EDITOR’S LETTER

Tomorrowland

Though I clearly love EB, there is one thing I don’t like about publishing. We live in the future. As I am writing this, it’s not quite July 4, and we already have one foot in Vegas…planning for and writing about Vision Expo West in September.

TOP TRACKS

There’s a good reason for that future focus, though. The education slated for this September is, I think, the best yet. And at EB we’re proud to be the media partner for several of the conference’s top-notch CE tracks—including the all-new Retail Track (see speaker Travis Reed’s article on p. 46), the highly successful Frame Buyer Certificate Program, and two terrific keynote addresses.

In their keynotes, The Ritz-Carlton’s Joseph Quitoni (see adjoining column) discusses customer service and AML Insights’ Anne Marie Luthro, the wow and how behind retail. Look for our exclusive interview with her next month.

BEYOND BUYING

Our sponsorship of education at Vision Expo goes back over a decade, when we, along with The Vision Council’s Eyewear and Accessories Division, helped put together The Frame Buyer Certificate Program. This fall’s lineup includes classes on frame board management, inventory planning, fashion trends, and product differentiation. Complete eight hours on the track (not necessarily in one Vision Expo) and you’ll receive a Frame Buyer’s certificate.

Enjoy the summer, but start planning NOW for Vegas.

{TREND WATCH}
MAKING IT MEMORABLE

On Saturday, Sept. 19, Joseph Quitoni will share how to translate The Ritz-Carlton experience into memorable customer service at your location.

We’ve had the pleasure of interviewing Quitoni, and here are some tips he shared with us.

IMMEDIATE CONNECTION: “Employees have the ability to make an immediate emotional connection. [That] is the differentiator from good to great.”

SERVICE STRATEGY: “Create your own strategy. It will define what you want the beginning, middle, and end of the service experience to look like.”

WISH LIST. “Understand the difference between an expressed and unexpressed wish. That allows for the [visit] not to be remembered as a transaction, but as an experience.”

BEYOND GOOD. “It’s all about making it personalized, unique. Asking…personalized questions allows for that human connection to be made.”

Stephanie K. De Long
Editorial Director

P.S. This is our annual kids’ issue, and we enjoy sharing all the savvy strategies you employ for building business with the younger set. To see their influence, don’t miss the link on p. 40 to this month’s video on the purchasing (and persuasive) power of kids.