EDITOR'S LETTER
Winners and...
Stephanie K. De Long, Editor in Chief

All told, EB's editors have clocked nearly 75 combined years in optical. That means we've each written a lot about customer service—a fact that made this month's mystery shopper visits to both independents and chains even more fun. We covered five states, visiting 30 optical locations in all. To see our analysis of the service we received, turn to p. 32.

If yours is like many of those locations, you may be feeling a little understaffed and definitely over-tasked. This makes delivering consistently strong service a challenge—but one, according to a recent Business Week article, that makes all the difference. "In this new age [of an experience economy]," notes consultant Jeneanne Rae, "customer experience will decide the winners and losers in almost every industry."

Here are just a couple of examples of how enhancing the experience pays off.

• LOYALTY. One ECP I recently spoke with started a loyalty program that offers bonuses like lens upgrades and free AR on multiple pairs. You need only look to Starbucks—where 80 percent of the revenues come from customers who visit an average of 18 times a month—to see that loyalty definitely pays.

• SURPRISE. The element of surprise or what's called moments of truth marketing is another hot strategy. It's all about creating the unexpected at key "touch" points—like giving away cleaning cloths at checkout or offering bottled water in the dispensary. Starwood Hotels created such an unexpected moment by simply switching from hotel drab to crisp white bed linens.

It's all about making patients and customers feel special. It's one of those win-win equations: Make them feel like winners, and you'll be one, too.

P.S. Don't miss this month's Seiko-sponsored CE for opticians on Making Frame Adjustments.