Consulting Ophthalmologists - Farmington, Connecticut

Raquel R.

I have read a lot of negative comments about waiting! As a new patient, I called to make my appointment and was attended to quickly and the person was very kind and scheduled the best date for me and in the location that would be best for me. I have my appointment soon and will come back here for my opinion on the service.

I couldn't write another reviewer so this is the edit for my update

I went to my appointment, I have no complaints, the reception, assistants and doctor are kind and helpful! I got the care I needed and I didn't have to wait long! In my opinion and experience they are really good.

Jake R.

Two stars for the wait time (will change if I experience something different). Dr DiTolla and the optometrists I’ve had are very friendly and professional. However, I had to walk out on my appointment recently after waiting 45 minutes. Not the first time I’ve had a long wait either. Nice workers and friendly atmosphere, but it seems they are overbooked on patients and it’s noticeable in how they run around frantically and how long patients like myself have to wait.

Update: deducted a star for no availability >4 months, called about both Farmington and Glastonbury locations. Nothing open until May. Will be trying someplace else.

Kristen N.

A very unpleasant experience, possibly the WORST ever! I've never had to deal with so much drama with a doctor's office. I've been wearing contact lenses and glasses for more than 40 years of my life, and this experience had to take the cake as the worst! I would need to write a short novel to explain everything. In short, it took 48 days for the office to release my contact lens prescription!!! My concerns were arced up with many phone calls. Many excuses were given for not producing the prescription, depending on who I talked to. One told me that prescription was not determined yet until the optometrist fits me, even though the brand that I've been wearing for years is not a problem. Another told me that there is a prescription, but I need to see optometrist to be fitted, per CT law. But, I should be able to have that prescription and take it where I normally have my contact lenses filled. I should not have to use this office's optometry services.
My prescription should not be "held captive." I think I'm entitled to have my prescription filled wherever I want. Clearly, the service model here is really not patient-centered! I think that the conversation I had with the administrator was the last straw, with trying to get anything resolved with this office. Instead of training their staff to ask appropriate questions to assess the new patient's needs, she blamed the new patient for not knowing how their office operates. It's baffling how many doctors are in the group, yet it doesn't correspond to the ease and accessibility in getting appointments or great service!
Thankfully, I found another optometrist's office that couldn't be more pleasant. The new office was a breath of fresh air, compared to what I had to deal with for the last 2 months. The new optometrist's office faxed over my medical release request form, and Consulting Opthalmologist's office dragged their feet in forwarding my medical record over. It took 2 phone calls, after a week later, for them to finally forward the record. The excuse for not providing it in a timely manner is so pathetic! As a matter of fact, I believe it is against the law to withhold a patient's prescription!

Jim S.

My experience was great -- cataract surgery and lens fitting in both eyes. The staff and doctor were cheery and professional. I always received great attention and felt very well cared for.

Connie H.

I recently had an extremely disappointing experience with customer service on 10/23/24. After being on hold for over 30 minutes, I was finally connected to a representative named Julie. When I mentioned my intention to cancel the service, she responded with an unprofessional comment: “Why would you let me send you over all the information if you were to cancel!” This interaction only reinforced my decision to leave due to the poor mannerisms displayed by the staff.
My primary reason for canceling is the lack of support I received when trying to arrange transportation after eye surgery. Additionally, I am relocating to New London County and starting a new job on September 3, leaving me with no time off for the surgery I attempted to schedule. To make matters worse, Julie transferred me to another representative whose voicemail indicated she was on vacation—not once, but twice. The second transfer resulted in a disconnection.
I also asked Julie to send me a schedule of all the surgeries, which I did not receive in my email—perhaps it was sent to the wrong address. Once I finally got the schedule and contacted my new employer, they informed me that they could not accommodate the dates. For Julie to come back with such a dismissive comment without understanding the circumstances I was dealing with was incredibly frustrating.
It has been a very rough week as I’ve gotten into a horrific car accident, plus moving and trying to schedule surgeries. Maybe they should be a little bit more empathetic to their patients and not be so judgmental and bold in making comments. Reflecting on my initial visit, where I encountered rude service, this recent experience confirmed that my decision to cancel was the right one. I hope the company takes these issues seriously and works towards improving their customer service standards.

Timothy S.

Customer service leaves much to be desired. Ran into issues with these folks running tests that they knew wouldn’t be covered by insurance without telling us and when we complained their response was to blame us for not knowing in advance. Would not recommend.

Bob C.

I have been closely monitored for glaucoma for years and have been very satisfied with all aspects of the practice except for the ridiculously long waiting. I am pleased that the practice is very successful but it comes at the expense which is quite valuable to me as I am not retired and I have a business to run. While she listened patiently the position of the practice manager was that's the way it is, emergencies arise, doctors spend quality time with patients, etc. Bottom line is they overbook to prevent POSSIBLE down time due to no-shows. Not my problem. Despite going there for about 15 years and referring dozens of my clients to CO, I am ambivalent about future appointments. I will never resign to waiting more than 30 minutes unless I can bill for my time.

Stephanie W.

Dr. Nisarg Chhaya is an amazing doctor/surgeon! He gave me my vision back with the cataract surgery. I didn't realize how I was compensating for so long. Now, I can see the individual leaves on trees in the distance, little bugs, brightness in everything I look at and the colors are so amazing. I am seeing the world for the first time again! So grateful that I have my vision back and grateful for having Dr. Chhaya as my doctor/surgeon. I highly recommend Dr. Chhaya; and his personal staff Juanita and Shirley have been very helpful with my questions and concerns throughout the process.