Optometrist Dr Margaret Lam has joined 1001 Optical, an independent family-owned business with 16 boutique practices across Australia.
Dr Lam will head the 1001 practice in Bondi, Sydney, and contribute to the group’s increasing focus on clinical eye care and customer service.
So, at this stage, we are currently focussing on the internal growth of the business…
1001 Optical was established by Christine and James Lee over 30 years ago. Their son, Edward Lee also works in the business. He graduated from Queensland University of Technology’s School of Optometry and Vision Science in 2018. Having worked in the business during school holidays since the age of 12, he gained experience outside the family business following graduation and then returned to 1001 Optical in 2021.
Edward Lee said his family’s Korean heritage has strongly influenced the business’ eye care philosophy.
“My mother was the first Korean optometrist to graduate from UNSW,” he explained to mivision. “Our first practice was in Campsie (in Sydney’s inner west), a predominantly Korean community. A major challenge was that although many of the patients who were immigrants to Australia needed eye examinations, they struggled with the communication element of the eye test and the frame options didn’t resonate with their taste.
“This is where the core principles of 1001 Optical were developed and we now strive to provide the best eye care by ensuring our optometrists speak the language of our customers at each geographical location, and that we provide the best eyewear by hand-picking frame selections that align with the taste and demand of each demographic.”
CLINICAL FOCUS
Left to right: Michelle Mo, Edward Lee, and Aidan Chan
By taking advantage of advances in research and technology, Mr Lee is also seeking to enhance each practice’s clinical focus. This is a direction that particularly excited Dr Lam and drove her decision to make the move from George and Matilda.
“Personalised customer service and patient care needs to be a core part of optometry, so I’m excited that enhancing personalised care is a primary focus for us in the 1001 Optical team,” she said.
“Our Bondi practice will now provide services for corneal topography, optical coherence tomography, and ultra-wide retinal imaging. This will allow us to provide a higher level of care for our patients.”
In the future, Dr Lam will help support the professional development of optometrists in the 1001 Optical business, by helping them learn new skills and elevate their patient care.
“Building a practice where I can continue to evolve and expand optometrists’ skills further, including in myopia management, dry eye, rehabilitative contact lens therapy for patients, and specialty contact lens fitting – and in an optometry practice that supports me in expanding this scope – is a very exciting future for me,” she commented.
EXCITED OPPORTUNITY
With clinical expertise the primary focus, Mr Lee said, “We see the practice of optometry today as an interesting ‘old meets new’ world, where good old-fashioned personalised customer service needs to be our focus, as well as meeting the many advances in optometric skill in practice, so there are still so many opportunities to continue to improve the current ‘business’ of optometry.
“As we see some optometry businesses seek to discount further, potentially reducing the quality of the eyewear that is being supplied, we define ourselves going down a different path, as providing exceptional value, but focussing on the patient and their eye care and customer service experience.
“So, at this stage, we are currently focussing on the internal growth of the business. It’s an incredibly exciting opportunity to bring to life a vision for high standards of customer service and patient care for our future optometry practices.”
