A few years ago I dispensed a barrister, let us call him Paul, he was very interesting and obviously felt that his current glasses did not do the job that he wanted them to. We talked about all the options available and in the end, we made a joint decision to try varifocals.
We had discussed all the advantages of varifocal lenses and gone into the compromises that came with them and we both agreed they were the ideal solution to the problems he was experiencing. It was nice dispensing top of the range lenses into a good quality frame, so you can imagine my feelings when he was booked in as a non-tolerance a fortnight after he collected them.
However, the appointment was one of those landmark moments we all occasionally experience. Paul explained that the varifocals themselves were wonderful. They exceeded his expectations, vision was clear at all distances, the field of clear vision was wide enough for everything that he needed, desk, computer and client and that it was all there in a blink of an eye.
And then came the but, it was too quick. He had not realised how much he used his half eyes as a prop in court, how when he was addressing the learned judge he would brandish his notes, assume an academic air as he adjusted his half eyes on his nose, regale the court with his insightful wisdom and then remove his glasses with a flourish. He described it as pure theatre, as a performance but also commented that it allowed him valuable thinking time without appearing to be hesitating.
Threat of the ’net
I was recently reminded of this during one of our regular practice meetings when we were discussing customer loyalty and the threat of the internet.
Arguably some of the challenge that the internet poses is that we have a customer base who can research products and offers without leaving home. This then means they can choose which stores they visit when they shop, a trend that is reflected in research which suggests shoppers are making the same number of shopping trips but visiting fewer stores.
However, purchasing decisions are not made purely on price and this is where we can use theatre and provide a uniquely memorable experience to engage with our customers and make our practice a memorable and desirable destination.
What do we mean by retail theatre?
Theatre is an experience, it has a cast, costumes, script, props and scenery. The cast are the practice team, the costumes are your uniform, badges and any accessories, the scenery the store design and retail displays and the props are the technology you use, the OCT, the iPad demonstrations and your lowly PD rule.
Once you start to think of the customer experience as theatre you start to look at your surroundings differently, is that prop necessary, is it, in fact, the right prop and what does it say about me and the store? Having said that, the fact that it is theatre also provides you with some protection. No matter how bad a day you have been having, when you get to work you leave it behind you, put on your costume and play your part, and if it has been a day full of rude customers and disappointments you can take your costume off and become you again when you go home, leaving all the frustrations and worries behind.
Considering the threat that the internet poses one thing that ecommerce is very good at is personalising your experience. From personally addressed emails to offers based on your previous browsing or remembering your payment details, they excel at impersonal personalisation.
So in order to stand out we need to really personalise the experience. Another way of putting this is that you need to fully engage your customer in the experience. That makes them part of the experience, almost part of the family and once we have truly engaged our customers they become our brand ambassadors and recommend us to other people.
One way of doing both of these things is through social media. Do you have an Instagram corner? Do you encourage patients to take selfies? We all know that social media craves attention and its goal is to achieve the maximum number of likes. So why not encourage people and make it easy for them to take a good selfie? Have a spot with a plain background (and your social media details prominently displayed), good lighting and enough space to get that all important good selfie.
Have a sign with your wi-fi code and more importantly your hashtag so your customers can upload their pictures immediately and tag you in them or even have an iPad or camera set up to take the shot and automatically upload it to your own account. It is all part of integrating the e-world and the real world to create an experience that will be remembered, and the free advertising does not hurt either.