Having formerly won the award for Independent Practice of the Year in both 2010 and 2012, Robinson Optometrists is a shining example of what independent practices can achieve through a dual focus on clinical excellence and individuality.
‘From the onset we wanted to aim for a niche market supplying quality eye care and eyewear,’ says Nigel Robinson, co-owner of the practice alongside his wife, Judith. ‘We realised that this would mean significant outlay on equipment which did seem a bit daunting with a young family.’
Nigel and Judith were married in 1986 and bought their first practice, situated above a pharmacy, in 1991, the year after their first child was born. ‘It seemed a strange time to buy a practice, but we could see the potential it held,’ says Robinson. After establishing themselves the practice moved locations to an old bank across the road, before moving again to their current building in 2007.
‘This new building gave us a blank sheet with lots of space,’ explains Robinson. ‘We set about creating an environment which would resemble an art gallery; solid wood floors, a definite genre of music, leather sofas, modern art pictures, a full curved wall frieze, a full scale telephone box in the window and inspirational or amusing eye-related quotes around the wall.’ The practice seeks to provide a unique, branded experience to its patients and even serves fresh coffee in cups bearing its logo.
Being unique
Robinson explains that the practice stands out from its competition because it focuses on being unique: ‘The secret to standing out is to look for things that as an independent we can choose to do well, and actively looking for factors that will set us apart from the crowd.’
Robinson Optometrists certainly stands out from its immediate surroundings and a passer-by would be hard-pressed to not notice the eyewear sculpture that sits outside the practice’s doors. ‘We had long been searching for something that would catch the eye and replace an old wishing well which was dropping to bits,’ says Robinson. The sculpture represents the lengths the practice goes to in cultivating its image, with the Whitley Bay practice carrying this determination to stand out into all of its decisions.
As a previous award winner, the benefits of entering the Optician Awards remain clear to the practice team. ‘We have been shortlisted in several categories on many occasions, which in itself creates a buzz within the practice, says Robinson. ‘The exercise of applying for the awards is such a positive one. It allows a whole process of self-examination, enabling us to look at what we do well and share this with the team, which is a great motivational tool.’ Robinson adds that the competition with other short-listed practices is inspiring, allowing the Robinson team to learn and develop new ideas.
Award winners
While last year’s award ceremony was hosted online because of the Covid-19 pandemic, Robinson says that his practice’s award win has helped to publicise the good work it does: ‘Patients have been thrilled for us. We have been unable to achieve the amount of publicity which we would normally, however, we did manage to share the announcements with a large crowd on Facebook and Instagram. We emailed all our current patients afterwards and received lots of lovely replies, and are looking forward to the end of lockdown when we can take the whole team out to celebrate the win.’
Looking to the future, Robinson said that the practice would be targeting the Fashion Practice of the Year: ‘To enter properly is a time-consuming business but it is so worthwhile, and we would definitely recommend the process to anyone who is thinking about
it.’
Can your practice win Independent Practice of the Year 2021?
The panel of judges will be looking for a practice that offers real product choice, an outstanding customer experience and clinical excellence. The judges will want to see evidence of how the business has created its personality in its local area, links with other businesses and its profile within the community. The judges will be looking for evidence of service, individualised eye care and a practice that adds something a little different to its competitors. The panel of judges will want to see the quality and diversity of optical products offered and see positive feedback on that from the practice’s clients.
To register your interest for the 2021 Optician Awards go to
www.opticianawards.co.uk/register-your-interest-for-opt21.