LensCrafters

BUYER BEWARE!!! Review your itemized sales order before you buy!
Like many of the reviewers here, I entered Lenscrafters at Pentagon City Mall with the expectation to pay a bit above fair market value. However, what actually occurred was the most impressive and absolutely ludicrous attempt at up charging! I am still appalled at how 4 pairs of glasses, with insurance discounts applied to 2 pairs and their 40% off promotion on the second 2 pairs somehow totaled an out of pocket expense of $ 1,600.
Granted, there are two sides to every story, so allow me to provide some context. First, the average cost of our frames ranged from $ 150-​$ 179 (retail); as you can see my family and I did not attempt to purchase upper echelon products. (1) pair of lenses had transition tint, all lenses were anti-​reflective, progressive, UV coated, scratch resistant, but insurance covered much of the cost for the initial (2) pairs. The 3^rd pair of glasses were prescription sunglasses. Despite the salesperson’s attempt to upsell us, we did not buy any bells and whistles. The final pair were a reasonably priced men’s frame ($ 150) and standard lenses. Note — no one in our household wears bi or trifocals; all lenses were single focus; and no prescription eyewear was purchased during 2014 or 15. Lastly, my family has a pretty decent vision insurance plan where much of the lens cost is covered by a series of small co-​pays and the frames allowance covered nearly 85% of the cost for the first two pairs of the glasses.
Lenscrafters is currently running a 40% off the second pair promotion. However, when it came time to finalize the order, I felt like I was buying a used car because of the plethora of exceptions to the promotion rules. When I calculated the estimated cost, I developed an out of pocket range between $ 600-​$ 800 for all 4 pairs of glasses. However to my surprise the older, female sales associate comprised a sales order of approximately $ 1,600 after insurance was deducted. Now I am a finance analyst with several years of experience working closely with benefit plans, plan designs and trust accounts for large employer sponsored programs and I could not re-​create the fugazy math that resulted in this total.
When I asked if she could print out the order, so we can walk through it together, she quickly replied with «No, we are not allowed to print it out», then canceled the order and quickly pulled up our benefits. As we reviewed our benefit plan, she quickly noticed the value we had and stated «I didn’t touch anything. The insurance discounts listed on the order fed directly from your provider.» I replied «Can we return to the order, so we can easily compare it to our benefits?» She replied with «Sorry I already canceled the transaction I will have to rebuild it». I had already spent 2 hours in this store and there was no way I would allow her to continue her shenanigans! Needless to say, we left!
Never have I ever experienced something so outrageous and conniving as what this sales person attempted to do. My family and I went home, hopped on
(which is owned by Luxottica — who also owns Lenscrafters) and saw the EXACT pair of glasses and frames that were covered by insurance for approximately $ 265 total! Yes — (2) pairs of glasses and that included bells and whistles! The remaining 2 pairs were approximately $ 350 total! If we decide to purchase the specs it will fall right inside of the range I initially calculated!
Everyone has the right to generate Sales Revenue! I get it, but there is a right way and wrong way to conduct business! Since I was never really provided an opportunity to perform a line item review of my order, I cannot comment on the «buried cost», but I will say this much BUYER BEWARE!!! You Have Been Warned!!!

I’ve had several great experiences at this store, but I’ll write about today’s, which went far beyond expectation. My husband has glasses from Visionworks, and he recently broke them. After getting the runaround from their store in Pentagon City and being told that he’d need to buy all new frames, we walked down to this LensCrafters, told them that his glasses were not made by them but asked if they would be able to fix them. The optician replaced the broken screw quickly and without hesitation and charged us nothing. She was lovely and I am so grateful for this amazing customer service.

Yes!!! Finally, a LensCrafters that has high end designers! I went there wanting just one pair of glasses and left with glasses and some sunglasses. Told yall about that great «guberment» job… I ended up with Tom Ford frames for my glasses and Burberry sunglasses. Yes, I’m fancy as heck! Back to the service, the best way to sum it up is «service with a smile»! My sales person, who was actually the general manager, rocked!!! I love her personality and her ability to welcome customers. Other companies should visit to see how it’s done! I HIGHLY recommend!

