionaire staff, it was definitely the best experience I've had at an optometrist so far. read more