Table/Service

Frances Scholz has been a licensed dispensing optician for 25 years, working the last 15 of those years at Southside Eyecare and Optical in Anchorage, Alaska. Winston Churchill once noted that everyone needs a dedicated hobby to enhance their creative and professional passions, and for Frances that call led to... woodcraft, a dedication she shares with her husband Douglas who she credits as the true artist in their partnership.

After seeing a miniature eyewear-shaped table on the Parting Glance page of 20/20, she decided to make an actual dispensing table that was both functional and aesthetically pleasing. She has since expanded her craft to include wall art and tabletop mirrors. She's even started a business venture devoted to her handiwork "Backyard Spectacles" begun in her backyard, where the art pieces are designed and built. Backyard Spectacles is even listed on the Luxury Eyewear Forum Facebook page as a noted accessories vendor. Her tables tell the tale, and all of optical can benefit from that bounty.

20/20: There might be a fine but definite line between normal retailing displays and optical retailing/dispensing displays but 20/20 can think of no one better than you to deliver the key difference based on your hands-on experience. Tell us your thoughts on that difference.

Frances Scholz: The difference between optical displays and regular displays is people often try on the frames so any optical-oriented display structure needs to be more user-friendly than simply a static display in a normal retail environment. Optical dispensers and retailers have to draw people's attention to a specific frame or frame collection, and they often need to be interactive and friendly, as well as educational. I make my own displays, tables and other items and often have other members of the office involved in creating a theme for each season throughout the year. That way everyone in the office has a vested interest in how we present ourselves and our products, and not just some generic point of purchase stuff that may not be relevant to our patient base.

What do you think is the one most important change anyone can make to their store that would make for a best impression?
Show that you care by cleaning and maintaining displays on a daily basis! Often optical stores have a tremendous amount of clutter and don't change out their displays often enough or freshen up the existing display. I change the theme of our store displays every quarter. We make a large display hanging from the ceiling throughout the store and then tie the smaller frame displays to it with the use of colors or shapes. Like kites in the spring, flowers in the summer, leaves in the fall and some form of snow-related object for winter. We strive to make the larger displays bright, warm, colorful and simple.

Dispensing table... reception desk... exam room. Help a novice source those particular spaces to maximum advantage.
Of course I would have to recommend getting one of my customized eyewear-inspired dispensing tables to set your practice apart from your competitors, or even some of my wall art to hang behind the reception desk. (Scholz's Vision Expo West booth 20122 “Backyard Spectacles” remains a great source of inspiration and temptation. — 20/20)

We have met the enemy and... it might actually be online retailing at this moment. Your take on the ensuing battle and some potential solutions?
You can refuse to see the train coming at you and get run over by it or you can jump on the train and learn to steer it. There are many lessons we need to learn from online retailing about customer expectations; about what really is important to the customer and not just what is important to us—ease of use and non-confrontational or non-judgmental environment, and convenient for the customer. Many optical places have the tendency to pre-judge a customer's financial situation and ability to choose the type of lens they need unlike the online retailer that offers simple, clear unbiased choices. We need to provide warm, unparalleled service and translate it in a way that is superior to online retailing. Make your brick-and-mortar store an online store with Internet presence and face-to-face intimacy. You don't have to be a discount store or change how you want to be perceived. Offer exemplary service. You have a physical and interactive store so use that to provide a special service to your customer. Show them that not all online retailing is just a quick and cheap alternative. You can provide quality and service online by translating what you do in person to the Internet. Portray your services. Animate your product. Illustrate your advantages. And make those consumers realize the benefits entailed by coming in to see you for that personalized Rx and for a fitting. They should be doing that anyway.