I went back this weekend to exchange the first pair of New Wayfarers for smaller frames and tinted lenses instead of polarized. I discovered that I’d originally been overcharged by 93%. I got $ 166 back after originally paying $ 322 for items I didn’t ask for. A welcome cash return, but a reminder of how incompetent and/​or dishonest the sales staff are. It gets worse though.…
4) Like «3» in my previous review (the optical technicians will screw up), apparently tinting prescription lenses is not an exact science. It’s like kids tinting easter eggs back there. Literally, they just dip clear lenses into various colored solutions and wait — and they can add coloring, but can’t really predict how the lenses will turn out.
I asked that they tint the lenses one grade darker than the lenses that came with the original frames. Not a complicated request. The sales rep said «no problem, that’ll take two hours». Two hours seemed long, but I waited and came back. A different sales rep said the lenses hadn’t tinted enough and it would take at least another hour — over three hours total. Why didn’t the original sales rep tell me that to begin with? I couldn’t spend a third hour at the mall so I left, fuming. I’d have to come back to the shop a fourth time, the next day.
So I went back again today, picked up the glasses and they created gradient lenses where the tint is darkest at the top and lighter at the bottom. Again, this is not what I asked for. The tint is also darker in one lens, and the tint itself is an ugly red/​pink color — nowhere near the green tint of the original lenses. I told them they messed up again, but knowing any attempt by these people to fix the lenses would require a fifth trip to this place, I just gave up. I took the glasses and left. I’d rather lose money than every go back to this place.
This was probably one of the worst retail/​shopping experiences I’ve ever had. Even after being overcharged double the price for items I didn’t ask for, there’s a level of incompetence and lack of professionalism here that’s appalling and infuriating. I wasted the major part of two weekends in a row with trips back and fourth to this place and still didn’t get what I wanted. I’m still livid.
Tip — Do not shop at this LensCrafters location.

Dr. Gedamu & Associates — I am writing this review mainly about the doctor next door in case you’re thinking of making one trip for your vision needs. She gave me the wrong prescription, and after waiting to get my new lenses, the Asian doctor nor her inexperienced front desk staff could make up for her mistakes they made and her «lunch» hour took priority over patient care. A very unprofessional and unfriendly environment. Dr. Gedamu & Associates is hands down the worst office I have been to and there is absolutely no customer service offered. There are way too many vision offices around to settle for this kind of poor medical practice– don’t waste your time or money like I did.
On the other hand, Regina and the team at LensCrafters were great and processed a return for my incorrect lenses quickly. Too bad I did not get the glasses I needed for my vision health.

I found the staff at this location incredibly friendly and attentive, including the adjacent doctor’s office. Glasses came out great and on-​time, etc.
One word of warning: check your receipt when you pick up your glasses. I specifically asked for the original featherweights, no added nothin’, and ended up getting and being charged for featherweight plus ($ 30 more). After calling, the young lady I spoke with said to swing by to process the return and they’d take care of refunding the difference right away.
Balanced with the optometrist selling me on the «better and cheaper in the long run than the ones you’re using» contacts, I give thumbs up for great customer service… And I love the new glasses.

Our glasses are great but service was not so fantastic. I don’t understand why this place is so understaffed. We came in to have the glasses tightened and are at the head of a three family line. There is only one woman working. It’s just not acceptable.

Overall I’m really happy with my trip today! They didn’t have the frames I wanted in the color I wanted, so Amber called in to see if they could be ordered. They couldn’t, so she started the process of figuring out what other store could send them over. I was really grateful for her help! But in the end, instead, they gave me a better deal on the more expensive frames I liked (I knew I’d just missed a sale) so I went with those instead. I can’t quite give them 5 stars because of the prices– even after the discounts, you can find the same frames cheaper online.

