I’m writing to formally file a complaint regarding my recent and deeply disappointing experience at Stanton Optical. I scheduled an eye exam for a specific time, expecting a standard level of professionalism and care. What followed was a series of red flags that not only reflect poorly on the business but also raise serious questions about health and safety practices.
Upon arrival for my scheduled appointment, I was forced to wait over 45 minutes. During that time, I observed what appeared to be extremely unprofessional behavior from the staff — most of whom appeared to be in their early 20s, unsupervised, and unmotivated. One female employee, wearing a pink top, was visibly working at a computer just five minutes prior to my arrival. As I stood at the front desk waiting to be acknowledged, she proceeded to ignore me and eventually slumped in her chair, seemingly asleep — a moment I documented in a photograph. At no point did she or any other staff member acknowledge my presence or apologize for the delay.
When the appointment finally began, I was surprised to learn that the exam would be conducted via Zoom with a remote examiner, rather than an in-person optometrist. The entire exam felt rushed and impersonal. The distance vision test took approximately 10 minutes, and the reading portion was conducted in a matter of six seconds, which I found both inadequate and highly suspect.
Following this "exam," I was fitted with contact lenses. The prescription was clearly wrong. I returned to the store multiple times to address this issue. Each time, I had to insert a new pair of lenses — resulting in discomfort and growing concern for the health of my eyes. Each adjustment was done without any face-to-face consultation with an actual eye doctor — only the same young staff members making guesses and telling me to “give it a few days” to adjust.
Despite trusting their recommendation to wait, the contacts continued to feel off. I came back once more, was given yet another adjustment, and again experienced no improvement. In total, I went through multiple sets of incorrect lenses, all without seeing a licensed optometrist in person.
Eventually, I asked for a refund. Over the phone, I was told this would be no problem. However, when I arrived at the store, they informed me that the eye exam fee could not be refunded — even though it was the root cause of the prescription issues. I returned the contact lenses 100% unopened and in their original packaging. I was only refunded for the contacts, but not for the exam, which cost me nearly $200 for a result that was entirely useless.
This experience was unacceptable — not only from a customer service standpoint but from a medical ethics perspective. I urge Google to investigate this location and ensure other customers do not go through the same.
