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Oakland Vision Center
Category: Health and Medical Optometrists Optometrists [Edit]
1960 Broadway(between 19th St & 20th St)
Oakland, CA 94612
Neighborhood: Uptown
(510) 893-5566
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 8 am - 5:30 pm
- By Appointment Only:
- Yes
27 reviews for Oakland Vision Center
27 reviews in English
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Review from Tiffaney C.
Hayward, CA
8/27/2011 1 Check-in Here
I REALLY love Dr. Gill and the helpful staff at OVC. I didn't realize how years of wearing and sleeping in 30 day contacts can dry out the eyes. I guess I relied on the recommendations of an Optometrist who wasn't really concerned about the effects of long time, regular, constant contact lens wearing on an eye.
Thank you Dr. Gill for taking an interest in the overall health of my eyes! We are working together to hopefully get my eyes ready for LASIK.
Also, I find Dr. Gill to be professional and thorough.
I highly recommend her! -
Review from Alexis S.
Alameda, CA
8/15/2011
This is an awesome place to get your eyes checked!
Clean, professional and friendly. The staff is wonderful.
Dr. Gill is a great optometrist! -
Review from Brian G.
6/23/2011
My visit was really easy and totally painless (in both the literal and figurative sense, hah).
Recently, my glasses were stolen and I brought in my prescription to *gasp* Wal-Mart (I knowwwww, it's just so cheap for glasses!) and they told me it wouldn't work because it was expired.
I called the vision center, and a friendly receptionist told me the perscription was good for 2 years, despite that it said only 1 on the script, and she would fax an updated version over to them immediately. It was there within 2 minutes! What service! -
Review from Berna T.
5/9/2011 5 Check-ins Here
There are only a handful of things that I will gladly trek my City-living ass over the Bay Bridge for. Flying Yoga. Gregoire potato puffs. Berkeley Bowl. Le Beaux. (Not necessarily in that order, babe!) Well, add OVC to that list. My previous eye doctor was located literally AROUND THE CORNER from my apartment, and she was a perfectly nice lady, but really underwhelming when it came to doing anything significant for my eyes.
Dr. Gill diagnosed me with pretty severe dry eye, and advised that I get it straightened out before I even consider getting LASIK. I have to admit, I'm really bad at following her directives with the prescription eyedrops... but she has yet to throw me out of her office and disown me as a patient...we're working through allergy season right now with some prescription drops (life is much better when you don't want to scratch out the contacts from your irritated and inflamed eyeballs). Everything else has been a breeze - checkups, contact fittings, online ordering of contacts, dealing with my FSA and insurance, etc. They have some of the best eyeglass frame selection EVER (hello, $500 ici berlins that I am super in love with!), and everyone I've encountered at OVC is always fun and helpful, and treats you like family. Won't be searching for a new OD anytime soon! -
Review from Kris B.
Oakland, CA
7/24/2011
My eyes haven't felt this good in years.
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Review from Foodie D.
Berkeley, CA
8/9/2011 1 Check-in Here
I've always gotten excellent service at Oakland Vision Center. They get you right in and out and are super friendly and reliable. I would definitely recommend Tanya Gill. She rocks!!! :o)
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Review from fish i.
Oakland, CA
5/23/2011
Slow service. Dr Gill is friend but ask too many personal questions. Kept trying to sell her services to me so I would bring referrals or do lasik. My eye sight is about 50/50. Do I really need lasik? Most of the time I can do everything without glasses. I just can't see very far away. Also they didn't put my lenses on the frame properly so the lense kept popping out. I took it back to them to fix. They blamed it on hot weather. LOL!!! They fixed it but the lenses popped out again after a week.
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Review from Juan R.
Oakland, CA
10/18/2010
Reasons that I LOVE Oakland Vision Center:
-Dr. Gill is fantastic. Good doctor. Terrific bedside manner.
-Office staff is terrific. On the ball, very nice, great sense of humor.
-Their office is super convenient. Right in downtown Oakland next to Bart and AC transit lines.
-When you shop here, you support Oakland, which is a valuable cause for those of you who live in Oakland (and for those of you who don't, we're happy to have the business). -
Review from C M.
San Francisco, CA
5/16/2011
A handful of people I know (including me) went to OVC for checkups and all were diagnosed with "severe dry eyes" by Dr. Gil. Now I realize that dry eyes can be a common problem, especially with contact lens wearers. But I find it hard to believe that all four of us had the same issue. And to prove the fact, one friend went back and told Dr. Gill that she had followed her regimen of expensive prescriptions (which she hadn't) and the doctor said she was cured! We dealt with wrong prescription fillings, rudeness from Dr. Gill and additional charges due to the nature of the dry eye diagnosis.
