Burien Eyecare Center

Although my husband has the utmost respect for Dr Bansal, the office policy for billing insurance is ridiculous and cost them our business. They wanted to charge us over $ 700 out of pocket for glasses billing my husband’s insurance and would not bill them under my insurance even though he is eligible. We weren’t even asking that they bill both insurances or coordinate benefits. I called VSP and confirmed that they could easily bill my insurance. I even had VSP call them and they were told that the office only bills the patients insurance. What if my husband didn’t have vision insurance through his work? As a matter of fact, Boeing is changing insurance on January 1^st and he would only be able to use my insurance anyway. Didn’t matter to them. We took the prescription this morning to the Eye and Contacts Lens Center in Renton (Dr Golitz). Not only did they bill the lenses to my insurance for $ 0 out of pocket cost, but they billed new frames to my husband’s insurance which ended up costing $ 20. Customer service is important and unfortunately Burien Eyecare Center does not even know what it means. This would have been a 1 star review if it weren’t for Dr. Bansal.

Have you ever felt like you been RIPPED off? To remain professional I’m not using anyone’s name but the people who’s involved here you know exactly what I’m talking about.
I came here for my daughters eye exam at 4:00 pm. The exam went Great. The optometrist and her assistant nice and professional. That’s not the problem. We selected frames and glasses to order and we finish around 5:00 pm. The same DAY, I call Burien eye clinic at 7:49pm and left a message to cancel the order This is 2 ½ hours later. I call back the next day at opening time 9:58 am they open at 10:00. The receptionist tells me that my order has been sent in already, and my order taker would be coming into work late today and she would have her call me right away. I also ask for reception to email my daughters prescription to my as they did not give it to me. She told me she would right away and even verified my email address.
I get no callback 4 ½ later at 2:42 pm I call Burien eye care back. My number must come up on their caller ID because someone picks up the phone, then a pause then my order taker picks up the phone to tell me almost immediately that they have mailed to eye glass frames to the lab and the lab has already started cutting the lenses. We can’t cancel your order. I will call you as soon as they arrive in 12 – 14 days.
As a customer, What would YOU say to that?
As yourself if you would like to bring your business here.
Apparently Burien Eye care would rather have the $ 550 for my daughters eyeglass frames and lenses then have my 10 year old daughter as a possible lifetime customer, who would come back every year for an eye exam, glasses or contacts.

I was on a business trip in Seattle and broke my glasses, I was very scared. Luckily for me, someone at the hotel recommended Burien.
They were super friendly, they treated me well, and I found a better pair of glasses than the one I had before.

UPDATED RESPONSE:
Clearly, you guys are not as busy as you make yourself out to be. I normally wouldn’t waste my time responding but I feel the need to put it out to the public that 1. You did NOT call me the day before each appointment to remind me of my appointment nor mention the potential «FEE» that would be charged. 2. The text message reminders are sent ON THE DAY OF, AN HOUR BEFORE THE APPMT not a day or two before! (PIC attached in case you need proof, text sent at 4:06pm to remind me of an appointment at 5:15pm?!) Therefore, your comment of «going above and beyond» to be accommodating is such a joke! Who are you kidding when you say you have to turn away appointments requested for the same time slot? When I wouldn’t be able to make it one day, you offered the same appointment the very next day — obviously you guys are not that busy. Also, each time I did YOU the courtesy of calling in to reschedule my appointment, you would happily do so without a reminder or any mention of a potential fee. Then, proceeding to call me back and leaving me a voicemail out of nowhere stating the fee would be charged if I did not show up for my appointment the next day — I don’t know about you but that sounds like a threat to me! You surely did not have to ASK that I find another provider because I am the one who told you today I would not be willing to do business with a company that is sneaky and dishonest, let alone unprofessional and ridiculous in your business practice. I also like the fact that you overly exaggerated my comment about the day spa — this is not my first rodeo getting an eye exam so you don’t have to try and school me on how long the process takes. All in all, I would have made it to my appointment today with no issues, except that your voicemail with your threats have turned me away from doing any further business or be associated with you in any way shape or form. Your doctor should really take the time to review how you office gals are running the business because CLEARLY you guys are not doing your jobs and need to re-​evaluate your current business process in place. Stephanie, just because you respond to my complaint making statements of what you SHOULD BE doing (such as letting your customers know of any cancellation policies) doesn’t mean that you guys are actually doing your jobs. I feel bad for you because not only have you shown your true colors in your response to me, but now it’s been made public — so others intending to do business with you can also change their minds as well. =)
Terrible service and completely bad business sense. Burien Eyecare Center did not even earn my business at this point, but because I had to reschedule my appointment 3 times they threatened to charge me a $ 50 «NO SHOW» fee. I never cancelled my appointment, or not showed up for my appointment, I was intending to come in for my appointment until they left me a rude voicemail stating that they would need to charge me a $ 50 fee «if I didn’t show up» that day. That was a huge turnoff! You can’t just simply charge someone and bill them for something they never agreed to? Let alone never even DID. I am appalled and disgusted by their level of service and would not recommend this place to anyone! Do yourself a favor and stay far away!

