Are we doing our absolute best with collections and aftercare services to keep our customers loyal to our practices for life? Specsavers dispensing advancement manager RHIAN EVANS shares her views.
I love that our industry is ever-evolving by producing more sophisticated lens designs and technologies, however these advancements do require dispensers to fit them correctly first-time to increase wearer acceptance and customer satisfaction.
As a qualified dispensing and contact lens optician, having worked in a variety of independent and corporate practices over the last 20-plus years as a practitioner and a trainer, these experiences have given me a broad insight into common processes across practices both in Australia and New Zealand and further abroad.
While it is exciting that there are so many developments and changes within our industry, I believe it is equally essential to always remain attuned to developments affecting the customer.
Recent news about the current economic climate is filled with consumer spending uncertainty. Will this see customers leaving a longer gap between purchasing their spectacles? It’s now more important than ever that we make our last impressions count, ensuring they remember to return to your practice for their eyecare and eyewear needs.
It is evident to the customer that optometric practices are embracing advancements in technology; whether through providing OCT scans, innovative lens demonstrations, utilising accurate measurement devices, or many more besides.
Even with such advancements, in many optical practices the collection process has remained unchanged for many years. Perhaps now is the time for us to take a fresh look at this critical component of the customer experience.
My approach toward dispensing is always to begin with the end in mind. When it comes to fitting a frame accurately, many dispensers do not take the appropriate measurements to enable them to adjust the spectacles to fit the customer prior to their collection appointment. Instead, many adjustments are completed while the customer is present. Have you ever thought about what the customer thinks or feels about that process?
Let’s put this into a different context. If a carpenter came to renovate your home to fit a new shelf or cupboard, how would you feel if they merely looked at the space and guessed the size to cut the wood, but then kept recutting the wood until it fit? You would probably think that was strange and lose confidence in the quality of their work. We know that an experienced carpenter would accurately measure the space and cut the wood to fit; ‘measure twice, cut once’ is the phrase famous in the building industry.
Preparation is essential to ensure spectacles will fit once their lenses are glazed into the frame and that visual clarity is maintained. For some it will also be the determining factor to ensure that they benefit from the correction appropriate for their needs.
Some measurements I always encourage stores to take include head and temple width which can be recorded using rulers, or ideally a pair of head-width callipers. Taken simply at the point of above the ear for the head, then at the temple, and with appropriate compensation, these measurements can be easily recorded and applied to the finished pair of spectacles, allowing the dispenser to adjust the angle of let back and any other parameters necessary in a way that ensure the spectacles fit like a glove, first time.
This values the customer’s time and can be completed when the practice is quiet. Of course, this is not forgetting the additional measurements such as length to bend, angle of side, angle of drop, to name but a few.
Every practice invests in marketing to attract new customers. We know there is no better advertisement than a customer having the best quality vision and frames that they love. Customers have the choice of where to go for their eyecare and eyewear, so reputation of your optical practice is vital. This is the perfect time to review the instore process to ensure your customer continues to receive the best vision, product and service resulting in a lifetime of loyalty from your customers.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Rhian Evans is Dispensing Advancement Manager for Specsavers Australia and New Zealand. She has completed the Fellowship Dispensing Diploma (FBDO) course, run by the Association of British Dispensing Opticians and supported by Specsavers.
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