Optics by appointment or how to reinvent yourself in times of crisis

It is an understatement to say that the past year has changed the way we live and work. Since the Second World War, no event has affected the entire world population as much as the Covid-19 crisis has just done. Also, as in practically all sectors of activity, optics and eyewear has been forced to adapt, to reinvent itself. The optic by appointment is a striking example. And we can legitimately ask this question: is this reinvention temporary or definitive?

Optics by appointment or how to reinvent yourself in times of crisis

The Covid-19 health crisis occurred while digital tools known as ICT (information and communication techniques) are constantly evolving. Faced with the arrival on the market of workers more aware of climate change, their use is encouraged in favor of paper. Consumption has already changed considerably, and our way of working has also changed.

The teleworking conventions, initially established in a prudent way, exploded in a few days while the first confinement, very strict, started. Thus, in the trades where this organizational aspect had never been proposed, it was necessary to redouble ingenuity to continue its activity.

Many ideas had already been developed. tried. But when the second wave hit, and while the post-containment resumption of activity had shown all the revival capacity of the optical sector , a reflection was focused on the best way to continue to offer its services. The questions of customer emergency management as well as the organization of employees have arisen.

The optic by appointment is one of the consequences, both of digitization and the need to maintain a trade in full sanitary restrictions. Of course, this new way of organizing customer relations affects almost all sectors of activity.

A protocol doomed to last?

As each time a new organizational step is taken, in particular because it is due to an imponderable, the question of going back is posed. This is, in many companies, the case of teleworking, which brings its share of non-negligible advantages.

The optics by appointment will, without a doubt, lead to the same questions. Because making an appointment, for the merchant as the customer, allows to have a better visibility on all the activity.

If the basic objective is well to answer the measurements health, this way of working guarantees better quality interaction , more obvious management of the time spent with each client, less stress and easier internal organization in terms of working time. According to the first returns following this very particular year, this also results in an increase in the average basket.

Tools have also been made available to opticians who took care of organizing the appointment. Essilor has therefore developed an online application on essilorpro.fr to allow partner opticians to manage appointments free of charge.

There is no doubt that in the future, the optics by appointment will be brought to democratize even more. While this will not be an obligation for the customer, this system has demonstrated its benefits and will, in the future, allow the relationship between opticians and patients to be further improved.