United in Manchester

Not many practices can boast they have patients still coming to them after 70 years. For a business to have not just survived, but flourished for more then 100 years, it must be doing something right. H J Wheeldon says it has found that elusive formula that makes a practice not just good, but great. So much so it was judged in a mystery shopping exercise to be 2003 optician Eyecare Practice of the Year.

The Practice
There are three H J Wheeldon branches: in Manchester, Cheadle, and Wilmslow, Cheshire. It was the Manchester practice in West Didsbury that won the award, and it was here that Wheeldon Opticians opened for business as a family practice in 1923, around the corner from where the first Wheeldon business Ð a pharmacy Ð began trading in 1893.
Things have changed surprisingly little for this family business Ð in charge these days are H J Wheeldon's great-grandsons, David and James, and a third partner Richard Moores. The practice still serves the local community and has adapted as the demographics have changed. Old houses are being replaced by apartment blocks, and young professionals now dominate bookings at the weekends.
Their desire for contact lenses and designer brand frames is reflected in the range of products on offer.
'Our older patients mainly visit during the week Ð we have some who have been coming here since the 1930s,' says James Wheeldon. 'We have very good patient loyalty. There are good bus links to the practice and soon there will be trams from Manchester going straight by our front door.
'In fact, the major thoroughfare into town, and the car park help with access. We are part of the landscape now and people really know us.'

The Staff
That personal connection with the community is something upon which H J Wheeldon prides itself, by offering outstanding customer service.
'We have always focused on customer service and strived to provide the best quality eye care we can. We believe we offer a friendly, yet professional, atmosphere for our patients,' says David Wheeldon.
'The staff get on well. We are a tight-knit group and I think that comes across. There is good continuity of staff Ð two previous employees (who have just retired) were with us for 35 and 40 years respectively. That's good for patients who like to see the same face each time.'
James says that emphasis on the patient is paramount, from product quality and variety to delivery times fulfilling expectations. 'People are better informed now, so they are more demanding. We don't advertise, patients come to us through word of mouth. They don't come in because of price or advertising of offers but because of the service, and that is down to the staff. While it was great for us to win the award, it was more a recognition of their hard work and dedication, than it was a reflection on us.'

The Award
It was the second time the practice had entered the Eyecare Practice of the Year Award.
'When the Ciba rep asked if we wanted to be entered, we said yes. While it is a good tool for business, as it can be difficult to gauge how the public perceive us, we did not do it to find out strengths and weaknesses. That is not what the award is about, but it was interesting to have confirmation that we are performing as well as we thought.'
The category, sponsored by Ciba Vision, was open to all Ciba customers. Mystery shoppers considered everything from the initial phone call to making an appointment, through to the end of the appointment, and then five nominees were selected.
David explains: 'While it is sponsored by Ciba, the award is not about contact lenses Ð it's about the whole practice experience. We have always been strong on contact lenses, my father was one of the first fitters in this area. We were told that someone [a mystery shopper] would come in at some time, but it was impossible to know who they were, as we see a lot of new patients all the time, so the staff were not on their guard. We aim to deliver the same level of quality all the time.'
James concludes: 'It was great to be nominated and to win, especially when we were up against the previous winners and some of the multiples. It was a pleasant surprise. We obviously had faith in our business, or we would not have entered, but we didn't go to the ceremony expecting to win. The people who won it are out there, the staff in the practice.'