Rodenstock is one of the world’s leading suppliers of lenses yet in Australia the company’s market share is relatively small. Optometrists and optical dispensers have tended to select Rodenstock lenses as a solution to complex patient needs, and they’ve been dissuaded from recommending them to the majority by long turnaround times. Now the company says it has listened to its customers… and things have changed.
A state-of-the-art lab in Thailand, a new “Complete Package” for frame and lens bundles, and complimentary practice consultancy services for customers are at the heart of a new offering Rodenstock believes will build its business in Australia.
“Over the past 14 months we’ve worked tirelessly to bring Rodenstock to the fore – we are listening, we are changing… we are thinking differently about the business and working with you,” said Colette Kinsella, Rodenstock’s National Sales and Marketing Manager for the eyewear division. “We don’t want to sit on the sidelines; we want to be in the game.”
She and her colleague, Ulli Hentschel – the company’s National Sales and Marketing Manager for the lens division – lobbied hard to have Rodenstock’s lab in Thailand equipped to supply the Australian market, and say the turn-around has made a significant difference to the service they can now offer.
“Rodenstock made an enormous investment in freeform generators, coating and tinting facilities as well as dedicated remote edging equipment. Now we can grind and finish a lens in Thailand, have it fitted into the frame in our Sydney lab and dispatched to the customer within five days,” said Mr. Hentschel.
He said customers who order Rodenstock frames fitted with Rodenstock lenses gain the greatest advantage when it comes to speed of delivery and cost savings. “Because we hold all the frame shape data, the process of selecting, grinding and fitting is that much faster,” he said, “plus there is no use of third parties”.
The Complete Package
Rodenstock has packaged its Rodenstock and Rocco frames with lenses to create product bundles that Ms. Kinsella says will happily compete with other offerings on the market. “The product bundles we’ve put together match some of the most advanced lenses Rodenstock offers with premium frames at very competitive prices – less than what you’d pay if you were to buy the lenses and frames separately – and they include free lens fitting. Additionally, customers get the benefit of placing one order, receiving one invoice and one freight charge.”
Ms. Kinsella said as well as the established Rocco and Rodenstock frame and lens packages, the company can tailor packages for lenses with frames from the Porsche Design, Dunhill, Mercedes Benz and Claudia Schiffer ranges.
Within Rodenstock’s Superior, Excellence and Perfection lens categories are single vision, extended near focus, progressive and sunglass lenses.
we are listening, we are changing… we are thinking differently about the business and working with you
Easier, Faster, More Profitable
She said the Complete Package is all about making it easier and faster for customers to place and receive orders. “Customers can place orders for our frames, lenses and frame / lens packages over the phone, by fax or via Rodenstock’s Advanced Winfit ordering software, which sends the lens orders to the laboratory instantaneously ensuring the fastest possible delivery.
“Using our Board Management service, they can either order the complete lens and frame from us or send their stocked frame in to our lab for the lens to be fitted. Of course if you’ve just sold a bestseller, it’s best to keep that frame on the shelf and order a new one from our warehouse stock – you don’t want to miss out on sales while you wait for bestseller replacements to arrive.”
Mr. Hentschel said Rodenstock’s lens specialists are onsite at the company’s Sydney lab to assist with any technical enquiries. “Between the lab technicians we have hundreds of years’ experience – it’s a valuable resource our customers are welcome to access,” he said, adding that Rodenstock’s lens reps are also available to help practices build profitability through lens sales.
Helping Practices Grow
“Over time we’ve found even practices that are performing well tend to overlook opportunities to increase profits through lenses sales – simply because they don’t have time to look for opportunities.
Staff automatically recommend a standard lens, assuming the customer won’t spend the money on a more advanced design or material, when often they will,” said Mr. Hentschel.
“A typical practice will sell the most advanced lenses 20 per cent of the time; mid-range lenses 50 per cent of the time; and the bottom of the range the remaining 30 per cent of the time. So if we step those bottom and middle tier products up by 10 per cent each, customers receive better vision and the practice achieves greater profit margins too.
“We’ve helped several customers increase profitability from lens sales by analysing the lenses they currently use, helping them develop a lens strategy and educating staff so they completely understand the differences between lenses and can confidently sell them.”
Ms. Kinsella said practices can also build profitability by reviewing their frame strategy. “The optical practices I’ve dealt with typically have up to AU$600,000 tied up in stock. That’s a lot of resources locked away, particularly if your stock is not moving.
“My team of reps and I often work with customers to analyse what is and isn’t selling and they’re usually surprised and shocked when we help them realise just how much it costs to have stock sitting
on the boards.
“Any frame that has been sitting there for over 18 months should be discontinued and sold out because it is costing you money – and it’s draining capital from your business that could be used to invest in other growth opportunities.”
She said Rodenstock can help customers sell out discontinued stock by offering a special frame and lens price, regardless of whether the frame is or is not from Rodenstock. “This is about helping our customers manage their stock and maximise their profitability,” she said.
Ms. Kinsella advises eye care professionals to work with the sales team reps that come into the practice. “Your sales rep can be your secret weapon – they visit a variety of practices in your area so they know what sells… and it is in their best interest to help you to sell frames.
Practice Marketing
Ms. Kinsella said Rodenstock is available to showcase collections to customers at VIP nights, with lens reps on hand to help dispensers measure customers for specially customised lenses and competitive pricing available for multiple purchasers. Additionally the Rodenstock team is available to create window displays and provide staff with technical and branding training.
Standard Rodenstock lenses are backed by two-year warranties while lenses with anti-reflection coatings come with a three-year warranty Optical frames have a two-year warranty and sunglasses a one-year warranty.