Overall: Employees are nice and helpful… but the craftsmanship of the lenses is a mess.
We were greeted immediately and introduced to a salesperson right away. I explained all I wanted were new lenses (I like my frames) and handed over my prescription. They took measurements, pulled my account up in the system, confirmed my insurance and we were out the door, planning to return in 90 minutes. Pretty great, right?
Fast forward 15 minutes later. The employee entered my prescription incorrectly and we had to go back. Mistakes happen, I understand! We trekked back across the mall to correct the error and were told the lenses would still be done on time.
Fast forward 90 minutes later. We return and the glasses are done. I tried them on, asked that they be tightened/​adjusted and we were on our way.
The next day, I notice a fairly sizeable error/​gap on the bottom of my lens. They appear to have been cut incorrectly? I’m also not sure what was done to the frames, but just days later they’re already so loose they’re falling off my face — I’ve never had that problem before.
I’ll be headed back this weekend to have them fix the lens and take a look at the frames but I’m not excited about it. Not confident in the workmanship/​ability to fix my expensive, yet stretched out and likely damaged frames.
Bummer.

Service is FANTASTIC at this location – best in the industry. Ryan and a young, African-​American woman (Nikita? Sorry, but I forgot her name – although I gave her a very good online review a couple months ago on the LensCrafters survey site – she knows who I am) are the people to go to at this store!

Pretty good. For some reason the machine broke that day that polishes glass edges, so I had to wait 3 days. Luckily I already had old glasses, but if I didn’t I would have been pretty pissed. They claim only an hour wait. Hmmm mmmm.

I ordered two pairs of glasses at the Fair Oaks location but live closer to this one so when I needed to have the lenses checked out in one pair I stopped in. I shouldn’t have. I went on a Friday evening right at 5, thinking I could beat anyone stopping in after work. Gah.
The store was a mess, packed, and it wasn’t possible to sit down with someone just for them to check out the lenses. A male employee left whomever he was helping to assist me, which was rude to those customers, and then was extremely rude to me when I explained that I had two pairs, same everything but the vision in one was warped and fuzzy. Oh, gosh. He was combative, and I don’t know why! Their policy says they’ll redo within 90 days! Not that I had even mentioned that, I just wanted him to take a look at the lenses! I didn’t bring my contact case or solution with me, figuring like the other LensCrafters I went to that they would have it on the ready. Well, he didn’t. He asked me to follow him out into the mall to get both. What a waste of my time. I said no thank you, I’d rather go back to where they are prepared to handle their customers and don’t argue with them. It all went downhill from there and I snatched up my glasses, prescription, receipt because he was too rude to even hand those back to me.
I’ll drive back to the Fair Oaks LensCrafters where it is spacious and clean and everyone is nice.

I ordered new glasses from this store in mid December and had to return the glasses a couple of times due to a bad prescription which never happened to me before and I’ve been waring glasses for over 15 years. Had to come to their store 7 or 8 times. it took over 3 months and I still didn’t get my glasses at the end.
Every time I would go to the store or call and ask what happened with my glasses and they never actually picked up the phone once to call me when the glasses were ready.
I wanted to cancel but they insisted that i have to come to their store one more time to sign on the cancellation which I had to argue with them and get to Brandon the manager in order to get them to send me the fax.
in short, horrible place, avoid at all coast.
I’m never buying glasses from this store even if they give it to me for free.

Its a Lenscrafter. I expected to overpay a little bit even after my insurance coverage, which I did, but that’s okay because its Lenscrafter.
What made me angry was their horrible service, especially in the weekend. They are understaffed and customers were just waiting and waiting. I came back to get my frames adjusted because they were too loose. The girl at the front desk sent me to the back waiting by myself for 15 mins until someone recognized me and asked me if I have been helped. The funny thing was, at least 4 technicians/​sales walked by me and asked if they could help me, and when I mentioned I needed my glasses adjusted, they just told me to wait there and someone would be with me soon.
They tend to pay more attention to customers who are looking to buy glasses/​new businesses. HELLO! I am a customer too! I already paid $ 200 cash plus the $ 300 they are claiming from my insurance! And I deserve no less attention! Needless to say, I will not return for my next pair of glasses.

