Last May, Classic Eyes won optician's Eye Care Practice of the Year award. Emma White caught up with the all-female Cardiff Bay team
Jessica McMorris never dreamed her practice would win the 2004 Eye Care Practice of the Year Award. Despite getting down to the final five at the ceremony in London, she was so convinced she wouldn't win that she attended without her three colleagues and collected the award alone.
'I was delighted but felt terrible,' she says. 'Everyone else deserved to be there too, but I never imagined we'd win.'
She had initially entered her practice for the Fashion Eyewear Practice of the Year Award, for which it was the only practice outside London to be shortlisted. But, thanks to scoring the highest marks in the Ciba Vision mystery shopper survey, Classic Eyes was also shortlisted for the 'best practice' category.
GREAT PUBLICITY
'When we won we sent letters out to everybody telling them about it and now in all written correspondence we include a line about the win,' explains McMorris.
The Classic Eyes team also enjoyed a splash in South Wales' glossy for women, Ladies First, which described the practice's achievements and included photos from the awards ceremony. 'We've definitely been able to use the award as a marketing tool,' says Jessica. 'The recognition is good for us.'
None of the staff realised they were being mystery shopped either. 'I was keen for us to be part of the Ciba Vision mystery shopper programme,' says McMorris. 'We've only been here for two years and I was keen to get feedback from a customer's point of view about how we're doing. We didn't suspect who the mystery shopper was and anyway, the programme was over such a long period of time that we couldn't have performed for it.'
She believes solid teamwork is key to the success of Classic Eyes. The team includes optometrist Deborah Hart, receptionist Vicky Langdon and trainee dispenser Victoria Gates.
'We all have a passion for customer service and looking after people properly,' says Jessica. 'We want to exceed the expectations of everybody who walks through our door. We don't claim to be the cheapest or the quickest, but we do claim to do things the best.'
McMorris attributes her passion for good service to her seven years' training at an independent practice in Bath, which she says 'inspired' her to put the customer first every time. She now has 18 years of experience, which she says is handy when it comes to getting hold of that certain something a customer is looking for.
'If someone can't find something, we'll get it for them. We aim never to say "no" to any of our patients' requests. I've been in optics for a long time now so I've got a lot of contacts to seek things out.'
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| (l-r) Vicky Langdon, Deborah Hart and Jessica McMorris |
The premises of Classic Eyes are clean, modern and welcoming. An array of designer and non-designer frames are displayed on the left and right walls with the reception desk set back to the left and testing rooms beyond. The store stocks around 500 pairs of designer frames and over 300 pairs of sunglasses at any one time and includes brands such as Chanel, Alain Mikli, Prada and Ray-Ban.
'We have a lot of exclusive collections and a reputation for stocking different styles of frames. We are very niche in Cardiff for providing fashionable, European styles,' says McMorris. 'We sell an awful lot of sunglasses too in the summer when the tourists come to the bay. It is a fabulous location with events like speed-boat racing and the place buzzes.'
WIDE CUSTOMER BASE
Classic Eyes attracts a wide spectrum of customers throughout the year, from tourists to corporate patients. 'We appeal to people looking for something a little bit different. People don't have to go through hordes of other people to get some help. We provide a very personal service.'
Hart says: 'We're constantly aware of what it's like for any person to walk through the door and be faced with a situation most find daunting. We try very hard to make it a smooth process and are as relaxed as possible while maintaining a professional air. It's always nice to send people away with a good pair of specs.'
So what now for Classic Eyes? McMorris says that winning the awards has in no way made her team complacent. By keeping in tune with their customers, continually updating their equipment, even incorporating any aspects from the CET training they deem beneficial, the girls at Classic Eyes fully intend to stay at the top of their game.
'Straight after the awards we felt very aware of the need to maintain the same high standard, but then we relaxed and realised we do this anyway.'