The front staff is nice and helpful, although personal conversations are sometimes loud and inappropriate. I also drove by one day and saw an angry client picketing in front of their office yelling something about unfair practices/charges. -
Review from Herra Chink y.
San Francisco, CA
9/19/2008
Some of you may know that I like to spend a night or two or thirty hitting the bottom of the bottle and deluding myself into thinking that I drink because I "want" to, not because I am "hiding" from any of my "problems" or "avoiding" any of my own "personal" "issues" and "self" "hatred" in the "guise" of "vodka".
And I know you're reading a review of an OPTOMETRIST and not another nonsensical review of how I spent the night throwing up in a dumpster in an alley in the Tenderloin feeding off rat dung, so bear with me while I explain.
Drunken stupors affect how you treat your EYES. I mean, in addition to your liver and all that other boring inside stuff. Really, they do. Because when I drink myself into drunken stupors, I rarely take out my contact lenses.
And so, when Dr. Gill, my Alcoholics Anonymous sponsor OOPS I MEAN MY EYE DOCTOR, was asking me questions about contact lens care, I told her I slept with my contacts in probably more often than not because I get too drunk and lazy to take them out.
And Dr. Gill, knowing my "special" condition, fit me with these awesome "breathable" contact lenses that are ok if they're not taken out every night, and also matched me with some crazy protein lens and saline solution which are better at getting rid of protein build up or some crazy other eye doctory stuff I didn't understand, in addition to manufactures coupons for FREE LENS SOLUTION and CONTACT LENS REBATES of $50!!!!!
Dr. Gill (and awesome awesome Ramona as well!!) also fitted me with some *ZOMG SO CRAZY GOOD LOOKING* ARMANI EXCHANGE eyeglass frames from the selection of crazy hot designer frames onsite (including JUICY COUTURE eyeglass frames WHO KNEW!!!!!). My seester told me my glasses make me look like "an architect or a graphic design professor" and I was going for the "art gallery owner" look which I imagine is a similar aesthetic so now, thanks to Dr. Gill, I wear these glasses so I can do all these "I am kind of artsy and liberal and educated so listen to me more" (i.e. Yes on 1A!!! Yes on 2!!! No on 8!!!) Jedi mind tricks that I love to do.
So please listen to my educated liberal Jedi mind tricks I mean EXPERT OPINION and go visit Dr. Gill at Oakland Vision Center off the 19th Street BART Station in Oakland RIGHT NOW - I come all the way from The City on Saturday mornings!!!! She'll do wonders in sponsoring you for Alcoholics Anonymous. I mean, fitting you with glasses and contact lenses and educating you on caring for your eyes. Yeah, that's it. Because that's what eye doctors do. They're NOT AA sponsors.
Anyways, Dr. Gill is the best optometrist I've ever had in my entire life. And does Alcoholics Anonymous even accept EyeMed insurance?!? BECAUSE THEY SHOULD!!!!!
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UPDATE: Dr. Gill told me that someone read my review and went in for their optical needs because of my review! WOOT!
This is what Yelp is all about! Promoting trustworthy and honest local services with a personal touch over the corporate mundanity of a place like LensCrafters! Also, getting laid! -
Review from Nisey L.
Anchorage, AK
9/21/2009
I saw Dr. Gill for my first visit. She's nice in the sense that she's not mean. I don't think I've had any other optometrist so my opinion of her is neither here nor there. I wasn't entirely thrilled but not disappointed. She gets a 10 on the Meh scale.
The people at the front desk are nice. However, I feel that the office is trying to be something that it's not. There's a display of designer sunglasses in the middle of the waiting area. This struck me as incredibly pretentious. Wtf is this? Beverly Hills? Please.
My insurance requires prior authorization for certain medications. I've been waiting THREE WEEKS NOW for Oakland Vision Center to get their act together. It's day 24 and I HAVE ONLY NOW been informed that there was an issue--and this is after many phones calls for the past 10 days on my and my pharmacist's part.
If you just need an eye exam, this place is ok. If you need anything else done, do yourself a favor and don't go here. The only caveat to this is Dr. Gill proclaims she's the 'only dry eye doctor in the area.' I haven't really looked into it so I don't know if her statement holds water.
