Taking the High Road

How to capture the high-end lens market through personalization

by Karlen McLean, ABOC, NCLC

Customize eyewear to customers' specific needs. Photo courtesy of Transitions Optical

Some ECPs take the low road by appealing to low- to mid-range consumers and offering budget-conscious eyewear solutions. High-end retailers choose the high road, catering to clients who are seeking the best visual experience and cutting-edge style. Here's why and how they do it.

FOUR KEYS TO SUCCESS

1. Know your stuff and add exemplary service. Scott K. Schilling, LDO, general manager of LensCrafters Vision Center in the Florida Mall, Orlando, Fla., says they try to accommodate every patient with the best care and knowledge they can offer. "In a time of financial concerns, we try to do our best to make an affordable, cosmetically pleasing pair of eyewear for every patient."

2. Specialize and individualize. "By offering customized shapes in rimless eyewear, ECPs can differentiate themselves from their competition," says David Laing, LDO, from Silhouette Optical in Green Island, N.Y. He notes that most eyewear consumers don't realize that every pair of glasses is made to individual specifications. "This is a great opportunity to show the consumer that the eyewear they're purchasing is special and is customized to complement their specific needs," he notes

3. Always offer the best. "We recommend frames and lenses that are not only the best in terms of style for the customer, but also the most suitable for the given prescription," notes Robert Marc, owner of Robert Marc, with nine optical boutiques located in New York City and Boston. "We create custom lens shapes for rimless styles to accommodate customers' preferences and to create a flattering look for each customer's face shape." They also carry some frames that come with or without nosepads to achieve the best fit.

4. Create, hone, and market your reputation. "We direct a great deal of energy toward optimizing our clients' experiences in our stores, so that each person has not just a great experience but a truly memorable one," explains Gai Gheradi, co-designer and co-owner of l.a. Eyeworks. They also get to know their long-term clients on a personal basis. "Our goal has always been to provide good vision, which for us means a balanced combination of ophthalmic expertise and superb, forward-thinking styling."

Recommend lenses and frames that are most suitable for the customer's prescription as well as a good personal style match. Photo courtesy of Hoya Vision Care North America

WALKING THE TALK

It all starts with the first encounter, and interacting with each patient on a personal level through conversation. Each approach is different, but is essentially steered to create a unique, superior, and lasting experience with each customer.

Robert Marc focuses on styling and profiling. "Our team acts as style consultants," says Marc. "We gather insight on each customer's lifestyle and wardrobe style to come up with customized product recommendations." He says they gather information through both observation and by asking questions, which helps them create eyewear that caters to each customer's unique lifestyle.

At l.a. Eyeworks, staff spins the conversation to get to know each client in-depth. Gheradi says they often get to know their customers by not talking about the potential purchase. "Instead, we begin with careful listening and observation," she says. "Each person is unique; we may talk only about the prescription needs or we may talk about why they haven't worn glasses for 20 years or what they do professionally." Their goal is to learn about the client's lifestyle, their past experiences with glasses, and why they've come to l.a. Eyeworks at this time.

LensCrafters in the Florida Mall zeros in on task-specific eyewear use. "We get involved with how many hours the glasses are used for various tasks, like computer use, reading, sports, etc.," Schilling says. Then they determine several options for the patient, including how many multiple pairs they require.

At Silhouette, the main focus is on using technical knowledge. "The prescription, measurements, lens materials, and design must be considered to be sure that the finished eyewear is visually correct, aesthetically pleasing, and exceeds customer expectations," Laing says.

CUSTOMIZATION NATION

When utilizing customization techniques to create a unique pair of eyewear that pleases each customer every time, eyecare professionals often need to hone their high-end awareness and technical skills to the nth degree.

ECPs should hone their high-end awareness and technical skills. Photo courtesy of Ophthonix

"Good retention of staff means good continuity with clients," Gheradi points out. "We keep notes in patient files, which may include information about their Rx, what lenses they prefer, or their love of salsa dancing. Creating an aura of comfort and trust with each client is important."

High-minus prescriptions often offer the most opportunity to create a "wow" experience for customers. "The most customization would be done in the high-myope area by making lenses appear cosmetically thinner than normal, including patients who cannot afford high-index and go with poly," Schilling observes. His office also customizes wrap sunglasses by manipulating the base curve or hand edging the bevels to achieve a perfect fit.

The Real Deal
Approximately how much more can you make if you upgrade from clear polycarbonate to a clear higher index lens? Check it out: High-minus prescriptions offer a great opportunity to "wow" customers. Photo courtesy of Robert Marc

ROARING WITH RIMLESS

Perhaps more than any other frame style, rimless designs offer the most diverse way to customize eyewear from a prescription and appearance standpoint.

Customized rimless lens shapes enable eyecare practitioners to make custom patterns manually and send accurate data to the lab to make the lenses.

"Ideally, a set of demo lenses is produced to allow the patient to see the final effect before committing to the custom shape," notes Laing.

An alternative choice is to purchase a computer program that allows stock shapes to be superimposed on a picture of the customer. Changes to the lens shape are made, then stored and electronically sent to the lab for cutting and drilling.

ECPs have many lens options for rimless eyewear:

■ Poly offers light weight and thinness in many designs. "Be mindful that a 1.67 lens will offer excellent results for drilled rimless in many designs with the benefit of even thinner lenses," Laing says.

■ Trivex offers great strength and optics if there are no thickness concerns. "Wholesale labs are a great resource for determining what prescriptions work best in each lens material," he recommends.

Laing notes that with rimless eyewear, less is more. "Non-reflective lenses with polished edges, definitely. Light tinting is also an option," he says.

Tinting lenses and then adding a non-reflective surface gives a nice effect, but can be problematic to get exact color matches. ECPs must work with their lab to be sure that the tint sample shown to the customer can be duplicated exactly on the finished product, especially with non-reflective lenses.

"If ECPs want to duplicate mirrored lens treatments, it is imperative that samples are available to show the consumer and that the desired effect can be achieved on an Rx lens," adds Laing. Samples are available for a nominal cost from coating companies, and are a great tool to show prescription eyeglass consumers that they can have sunwear that has the look of the non-prescription sample.

Some other rimless tips from David Laing:

■ Some plano sunglass styles are available with extended screw posts to allow the frames to be glazed with prescription lenses. ECPs may need to recalculate the prescription to account for the wrap angle of some frames.

■ At least one manufacturer offers angled washers for use with high-plus and minus prescriptions to allow better alignment and easier adjustment for the end pieces on rimless styles. EB