Dorset may have suddenly become trendy again since the second series of Broadchurch aired, but Tempany’s Boutique Opticians and Contact Lens Specialists in the picturesque town of Broadstone near Poole is a game changer for the optics industry since winning the coveted ‘Fashion Practice of the Year’.
Practice owner Keith Tempany spied a gap in the market when he noticed all other practices in the area did little to be different from each other and no one had yet promoted themselves as a fashion practice.
‘We had the idea about four years ago and had been searching for the right premises to become available,’ Tempany says. ‘We found an old hairdressing salon with a downstairs area of 75 square metres. We designed the whole practice ourselves and sourced the fixtures and the right workmen to carry the project through.’
The space was overhauled with bright colours and LED downlighters to catch customers’ attention. The colour scheme is white, black and lime green with black and white ceramic tiles and custom-made furniture and floating shelves. Differing from its rural surroundings, the practice creates the impression of a minimalist but upmarket boutique.
‘I wanted to set up a niche practice which gave discerning patients the ambience, time, quality of service and product that were unique. And after all,’ he adds, ‘this was the backdrop for the frames, these items of beauty.’
Searching for the exact products was a painstaking process. Tempany visited Mido and Silmo finding the right designers and companies that focused on quality and style that couldn’t be found in the vicinity. The collections now include the award-winning Danish Ørgreen range of handmade titanium frames and Götti frames from Switzerland, Ann et Valentin and the largest selection of Lindberg frames in the area. For sunglasses, Tempany chose Maui Jim and Oliver Goldsmith.
His ethos doesn’t just focus on stylish collections, but bespoke patient care. Staffed with one optometrist, one dispensing optician, one pre-reg dispensing optician and two part-time admin staff, the practice is fully private with OCT included in every eye exam and a 45-minute initial contact lens appointment.
Tempany also describes a styling approach to dispensing. ‘When a customer comes in, we give them a guided tour of the different companies and designers and leave them to browse for a short while before our frame stylist will offer to help. If required we’ll take pictures with an iPad for them to look through and we can email these to them or their friends for second opinions. Many have commented on how the personal shopper experience has made them feel very special and this enhances the uniqueness of the practice.’
After the practice opened, Tempany advertised in local, glossy fashion magazines and even hosted two fashion shows together with a company that imports fashion accessories from Italy. The practice also exhibited at the South Coast Fashion Week, which included a catwalk show. Tempany and his team are also social media savvy and invested in a Google Maps Street View tour of the practice interior so people can experience it online (see picture above).
Fast forward to the awards ceremony and Tempany recalls, ‘It was our seventh attempt at entering and we’d been shortlisted six times. This time, it seemed easy as we felt we had a great story to tell as we had designed the whole practice from scratch and we were so excited about our frame collection and ethos. Entering the Awards always gives our staff a buzz and the patients love the fact they come to an award-winning practice.’
The award now sits among accolades on the trophy shelf within the frame display and details of the award are also on the practice’s stationery. After winning, Tempany contacted his local press and achieved huge coverage that has also helped patient footfall.
‘It quite simply has put the practice on another level, we have had so much positive feedback from both existing and prospective patients. In their eyes it confirms what they’ve experienced when they’ve visited the practice.
‘If a practice feels that they have even a small chance of being shortlisted I would recommend them to go for it, the whole experience is amazing. If nothing else it is good to focus on that 1,000-word entry and helps you to appraise what you are doing and what you hope to achieve.’
Tempany and his wife, Jackie who helped set up the practice, attended the Awards at London’s Park Lane Hilton. ‘It was a fabulous night, a real night to remember,’ he says.
Fashion practice of the year
Winner: Tempany's Boutique Opticians
Shortlisted: They Eye Company; Ellis and Killpatrick; Hammond and Dummer; Kennedy Rath Opticians; Eyeworks London.