By Heather Posey, Staff Writer
When patients enter Long Beach Eye Care Associates, they may not be aware that they are getting more than a typical eye exam or a pair of bifocals. In the middle of a conversation with a receptionist or talking to the optician, there is a good chance they may discover they will be leaving not only with better vision, but will be coming from a uniquely personal shopping experience unlike any eyewear store they’ve ever encountered.
Eye Care Associates, located at 2650 Elm Avenue, Suite 108 in Long Beach, provides customers a variety of styles and services to choose from, especially when it comes to purchasing eyewear.
“We carry high-quality frames, and we understand prescriptions and optics,” said manager and certified optician Denise Moreno. “But moreover, we treat each patient as an individual. We don’t do a ton of jobs, so people don’t turn into numbers.”
With a staff working hard to give the patients what they want and need, Long Beach Eye Care Associates promises quality care and service to ensure that the customer not only gets treated with respect, but looks good doing it.
“I kind of like to let people browse because there are so many different things and I like to keep it that way because people are so different,” said Moreno. “They’re an accessory. [Glasses] have become a piece of art and even as expression of yourself.”
Turning a sometimes tedious task into a personal one-on-one experience, opticians Moreno and her “right hand girl” Jesse Javier, take customers outside of the norm with their personal shopping expertise.
“We try to keep the business more personal to what the patients needs are and we try to match the eyewear to what they need and their lifestyle,” said Moreno.
They start off with analyzing their primary use for the glasses, and how often they need them then assist the customer to see what they want, still trying to make the experience as enjoyable as possible.
“We have a lot of people who have all these multiple needs like professionals such as firemen. We’ve got people who are on computers all day and people who sit and watch TV all day as well as people who drive a lot,” Moreno said. “So we would figure out first what type of lens they would need, figure out what they like and show it to them. Then I might show something that has a lot of color to it or something more fancy or sporty.”
Moreno tries to add variety and give customers many choices “just to give an idea of what other things are available besides what you had in your mind.”
And with styles ranging from Nine West to Armani to Valentino, Bebe and Nichole Miller, Long Beach Eye Care Associates offers style that doesn’t necessarily have to break the bank. Glasses are priced as low as $60 but can go as high as $700. But Moreno reminds the customers “it doesn’t cost anything to try them on.”
Long Beach Eye Care Associates is open Monday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. They can be reached at (562) 427-5409.