My baseline score for this office was a 3, based on the 2 appointments I've had there. -2 for their inability to process anything. -
Review from David G.
San Francisco, CA
8/12/2010
This place is probably the best eye clinic I've been to by far. The front desk is really nice, and Dr. Gill did her job well. She not only guided me through my vision tests, but also prescribed eyelid cleaner for the redness in my eyes (which I thought was normal up until that point).
I wouldn't give it five stars though. They keep on pressuring me and my dad to schedule appointments, and when we try to cancel them, they ask us to reschedule. I understand the economy might be affecting them, but jeez....
On a side note, the glasses they put on display there are super expensive. But that's expected I guess :p -
Review from Lisa L.
Oakland, CA
4/13/2009
I have been suffering from dry, itchy eyes for years now. It's kind of weird, seeing as I have had health/vision coverage that whole time, and generally go to the doctor when I'm sick - must have been some kind of "I DON'T NEED GLASSES WAAAH" subconscious reaction, because I never really looked into it. I got fitted with glasses for working on the computer (actually working should be written "working" because I'm pretty sure I don't need to be reading dlisted that often).
Anyway - I was improperly diagnosed at my previous eye doctor and it turns out I have chronic inflammatory dry eyes, which explains the painful itchy feeling that has only been getting worse and worse. The best part of it is that Dr. Gill is a specialist in this area and needed only a little poking around to give me a preliminary diagnosis and get me started on a treatment plan.
Dr. Gill is a (relatively) new owner of the Vision Center, but she has continued the tradition of the center by accepting Medical patients - there are few decent places that will actually do this anymore,so she's serving the local community. She gets paid pennies on the dollar by Medical, so it would be nice if you (with your non-state-sponsored health plan) would visit her as well. It's a really nice place and the receptionist and assistants were very, very friendly and welcoming.
I'm on a treatment plan and I'm very happy to finally potentially have a solution to red, itchy eyes. Thanks Dr. Gill! -
Review from Bella K.
Alameda, CA
3/10/2011
The Staff is unprofessional. They don't know what they are doing at the front desk.
Dr. Tanya Gill is out of her mind the WORST PLACE EVER....I've been going to a place in Alameda for over 10 years, tried something new, and the staff is offal.
I cant say enough about Dr. Gill...(((UNPROFESSIONAL, RUDE, ABRUPT, WITHOUT ANY PEOPLE SKILLS) Has her deplomas up, but she needs to go back for people skills, acted like a monster, totally unprofessional and out of line)
STAY AWAY....FAR AWAY!!!!! In my opinion they don't deserve even a star but you cant post without one!!!!
Enjoy your day and read all the negitive comments, they are really something! -
Review from Bri Y.
San Francisco, CA
3/2/2010
I hit myself in the eye a few nights ago and eventually decided to get the resulting mysterious splotch on my eyeball checked out. I called Oakland Vision Center in the morning, talked about my symptoms, and they told me to come on down. So I just popped in about an hour or so later and got seen very quickly, even though I hadn't made an appointment. The staff was helpful and friendly; couldn't complain.
Dr. Gill was very approachable and actually identified an eye condition that I've had but didn't realize was there. Nice! Turned out my eye spot was no big deal, but it was also a relief to get this other condition diagnosed and taken care of.
I had called several other optometrists before Oakland Vision Center and it was impossible to actually talk to a person about my symptoms and whether or not I needed to come in immediately. This was the only place where I got to speak with a real person right away. Thumbs up. -
Review from Eric S.
Ann Arbor, MI
5/12/2010
I didn't want to write this not-so-happy review, but since I decided to come here based on the great Yelp reviews, I thought I should share my experience.
First, the good. The eye doctor (Dr. Park) was friendly and helpful. He said I some early signs of an eye condition ("nothing to worry about") that my other Oakland eye doctor never caught. So... yay.
Then everything else happened.
In a nutshell, the business/customer service side of Oakland Vision Center was... lacking. Before I came here, I did my homework and found out that this is not the cheapest place to get either a contact fitting or to buy contact lenses. Being close to my workplace though, I came in just to get an eye exam and a prescription to take elsewhere to be filled.
But after they said I might as well get contacts with them since I've got insurance, they've done complicated math involving some discount with VSP, and it's the same deal everywhere (not true, actually), I relented, paying somewhat more for contacts than I wanted to but not outrageously so. Chalk it up to dilated pupils and general frazzlement.
