A company is only as good as the people it keeps, which is why Tokai Optical Australia has made several key appointments to build a culture that places its customers – Australian independents – at its core.
Ms Mikaela Bartlam, support specialist at Tokai Optical Australia, recalls a recent interaction with an independent practice asking for a lens recommendation for vertical nystagmus – a condition she had never heard of nor encountered before.
But her uncertainty did not stop her from providing a solution; in fact, it spurred her into action.
“If you’ve got a weird, head scratching problem, then I am someone who is keen to jump in and find out information myself, so that the problem can be resolved. It’s something our customers really appreciate,” she says, adding that it’s her curiosity, genuine interest, and commitment to a tailored service that allows her to excel in her role.
The team hand-selected to manage Tokai Optical’s Australian operations, like Bartlam, are an embodiment of the company’s values and have laid its sturdy foundations in the optics segment.
Bartlam, alongside managing director Mr Justin Chiang, established the local subsidiary of the Japanese-headquartered company here in 2019. With her lengthy optical career, she is enhancing the company’s reputation beyond product alone, seeing Tokai become a lens partner of choice to an expanding number of independents across the country.
Since establishing its roots and towards the tail-end of COVID, Tokai has sought to elevate its service by broadening its customer service capabilities and supplementing the small team with an accountant, lens fitting department, and account manager.
Currently, Bartlam is involved with day-to-day communication, customer inquiries, managing new accounts, and advising customers on lens choice and coatings. She is generally the first point-of-contact for enquiries and troubleshooting tips.
As the archetype of unique product offerings, tailored service, and the quality to back this all up, Tokai has benefited from Bartlam’s expertise.
Her career in optics began in 2006, with the time spent alongside highly knowledgeable and passionate individuals proving invaluable in fortifying her industry knowledge. These include optical dispensing and administration positions, mostly in independent optometry practice. In fact, around nine and a half of those years were at LensPro Optometrists.
During this time, she had experience with the Tokai brand, as LensPro sourced Tokai lenses from Japan, and the flexibility in selecting frames and lenses for customers. “I always felt like I could sell what I believed was going to be the best for somebody rather than just the product,” she says.
In small, intimate, and personalised retail environments, Bartlam was accustomed to a customer-centric ethos. She understood that the needs of each customer differed to the next, and to provide a premium service, she learned to assess, analyse, and identify the most suitable choice.
She also understood what customers do or do not respond well to and general trends. This environment fostered her keen interest in the optical industry and equipped her with the essential skills to thrive in her role as support specialist at Tokai Optical Australia.
Above all, what made the transition to Tokai enjoyable – and an obvious decision – was the company’s dedication to customer service adhering to the values that many independents have built their businesses on.
“I’ve had that in-store experience: I know what it’s like to sell to the public and I know what people are interested in,” she says.
“Having that face-to-face experience in store, you can find cues in people’s eyes and then you can hear in their tone of voice. It’s put in good stead for this role.”
By the time she had started at Tokai, Bartlam was well versed in the company’s technological offerings, having sold many of the company’s lenses which further streamlined her transition to Tokai.
“I had always been impressed by the technology as I’d been selling Tokai lenses for about six years,” she says. “Tokai’s customer service is just fantastic; they bend over backwards for you.”
A company doing its team proud
Bartlam says customer service is not the company’s only selling point; it is also carried by its product quality. Tokai does not need to sell a product in a grandiose way, but rather, seeks to use facts and data to get its message across. In essence, it has built a reputation of top-tier and unique products – especially with its progressive lenses – and reliability in service and quality.
The lenses are entirely produced in Japan from lens design, material and casting through to coating formulas, backed by a robust research and development department.
“We’ve expanded based more on reputation rather than marketing. Once the word gets out, people know and they come back because we can do the job,” Bartlam says.
She adds that what maintains Tokai’s reputation and keeps the company at the forefront of lens manufacturing is its ability to find a solution to and support customers’ needs.
“I think, personally, it’s important to have somebody at the end of the phone, who will help you through whatever we can find a solution whatever needs to be done and nobody is going to be left hanging; we’re not just going to say no to something,” she says.
For Chiang – who just recently became an advisory board member of Optical Dispensers Australia – it fits with Tokai’s philosophy of quality and customer service. He says employees can maintain their dignity knowing the company can provide the customer a good quality product.
“We’ve got a good team that really cares about our customers. So, instead of just focusing on the figures, we have the opportunity to build strong relationships with customers based on the service and quality of the products,” he says.
“This makes you feel like your work is meaningful and more than just a job.”
Chiang describes Bartlam as an exceptional individual who embodies the values of Tokai and has demonstrably contributed to the company’s growth.
“Her genuine care, proactive approach, prompt service, positive attitude, and insatiable curiosity are some of the keys helps building the business. I see her more a partner for the business than an employee,” he says.
As a company with relatively new operations in Australia, Chiang describes Tokai as dynamic and responsive to market trends and considers the opinion of its entire team.
“We can do things we want to do here, because we’re so new, the whole team has an opinion, and we can try a new approach to the market. And we really focus on the customer service,” Chiang says.
Despite the company’s growth, Tokai remains committed to its trailblazing environmentalism and premium customer experience.
Bartlam says it’s fulfilling to work for a company that has been committed to environmental sustainability before it was trendy.
“Tokai has committed to zero emissions since 2005. All water waste is recycled, and all the material from lens waste is turned into carbon and then it is used as fuel. The whole company is very focused on reducing waste and just helping the community,” she says.
Chiang adds: “In our factory, we commit to zero emissions, and we commit to recycle, reuse, reduce, refuse. So, basically everything; even the grease from food preparation in our staff cafeteria is recycled and turned into biodiesel.”
“We also set waste targets. Apart from things we can recycle and reuse, we set a target per employee per day for wastage.”
Although Chiang recognises the company is still young and there is much to learn in this space, he says the team are committed to balancing business needs with environmental responsibility.
For Bartlam, working for a sustainable company is a source of pride.
“That’s always been something that I’ve felt passionate about. It’s so nice to know your company’s doing you proud,” she says.
“I love my job and I’m very, very lucky to have found a company who has values that align with mine. It’s great and gets better every year.”
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