Sunnyvale Optometric Center Inc

Mar 2024

Two members of our family - 1 adult and 1 child - have seen Dr. Folkers in 2024 and unfortunately here was our experience. Dr. Folkers: - Rushes patients - Talks the whole time. He's funny! But he - Does NOT listen to the patient! (e.g. we said twice at the beginning of the visit what kind of frames we are interested in, but he proceeds to have us try on many others and NONE of the kind we said we were interested in) - Pushes glasses/contact sales (I have been getting glasses for 30 years and never done the whole order orally, with nothing to sign or confirm for "add-ons" such as photochromic or anti-reflective, etc.) - Puts holds on your insurance for glasses/contacts without your consent (so you cannot shop around since no one else can quote you with the hold on your insurance claim) - Uses your insurance without your explicit knowledge (again, no paperwork saying you approve of said glasses/contacts to be ordered through him - he just does it automatically after your eye exam without you realizing, since you never signed anything) - Gives overt guilt trips about "how much time" he has insisted on spending with you... while he was the one talking the whole time, and giving you things you didn't ask for! - Does not check your vision for satisfaction upon receipt of new glasses (he literally pulled the glasses off my son's head - twice! - while I had put them back on to ask our son to read something across the room) - Does not return emails (although his wife says email him b/c she doesn't know) - Delays putting in his patients' glasses orders (he said he's been "faster recently at putting them in" and that it should only be 2-3 weeks... it was 4 weeks without a word from him until we got our glasses). And, sadly and worst of all, gave our son a grossly INCORRECT PERSCRIPTION. He was quite off! My son was excited to read street signs upon picking up the new glasses from Dr. Folkers... the same glasses Dr. Folkers would not check for 20/20 vision inside his office. So we are reading signs outside as soon as we leave his office. And my son cannot read the same street signs I can read at a distance, with his brand new glasses! We make another appointment with PAMF optometry, get a very different prescription, and have to redo the lenses (which takes another 1-2 weeks elsewhere). VSP had to approve a new exam and new lenses for this year, voiding Dr. Folkers's. We are sad that going to Dr. Folkers cost our son WEEKS of good vision. But at least we caught it and corrected it so it wasn't a whole year! It wasn't even pleasant interacting with him, due to the stressful rushing and then guilt trips when we didn't make decisions "fast enough" for him. His wife/receptionist: - Is unable to answer simple questions about insurance and what your co-pay will be - Has to wait for Dr. Folkers to "figure out" and let patients know co-pays, but he is very busy - Assures patients that if we email Dr. Folkers he's "very good" about emailing back right away. We have 3 emails to Dr. Folkers (all sent with his wife's encouragement before the incorrect glasses were picked up i.e. while current patients) that he never responded to in any manner.

Mar 2024

Dr. Folker is very talkative, funny, and friendly. However, if you are considering to get contact lenses, he's not your optometrist. He's geared more towards prescribing and selling glasses. He'll lean you towards his products and I have no problem with that since that's the business he's in. I do feel that he leaned me a little too hard towards glasses more so as contact lenses are not as much of a money maker for him from my benefits allowance standpoint. He's friendly when he's marketing his products and doesn't come off as a hard sell, but I think there is a bit of ulterior motive (not necessarily deceitful) from him to scoot you towards glasses. So much so that he will transition you from the exam room to his showroom seamlessly. :) One extra tip. Have them contact the insurance for a pre-estimate of your exam and glasses/prescription(s) before you commit so you won't get sticker shock. All too often, we skip this step only to find out at checkout that our out-of-pocket is way more than we expected. By the time he adds in all the different coatings for your prescription, to try to max out your benefits allowance, you might not realize that you've gone way over your covered benefits. Don't assume they know what the final cost will be since they don't often check ahead and as a result you will get stuck with the difference. Suggestion to the practice, if you're reading this. Be transparent about the cost of things and how much is actually covered UP FRONT so your clients can make an informed decision. Even if you don't know the cost at the time, offer to make an inquiry with the insurance before providing the clients with a quote. This due diligence, honesty and integrity will net you many more return clients. I'm sorry to say that I won't be one of them.

Feb 2022

Did not actually attend appointment as insurance wasn't covered but they were absolutely wonderful and helpful over the phone. I was trying to find an care for a scratched eye and Dr Folkers was very informative on how to handle my issue. He gave me a solution to help that day and offered to see me as soon as he could.Because of insurance differences I will not be going to his office but I recommend anyone available to do so.