But that's not all. They offered to mail the contacts directly to my apartment (great!), but I then wait 2 weeks with no word from them. I finally call, they check on my order, and apparently my contacts are on back-order with the supplier. When was anyone going to tell me? I wait another week, still no word from them. I call again, oops, actually my contacts are sitting there in the office.
Sorry, still not over. When I get there to pick them up (not delivered to my apartment as requested), it turns out they only ordered 4 boxes instead of 8! Then, the front desk tries to tell me that I only ordered 4. Really. No amount of explaining on my part will get her to think that I'm not the one who messed up (i.e. Oakland Vision Center messed up), and I end up having to wait until the next day to speak to the original assistant, not sure if I'll ever get those 4 other boxes or what. She clears it up, saying she wrote the order up in a confusing way, and I finally get my 8 boxes of contact lenses after 3 weeks and much frustration, not to mention paying more money than I initially intended.
So the eye doctor was great, everything else was a headache. Maybe they were just off their game for a month this year, but I won't be going back next year to find out. -
Review from Sumer M.
Alameda, CA
12/14/2010
I met Dr. Tanya N. Gill at the Oakland Airport and she noticed that I had a stye in my eye. Well I don't have insurance so she helped me by giving me a prescription then went one step farther and gave me a coupon for the prescription!! Then when I went to her office they happened to have a sample for me!!! SO COOL!! I have not found a eye Dr. in the Bay Area yet but I will go to her!! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!
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Review from gary c.
CA
Updated - 9/4/2009
This business is making what appears to be a genuine attempt at reparation for the bad service I received. So, in a mirroring gesture of good faith, I've raised the updated rating from one star back to the two of the original review.
The lowered one star rating of my first update reflected the information I was given in a subsequent phone call from Oakland Vision Center after posting my initial review: that the doctor himself neglected to reply to my email about my confusion over what happened with my damaged lenses. Whatever the reason, I gather that this guy is leaving the practice, which suggests that this type of thing is unlikely to happen again. Which is a good thing for this business, since it was his lack of response which directly informed my decision a few months later to post a review here in Yelp when I received that five dollar bill with an interest charge attached.
A further explanation regarding this update. I did not raise my rating any higher than the original post for a number of reasons. It's my firm opinion that the time to deal with customer service issues is before the customer ever steps foot in the door. I had the feeling throughout my encounter with this business that Oakland Vision Center really takes their customer's good will for granted. No complaints, then they assume everything is fine. However, I balk at the idea that the only way I can get decent service is if I make a fuss for it. Ordinarily, if I do not get the service I think I'm entitled to, I just spend my money elsewhere. And that was what I intended to do until I received that bill. Finally, I am leaving my original rating because I was unhappy about the sloppy service I received at this place for the amount of money I spent and had felt almost misled by the glowing reviews here in Yelp. I expected something different than what I got. But maybe I'm just the one who fell through the cracks.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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9/2/2009
Hmmm. Have to wonder about the reviews here. I went to this place based on them and have to say… Read more »
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Review from caylin y.
Oakland, CA
8/14/2008
Excellent customer service and a good selection of designer frames! I have been going here for years and they're always a pleasure to do business with.
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Review from A K.
Washington, DC
6/11/2010
I went there a year ago for contacts. I was out and my prescription had just expired. My insurance provider uses VSP and has an allowance to cover the cost of a couple boxes of contacts and an annual eye exam. When I went in, they asked for ALL of my insurance information. That should have been the first warning flag.
After waiting for an hour, I finally saw Dr. Gill (I arrived on time and had to keep going outside to feed the meter over 2.5 hours - that was the second warning flag) My eyes were rather irritated that day from old sticky contacts. She informed me that she is a "dry eye expert" and that I needed to have punctal plugs inserted every 6 months for the rest of my life so that I don't lose my vision. She said if she were my sister, that would be what she would recommend.
I really just wanted my contacts. They didn't even do a visual acuity exam to determine if my vision had changed, they literally just took the same prescription off of my old box and gave me some samples. They then tried to order them for me at a higher cost than any online websites, so I refused. They then told me that I had to pay for the exam that my VSP was supposed to cover so that the balance of my annual coverage would go towards contacts. They were reluctant to give me my prescription in writing so I could order them myself but eventually mailed it to me after I bugged them on the phone.
After that unpleasant office visit, I was furious to find that they had charged my insurance (regular insurance not VSP) for several exams that I had not requested and don't believe they did in ADDITION to charging VSP for the eye exam they did not perform.