I started my search for a new optometrist when I moved back to Seattle this summer, and I can finally say my search is over now that I have found B-​Town Eyecare in Burien!
Dr. Bansal is so friendly, and was extremely patient with me throughout the exam. I tend to be pretty picky about my prescription, and Dr. B had all the fortitude needed to work with me until we got it just right!
After the exam I met with the optician, Elizabeth (who I am convinced is one of the nicest people on earth). She helped me pick out a great pair of frames, and even made a note to schedule my follow-​up contact lens exam for the same day that my frames arrived — awesome service! I love that this office respects my time.
If you’re looking for an optometrist, or aren’t satisfied with who you’re currently seeing, I really encourage you to give Dr. Bansal and B-​Town Eyecare a visit. I’m excited to have built a relationship with them, and I think others will be too.

I am extremely disappointed in this business. I have been bringing my children here for a couple of years and the doctor is friendly and competent. However, the high pressure sales environment to purchase glasses there is extremely unpleasant. When I declined to purchase glasses from them after the pair I chose (not designer frames) were going to cost $ 299 AFTER my $ 150 insurance payment, which is outrageous. I took my prescription and went on my way. Today, I called to ask for my pupil distance (PD) so that I could order my glasses online and I was told that because I didn’t buy glasses from them, they did not take this measurement and would charge me $ 25 to do so now. I understand that they are a for profit business, however, a full eye exam should include all elements needed to fill a prescription. The profit should not be more important than basic customer service. I will not be returning and neither will my children. By failing to provide a service that would take them 30 seconds and cost them nothing, they have lost 3 patients.

Go to the big box stores at the mall, you will get better service and it will be much, much more affordable…

Good things come in small packages!
I started coming here about a year ago after moving to Burien with my family– two adults and two kids who are 11 and 13 now.
First, the office is small which is the only negative, but they have it set up as best they can to allow «flow» and there is plenty of parking in the area.
I really like their hours and that they are open one Saturday a month as I can get in for appointments without having to take time off of work.
They have a great selection of designer frames and some really cute cheap ones but I would not go here on a tight budget.
My favorite thing about the business is the staff. I prefer a close relationship with my dentist, doctor etc and the staff here made us feel like family.
Elizabeth is especially passionate about her work helping people find the right frame, fit and lenses. Michelle was beyond patient and kind helping my girls with their contact tutorial for first time users and Dr Bansal is informative and efficient.
I am glad we found this practice for our yearly eye care needs and will always sing their praises!

