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Learning the value of premium eyewear and customer service in optometry
By Bradley Lane, OD, MBA, MEd
Nov. 20, 2024
Do your employees understand the value of exceptional customer service, premium products and what patients are willing to pay for both?
Here are details on the exercise that took me and my team to Outback Steakhouse and Ruth Chris Steak House to learn how to do better by our patients and practice.
How Do We Present Products in Upper Price Range?
At our office, Appalachian Eye Care, we recognized that some staff members were struggling with the concept of charging $800+ or more for premium products and glasses in the optical department.
To address this challenge, and help our team better understand the value of high-end offerings, we organized visits to Outback Steakhouse and Ruth Chris Steak House.
Our staff didn’t realize what were doing when we took them to dinner on two different occasions.
What Overall Good Customer Service Looks Like
The visit to Outback Steakhouse demonstrated overall good customer service and a mid-range dining experience, offering decent quality, but without a significant emphasis on the finer details.
It was the typical visit. We asked the staff to tell us about their experience. They reported, “The food was good and the service was decent” And: “My drink didn’t get refilled very quickly.”
What High-End Experience with Attention to Detail Looks Like
Later in the year, while at the annual SECO conference in Atlanta, we took them to Ruth Chris Steak House.
The visit to Ruth Chris highlighted a higher-end approach, where attention to detail, personalized service and superior product quality created an elevated customer experience.
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Our staff members noted: “Whoa. The server folded my napkin when I went to the restroom.” And: “They dust the crumbs off the table between courses.” Also: “They [Ruth Chris staff] are really proud of their jobs.”
Takeaway Lessons from Contrast in Experiences
Our staff was able to see how small, but important, distinctions, such as presentation, service and premium ingredients, significantly impact the overall value perception of customers.
During our visits to Outback Steakhouse and Ruth Chris, we observed that while both restaurants provide the same essential service—a meal—the way they execute it creates a vastly different experience, and people are willing to pay more for quality.
At Outback, the experience is casual, with good food and friendly service, but at Ruth Chris, the focus is on luxury, precision and personalized attention. The premium quality ingredients, fine-tuned service and overall atmosphere make customers more willing to pay a higher price for what feels like a superior experience.
What Do These Lesson Mean for Working with Patients in the Optical?
The lessons learned from visiting the two restaurants are valuable for our optical department, where staff may initially struggle with justifying the cost of premium products.
Like higher-end restaurants, when employees understand the value they are providing—whether it’s in the form of superior eyewear or enhanced patient care—they gain confidence and job satisfaction, which can positively impact how they present higher-end options to our patients.
The visits underscored the importance of understanding that when people pay for quality, they’re not just paying for the product, but for the entire experience that comes with it.
The experience at Ruth Chris reinforced the idea that customers are willing to pay more when they perceive exceptional service and quality.
This helped our team grasp that, similarly, when recommending premium eyewear, their attention to detail, customer care and their understanding of the product’s value are crucial in justifying the price to patients.
By aligning their approach with this mindset, they gained more confidence in presenting premium options to patients in our optical department.
Bradley Lane, OD, MBA, MEd, is a partner with Appalachian Eye Care in Princeton, W.V., his primary office, and Pearisburg, Va, a secondary location. To contact him: bmlaneod@gmail.com
