Berkshire Eye Center 409 Stockbridge Road, Great Barrington, MA 01230

"I’ve been a patient there for 10+ years. It’s never been stellar, but that’s the nature of [relative] monopoly, only place in town. HOWEVER! after literally years of asking “isn’t there a better solution for my contact lenses” so I wouldn’t need reading glasses, and getting scolded by the eye doctor for asking “yet again, you ask this every time”, I decided to go elsewhere. I had been wearing contacts for 30+ years, and reading about how there were ones which allowed both reading and perfect distance vision. Berk Eye Center told me to pound sand. I went to Hudson, and was easily fitted with contacts that allow me to ditch the reading glasses; and these contacts are much more comfortable than the old style Berk Eye Center insisted upon. So I went 10 years with my vision compromised, my ability to read compromised, because the medical staff was, well, lazy, and wed to the brand they were selling. Not in the best interest of patients. On the eyeglass buying side of things - they are very difficult; constant upselling; their premium frames are just not that stylish / unique; and the service, especially if you ask for your pupillary distance, a measure needed if you want to buy eyeglasses on line - is surly and arrogant. Much nicer frames and lenses available elsewhere, and not just online, but nearby, in person. [oh, and I would NEVER just buy glasses online; I'd always get a pair from them, and wanted the right prescription as backup when traveling. In order to get the PD, I had to call one of the partners, who begrudgingly gave it to me after a lot of back and forth. Subsequently, they changed their system in order to avoid this. "We no longer use pupillary distance as a measurement"; this is a ridiculous way to capture customers) In short, don’t settle like I did, because of perceived convenience of in our town. Go elsewhere for contacts and glasses. And also, I tried several times speaking to some of the owner / partners, and they essentially laughed at me, ‘this is how it is, and you don’t know what you’re talking about’. Fish rots from the head."

"I feel very comfortable placing my eye care with Dr. Singer. However, the lack of the same day return of phone calls is a problem. In addition, the eye center tends to overbook. The last time I was there I waited about 40 minutes and had to “sound the alarm” for them to finally take me into the examining room. Their overall customer service needs improvement."

"I used to have nothing but positive to say about Berkshire Eye Center. I was treated very well. I had been both to the Great Barrington and Pittsfield locations. Now I can’t get them to return a phone call. They also talked me into purchase plan for contact lenses that in paper sounded like a good deal. However no savings have materialized. I called them again a few days ago and left a message. I can’t ever seem to get a live person on the phone. If they treat all their clients like this they won’t have much of a clientele soon. UPDATE: I finally got a call back from Wayne to help me out with an issue other than rebate issue. Regarding the rebate issue in response to Karen Ruscio's reply, I called a couple of times right after I got the lenses in the mail to figure it out. I even stopped by the office one day, but there was a sizable crowd of people in the queue ahead of me. Rebates are always fraught with gotchas. Manufacturers love them because historically many do not follow through. There were no instructions in the package on how to redeem such a rebate, so between that and the non-returned phone calls, I would advise others to avoid the proffered managed care option in favor of an online retailer or wholesale club (BJs or Costco) for guaranteed savings instead of the gamble of being able to cash in on a rebate."

"I went in 15 minutes early for my appointment to look at frames. There was an elderly couple in front of me who had just arrived to pick up their glasses. After handing them their frames for the wife the husband then asked if the staff would please fit them on his wife to make sure they were correct. The staff member behind the desk informed them that they would have to make another appointment for the fitting. Being elderly and having driven there from God knows how far away, it would have been nicer to take a few minutes to serve them instead of making them come back on another day. How inconsiderate and unprofessional to have them make another appointment when they were there to pick up their glasses and have them fitted in the same appointment. I will never go there again."

"My first (and only) experience with Dr. Diane Singer of this Office was a bizarre one. Following the pre exam tests for new lenses I waited for Dr. Singer, who breezed in past me, not saying a word, went to the desk and scribbled out a prescription, and breezed out without a word! I later picked up the new lenses, tried them on and told the Manager they were not right. She said to give them time to get used to them. Time made no difference, the lenses were out of whack! Subsequently I received a corrected prescription and new lenses from Dr. Goodrich of that office."