Lens Crafters is an optic chain of about 870 special service shops, which is known for its operational strategy and customer service. It uses differentiation strategy to plan, where they offer goods and services, which are perceived to be unique in the market place. They have a lab on site where they offer a one-hour service to their customers. In that a consumer is allowed to pick a frame and lenses, and have it finished in an hour. The other part of their unique services is that they offer a ninety days unconditional guarantee for their products. In case, the consumer is unsatisfied with the glasses he/she is allowed to exchange or return them. LensCrafters also offers number one extended plan on the market. They have doctors who provide comprehensive eye exams for all patients (Nathan, 2001). The other unique service they have in place is that of, see now pay later program. Whereby a client is given twelve months of no interest to purchase a product and then pay in small instalments until the debt clears off. It is because of this reason that anyone can afford lens craft goods and services.
For years, lens crafters have one of their primary focus in creating a good relationship with the customer and maintain those relationships for life. The staff and the company focus in providing high level customer services, providing good working environment, training and hiring energetic associates. Most importantly, to their customers they provide high quality eyewear in just one hour. Over the years, they have shown their commitment to eye by putting all their effort and energy to focus only on one objective, which is taking care of people's eyes. Lens crafters strive to improve the entire process of eye care by starting with exceptional customer service, transparency and honestly (Walsh, 2005). As part of striving to success, they invest heavily in new software that will help them maintain their competitive edge against the competition.
Their customers benefit package is designed to configure an integrated set of eyewear, as well as accurate eye exam. The company has developed an amazing brand recognition, which is being known and trusted all across North America. Their capability to provide convenient access to eye exams, substantial day guarantee, one hour services, competitive pricing, modern frames and lenses with fashion luxury eyewear is what keeps them a household staple. LensCrafters open their first store in 1983 and from that year, it has promised to provide quality and effective lenses in an hour. Lens crafters has been employing experienced, qualified doctors providing complete customer service experience (Walsh, 2005). Today lens crafter is still number one leader in the optometry industry. They have over 963 stores and more than 15,000 associates across Canada, U.S and Puerto Rico.
One of the main operational management, which affects the customer experience, is inadequate use of technology. Some of the clients who are in lenses prescription find it difficult to choose a frame that best suits them. It is a problem, which has to be addressed with immediate effect. Since, a client may not be fully satisfied with the brand he/she is buying. Mainly this un-satisfaction is brought about because a customer does not get a chance to compare and try as many brands as possible to come up with the one he/she likes. They cannot choose because they are unable see without their glasses on. Another factor, which affects clients’ experience, is the presence of inadequate qualified doctors. Presence of few doctors compared with the number of patients who want to be treated greatly affects client’s experience as they get to wait long hours in queues to be checked. It inconvenience people, as some have to wait for long hours to get the much-needed services from doctors (Clow, 2010). The quality of services reduces with decreasing number of doctors, mainly because the staff overstrain their energy on the huge number of patients. It is some of the challenges that lens crafter needs to face in order to increase the quality of their service they offer to their clients.
Operation management challenges, which greatly faces lenscrafters can be, solve if great concern is given and coming with sound solutions. The challenge of inadequate technology and lack of enough qualified doctors can be done with using some of the discussed solutions below. The company is required to purchased and install modern technology to their daily operations. With sufficient technology in place, the quality of service will increase leading to customer satisfaction. As it can be seen, most people with prescription glasses find difficultly choosing which glasses suits them best, find it hard to select the frame, which matches and suits their face. Lens crafter is addressing this problem by buying mirrors with digital technology. By use of this technology, customers can see themselves with different frames and get to decide which one suits them best. The mirror is activated via sensors in that when customer approaches, it takes a picture of the customer from three different angles (Nathan, 2001). The facial recognition automatically decide which three out of nine cameras to use based on height of the customer. It has a multi-stage lighting, which creates a flattering frame for someone’s face. Though touchscreen, the customers can view the different looks and solicit advice from friends and family by sharing through social media.
The solution to the inadequate number of doctors requires the company to employee more doctors who are specialized on eyes. It is one of the ideal things to do, as it will increase efficiency and quality of services. To reduce the effect of inadequate number of doctors in future Lenscrafters are supposed to set aside funds to sponsor medical students who specialized in the field of ophthalmic in colleges and universities. These students can study under sponsorship of lenscrafters and after graduating, they can come and work for lenscrafters. In effect, this will increase the number of loyal personnel in the company hence improving the quality and efficiency of services (Walsh, 2005).
Some of the major business initiatives that lens crafters use are customer relationship management. By use of this, the company get to have information about customer’s insight and know about their behaviors and needs in order to serve them highly. Customer relationship management typically includes customer service, sales force automation as well as marketing campaign (Clow, 2010). Lenscrafters uses the data gain from patients’ eye exams to know what the consumer wants.
Lens crafters uses knowledge management system, which supports the dissemination, organizing and capturing throughout the organization. The main objective of using knowledge management is for the company to be sure of the fact solutions, source of information, trademarks and good practices processes to available to employees. The other thing which lenscrafters uses is automation system. It is a system, which automatically tracks all steps in the sales process (Nathan, 2001). The sales process of lenscrafters contains many steps including sales lead tracking, order management and sales forecasting as well as product knowledge. Some of the competitive opportunities with customer relationship management includes differentiation and focus of the product.
The marketing mix are tools that lens crafters use to pursue its marketing objectives in attracting potential consumers. The company registers itself with search engines like google, Yahoo Answers and many more to bring traffic to their website, and in return attracting more clients. The other thing they do is viral marketing where they ensure their products and service are familiar to everybody. They achieve this by advertising their products and services using different tools like media. Therefore, increasing their sales by attracting many people from different parts. The other type of marketing mix they use is use of affiliate programs; where two or more sites are linked together directing viewers from one site to the next. They use conversation rate from this site to see the amount of potential clients who visit their site. Involvement of the public to their services gives consumers a chance to associate with the company directly. In return, this gives customers to have confidence on the services and products the company gives. Lenscrafters goes beyond and above to market their goods and services to potential customers (Walsh, 2005).
Different types of performance can be used to measure Lens Crafters’ service-delivery are selection and use of quantitative measures. They are used to provide information about the critical aspects of activities and how they affect patients. Activities of what happens in an organization is compared with the set goals and objectives. Lenscrafters can use this to ensure that they have achieved their goals. Another performance measurement type is the one, which measure the success of the program, how it works, and organization’s efforts by comparing the data of what happen and what is expected.
The main reasons why Lenscrafters should measure their performance should be to know what is needed to improve their service efficiency and quality. They can achieve this by comparing their ultimate goal of improving patient’s outcome and their real state. As a matter of fact this is achieved as it shows if the company is making a different into people lives. It also brings transparency into the company where patients and other stakeholders can see and know what happened in the company (Walsh, 2005). Performance management can also be implemented into Lenscrafters to achieve quality performance and achieve desired results. It is a forward-looking continuing process.
Lens crafters Has dozens of branches, which gives them a competitive advantage over other ophthalmic specialty companies. They have all brands of frame and lenses hence having everyone taken cared. They have a good management system that enables them to maintain their one position. Because of the high quality of their products and services, have gain global recognition. They have also collaborated with both government and private sectors.
References
Clow, K. E., & Baack, D. (2010). Marketing management: A customer-oriented approach. Thousand Oaks, Calif: Sage.
Nathan/Tyler Productions (2001). Frontline service: First Union National Bank and LensCrafters Inc. Boston, MA: Nathan/Tyler.
Walsh, J. (2005). Management Tactics: Short Cases in Operational Management. New York: McGraw-Hill.