I was not greeted when I walked in the door and did not think anything of it until the sales persons greeted the next 3 people who entered the stored. I browsed around for glasses and finally after 15 minutes or so a sales person asked if I needed any assistance. I asked about a specific frame type and she had the nerve to point to a wall and asked if I checked «over there». That was POOR customer service. I walked out.

I’ve visited this establishment twice, once during the weekend and another time in the weekday. During both times, none of the sales personnel said hi or even acknowledged my existence while I hovered over their items for more than 30 minutes. One person during the weekend finally did ask if I needed anything, but by the time I was ready with my selection, she was too busy helping someone else. There was also another sales person who acted as if I was on her way while she re-​arranged the glasses.
The second time I visited, I literally stood there waiting for someone to acknowledge me. Granted they were busy and understaffed, but it really doesn’t take much effort to say «Hi» or «We’ll be with you momentarily.» Rather, both sales people who were there walked straight past me, and avoided all eye contact. And I was even holding a pair of their glasses, signaling that I am ready to purchase!
Nevertheless (and mostly because this store accepts my vision insurance), I did end up sticking around until someone came back from their break, and he was friendly and helpful. They also have a better selection of higher end glasses (Prada, Channel, Versace, D&G, Burberry, even Tiffany & Co. and Tory Burch) compared to other stores.

After walking out of Hour Eyes feeling like they were trying to trick us and upsell everything, we went down the way to LensCrafters. The salesman, Saeed was friendly and helpful, we felt like we got a reasonable price and great service. I didnt feel duped or tricked like I felt at Hour Eyes.

Thank god for this place. Kept my wife from going Ape-​Shizor on Hour Eyes and their terrible business.
Clean and spacious store. Friendly, knowledgeable, licensed, and helpful employees that spent an hour correcting the frames damage by Hour Eyes, free of charge. Checked the lens prescription on the work done by Hour Eyes, which was dead on (thankfully).
They used the insurance discounts to save $ 175 on frames and lenses for some sunglasses for myself, and had a MUCH better selection than Hour Eyes — found something I liked. I gladly gave them the business of my Prescription Sunglasses, especially since they have a much better selection and were able to answer my questions clearly.
Answered every question, gave us attention, followed through on promises, great service and quality all around. I will never make the mistake of shopping at a Hour Eyes again.

I’m almost afraid to write a review because then the office will be super busy!
Dr. Dan the optometrist was very helpful and efficient. I wasn’t really planning to get an eye exam but walked by and figured I might as well. There were a few people in the office but they still were very efficient, and I walked out with a written prescription in less than half an hour! Easy.
Icing on the cake: $ 5 copay.

i really wasn’t expecting much from lenscrafters. i had gone to another lenscrafters in a different location years ago, and wasn’t impressed. i remember the salespeople being very pushy and kind of a «get-​in and get-​out» type attitude, but i was seriously surprised at the amazing service i received at this location.
first of all, i had a really specific style of glasses that i was looking for, and i was surprised at the awesome selection at this store. they had CHANEL, Ray Bans, DKNY, and some other awesome glasses and sunglasses.
also, the 2 ladies working in this store were really great. they were helpful, but not pushy. i am a slow shopper and nothing makes me more angry than a salesperson that stands next to me waiting for me to make a decision, so i was really happy to see that they backed off and just let me look around on my own. (the store i had been to earlier that day had a little lady that probably brought me 20 pairs of random pairs of glasses to try that were nothing even close to what i was trying to find.)
the BEST PART of the whole experience is that they literally had my glasses ready in about 40 minutes. i was expecting to have to come back the next day because it was nearing 9pm on a weeknight and the mall closes at 9:30, but they had them ready just in time.
i obviously can’t speak for the Lenscrafters chain as a whole, but i am super impressed by Lenscrafters of Pentagon City and my new glasses are amazing!