First things first, Dr. Bansal was nice, a pleasure to chat with and seemed like a good doctor. I’d definitely go back to Burien Eyecare Center if it were up to my experience with her alone.
I have Eyemed Insurance. Eyemed used to count Burien Eyecare as one of their network members so you would think that your benefits would apply heavily here. That haven’t ended up being the case.
I had my service last December. I paid about $ 100 out of pocket for my contact lenses. I paid a $ 10 co-​pay. I thought I was done. Lo and behold, twelve months later, I get a call from Olympic Collection Agency for a debt owed to Burien Eyecare Center. I didn’t understand why they’d be calling given that I’d never received a bill. I moved last February so it stands to reason that they were sending it to the incorrect address. That’s not an issue. That’s on me.
However, I looked into the prices for the services that they provided. The eye exam was roughly $ 100 more than the provider I’ve seen since the time of my December 2013 visit. The contacts were roughly a hundred more than I’ve been charged by my other providers.
I called their billing department and had the bill explained to me. Basically, they charge more than most other places. Even if my insurance still «preferred» them, I wouldn’t be going back.

I’ve visited one other eye care professional in the area and it did not compare. Dr, Bansal was caring, knowledgable, thoughtful and tborough. From now on I will consider her my eye doc!

I went here because I had recently moved to the area. The staff was ok, I liked the lady that helped pick out my glasses. I also got a contact exam because I really needed new contacts!!!
After wearing the contacts they weren’t comfortable and I couldn’t see that great out of them. I called them (the contact lady asked me if I was wearing them inside out, which obviously I wasn’t (she is kinda a snot) and they got me in and had to fix my prescription.
Well, these contacts were a bit better but it was still blurry and I was having to actually move my contacts with my finger to find how I could see the best. Unfortunately in the mean time, my dad passed away, my mom was in and out of the hospital and calling my eye dr wasn’t my first priority. I just started wearing my glasses a little more.
I called them last Friday and they won’t fix my prescription without charging me a $ 40.00 fee for it being past the 90 day mark of my Initial eye exam.
All I wanted was a correct prescription, I was planning on purchasing the new contacts from them. So, I will be going back to my old eye dr who always got my prescription right on the first visit. I would rather drive to Edmonds than to go back to this office!!!

Unfortunately, I had a very bad experience at Burien Eyecare Center. I rarely feel compelled to review anything publicly because sometimes people simply have «off» days. HOWEVER, if you’re looking for glasses for your child, please read before you come here.
** My review is limited to the shop. I don’t have any information about the doctor or the eye exam process. I think their frames are way overpriced, and the customer service was awful. **
We just found out our 2 ½ year old daughter needs glasses (with a prescription of +1 in one eye and +3 in the other). No toddler is capable of being super careful 100% of the time with glasses, so a budget is pretty important given that the first pair is likely to break at some point. The childrens’ frames here cost on average $ 175. When I said this seems pricey for kids’ frames, the technician seemed indignant and indicated that they’re «comparable.» To what? I had just come from Costco optical, and very similar frames there cost $ 30. She indicated that their quality was better. The frames we were looking at were simple plastic frames– they looked and felt just like the Costco ones. I’m not a stranger to «you get what you pay for,» but trust me when I say there was nothing special here.
I asked whether they would be able to bend the ear pieces back to keep them on her head, or what else they could do to keep glasses on little wiggly kiddos. She replied that she can fit them, but that she can’t tell which ones would work for my daughter because she wasn’t keeping them on for long enough for her to tell. No suggestions were offered such as putting a band on the back, nor was there any reassurance that they can put something behind the ears to keep them on. Instead, she seemed annoyed that my fidgety kiddo couldn’t sit still with one pair of glasses on – when our purpose for being there was to look at a bunch of them to see if there were any we liked.
When she asked what prescription my daughter needed, and after I told her, she said, «Oh she REALLY needs glasses!» Here’s the thing, we see a pediatric ophthalmologist and we’ve been monitoring her eyes for a long time. This was not the doctor and last I checked, only doctors can actually diagnose patients and their needs. The decision to put her in glasses is something our pediatric ophthalmologist has been on the fence about because she’s slowly outgrowing some of the problem. She’s been able to avoid glasses thus far, so now that we’re here, we’re a little disappointed and apprehensive about the process and logistics (how do you keep glasses on a toddler). No reassurance from this woman. She just sort of seemed pushy for us to buy the $ 175 frames.
Final straw, my sweet well-​behaved little girl said she needed to use the potty, and the lady said no.