In summary, one year later, they are making follow up appointments without my consent, and telling me to give them the courtesy of 48 hours notice to cancel. Yeah, like I would subject myself to more of that. How about giving me the courtesy of having me agree to come in for an appointment before scheduling one for me? Oh and I did not have any punctal plugs inserted, and my vision is the same as before. Thanks, sis.
While I'm kvetching, I can't help but think that most of these glowing 5 star reviews (that originally convinced me to go there in the first place) are just their friends trying to improve their rating.
Save yourself the trouble. They are just after your money and your insurance benefits. -
Review from Amanda P.
Oakland, CA
2/2/2010
Who do I want taking care of my eyes? The competent, professional, and badass women of color who independently own and run this place. I just wish all of my health care practitioners were as thorough, on-it, and comprehensive as these guys. This kind of business is one of the reasons to live in Oakland.
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Review from Dave M.
Durham, NC
4/28/2009
I haven't had a real eye exam since I was a child, so when I started having some issues with reading, I did a little Yelp research and found Dr. Gill. I made an appointment and realized all the five star reviews were legit (except for the one about Alcoholics Anonymous, that one is pretty weird). The staff were super friendly and I didn't need to wait long to be seen. Dr. Gill didn't rush me in and out, but instead took the time to perform a comprehensive exam. She always made sure to clearly explain what was going on with my eyes. She's also really personable and a good listener. I enthusiastically give Dr. Gill and Oakland Vision Center five stars.
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Review from Tony V.
Albuquerque, NM
1/15/2009
Very personable and efficient staff, excellent customer service, short wait, nice facility conveniently in the middle of downtown Oakland (at 19th Street BART) - and, best of all, Dr. Gill is a consummate professional who took lots of time reviewing my medical history and making precise and careful measurements - she listened intently to my eyeglass concerns and came up with a great solution for me. I'm brand new to the Oakland area, and in 45 years of eyeglasses & contacts, Dr. Gill is the best optometrist I've ever had the pleasure of dealing with!
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Review from Mari L.
Oakland, CA
1/21/2011
I have no idea how this place got 4 stars. I walked in and stood in the reception area for about 5 minutes while the receptionists continued their conversation. I should've just walked out but I believe in 2nd chances. Finally, one of the receptionists told me I could take a look at the frames but that I should make an appointment. There were two other employees putting frames away and talking to eachother-not a "hello", "can we help you find something" or even a smile. What ever happened to customer service?? They do have a nice selection of frames but I will not give them my business.
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Review from jillian g.
San Francisco, CA
3/2/2009
it had been about 5 years since i had seen an eye Dr. and needless to say, i needed to, BADLY. blind as the bat that i am, it was easy for me to find the office since it is right next the 19th st bart station.
the staff was very welcoming and attentive.
when it came time to sit with the Dr. i felt as if i was the most important patient she had ever seen, really. she treated me like royalty, made me as comfortable as possible and didn't rush through. she wrote out my prescription sat back and looked at it. looked at it again. thought about it, then decided it was the best prescription for me.
i mean, where do you get attention like that?
after my prescription was made, it was time to pick out the glasses. i literally tried on every pair in the entire office... with so many to choose from i wanted to be sure that i found the best pair.
i ended up changing my mind many, many times, and not one of the staff members lost patience with me or made me feel like i wasting their time.
i highly recommend this office to everyone, and especially to anyone who feels unsure or nervous about eye care. the staff and Dr.s here will surely make you feel comfortable and at ease when it comes to your eyes and vision. -
Review from kelly b.
Oakland, CA
2/16/2010
dr. gill is great! the staff are helpful and friendly. after leaving my prior dr after 20 years i am very happy to have dr gill taking care of my eyes. highly recommend her!
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Review from Michael B.
Oakland, CA
2/19/2010
wow, talk about incompetent. i called to make an appointment, and what should have been a two minute call, actually lasted over a half hour because the woman who answered kept placing me on hold. when i asked her what the deal was, she snapped at me and told me that the office was short staffed. whoa lady, a simple, sorry but this is a busy time would have sufficed. they asked me to bring my vision health care card in to verify my insurance, but surprise surprise, united healthcare vision does not provide cards anymore, u have to use your id number. well, she could not wrap her head around this, and even after i directed her to the website that would show plain as day my eligibility for insurance, she could not figure it out. more placing me on hold. then, "i will have to call u back because i have patients here." well lady, guess u just lost a patient if you can't even make me an appointment in thirty minutes of phone conversation!