I had an eye exam at Burien Eyecare Center for the first time about 2 months ago. I’ve gone back 3 times since then to pick up glasses, for a contact exam, and instruction on how to use contacts. Each time I’ve had a great experience. The customer service is excellent, all around. I’ve always been seen within 10 minutes of checking in. Audrey and Stephanie helped me schedule and reschedule… and reschedule my appointments with grace. I appreciate their guidance with my insurance coverage. I felt like they had my best interest in mind. When picking out my glasses I was dilated and had to completely rely on the optician, Elizabeth, for what pair of frames to get. She was patient while I tried on every pair in the store. Ultimately, I couldn’t see that well and had to trust her recommendations. I have to say she has impeccable taste! I couldn’t have picked out a better pair myself. Similarly, while learning how to use contacts, Michelle was very thorough in going over every step of the process with me, many times, and from every possible angle. Dr. Bansal took a thorough approach to my eye exams, and always stopped to answer my questions… I feel like my eyes are good care with her. And beyond that, the whole team is genuinely kind and welcoming. I highly recommend Dr. Bansal and her team!

Staff not informative at all! They Do Not make you aware of policy or contract changes. Poor communication. They Do Not mention that with the exam they dilated your eyes, Which they did to my daughter without asking! Had I of know that I would not have had it done! While waiting for the exam to continue I look over by the door in the winder and there is a little sign that says something about Not having your eyes dilated. Which I think with a child They need to speak with the parent first!
Later to find out Which the staff does not inform you of while scheduling your appointment. With my daughters insurance They are not contracted with to actually get the frames! Poor staff service!
Dr. Bansal was nice! I will give it that!

I was very impressed with my visit to Burien Eyecare Center. Dr Bansal was very pleasant and knowledgeable, and the staff was very friendly. During my exam, Dr Bansal even found an unusual spot in the back of one of my eyes, and referred me to a well-​known specialist to get a second look. It turned out to be nothing serious, however I really appreciated her thoroughness. My contact and eye glass orders went fine and everything arrived in a timely manor. I would highly recommend this practice to anyone looking for a great eye doctor!

I was visiting the area on business and on course, my glasses got lost somehow since I tend to be clumsy at times. I called and I was thankful I was able to be seen the same day. I was generally impressed my experience and especially with Dr. Bansal who was courteous and sympathetic to my situation. She assured me I could get my glasses rushed. The exam was thorough and I could tell she knew what she was doing. I am pretty bad at the «1 or 2» thing, but it seemed easier this time, so I was happy! The frame selection was adequate and I found a decent pair at a reasonable price. I would definitely come back here!

First experience with getting glasses anywhere. I was very impressed to be able to be seen same-​day, and get an eye exam and glasses ordering out of the way at a small business like this. Staff seemed competent and friendly. I had this visit 12 days before Christmas and was told it’d take 7 – 10 business days to get my new glasses. Obviously the holidays added a little bit (4 days), so no big deal there. I was impatient and called a couple of times to see how things were progressing.
Today’s visit to the office to pick up the new glasses didn’t go as nicely as I would’ve liked. I watched as a father and daughter came in after me and were helped before me. When, after about 40 minutes of waiting, I approached the receptionist, I was met with a surprised, «Oh, you’re still here!» She knew I wasn’t all that happy at that point, and I got seen very quickly.
Friendly and quick visit with my new glasses, a slight adjustment to hold them snug, some instructions on how to get used to using them, and I was on my way. I wish I hadn’t needed to wait for so long to be seen, but given how busy the office during the 4 o’clock hour, I can understand.

So happy I came here! I heard great things about this place so I decided to make the commute from Mill Creek and I can confidently say that it was 100% worth it. Dr. Bansal is absolutely wonderful — caring, personable and very knowledgeable. She was very thorough with her exam and provided me with excellent eye care recommendations! There is no mistaking her passion behind her profession.
I would HIGHLY recommend Jatinder Bansal and the Burien Eye Care Center to anyone.