Analysis of LensCrafters Organization - Book Report/Review Example

LensCrafters Organization Lenscrafters Organization Introduction In approximation, LensCrafters has more than 850 stores distributed in various countries such Canada, United States and Puerto Rico among others. LensCrafters’ stores are known as the biggest optical chain stores in America. The stores offer eye care services to its various customers by prescribing eyeglasses and sunglasses. Its headquarters is located in Cincinnati, Ohio. Lenscrafters started in 1983 with a single optical store that guaranteed eyeglass to customers within one hour. Lenscrafters is one of the leading optical retailers today with excellent products, immaculate customers’ services and biggest names in frame designing. Its stores use state-of-the –art equipment to fit lenses and ensure that clients get the perfect lenses. In this respect, the stores have lens-stimulators that help and enable them to find the right lens for the customers’ sight. Lenscrafters provides expert care for their clients with proficient optometry doctors at each store. Strategy and competitive advantage The mission statement of Lenscrafters is focused on being the top provider of exceptional eye care customer services. In this view, LensCrafters uses the strategy of differentiation to gain a competitive edge over its competitors. Lenscrafters commits in providing optical services and products that customers perceive to be unique in the optical market. Every its store has lab that offers a service within one hour – a customer picks out lenses, selects a frame, and have them combine (a finished product) in one hour. In addition, LensCrafters offers an unconditional guarantee to its customers to exchange or return the glasses with ninety days if the client is not happy with the eyeglasses or sunglasses. In ensuring sustainability of its competitive advantage, LensCrafters also offers the number one protection plan that is extended on the market. The organization has doctors who provide comprehensive eye examinations for any patients. Moreover, the organization has a special program in place called ‘see now pay later that allows customers to have their purchases within a period of one year with no interest charged. The purpose of such a program is to make LensCrafters products and services affordable to everyone (Collier, & Evans, 2012). Operation management activities and some of their challenges Customer relationship management is a key operation management activity adopted by LensCrafters organization to influence customers’ experience. Through customer relationship management, the organization is in a position to collect information about its customers, analyze it and gain the understanding of customers needs, wants and behaviors. It enables an organization to serve its customers better and build their loyalty. The systems of customer relationship management involve sales force automation, marketing campaign analysis and management, and customer service and support. An effective customer relationship management helps LensCrafters to focus on customers satisfaction and build their loyalty as well. Satisfied customers with high-quality services and products of LensCrafters organization develop good experiences that make them loyal to the company in the long-run. Nevertheless, employees’ lack of customer service skills is a major challenge to LensCrafters organization. In various occasions, customers have complained about how some employees of LensCrafters mishandle them especially when they come to return or exchange the glasses as warranty policy recommends. Such mishandles costs the company a lot more especially when it loses valuable customers to its competitors. The company needs to confront these issues by taking its employees for training to acquire customer’s service skills. In regard to product, the company has received various complaints from the customers about how their glasses develop spots and scratches. The coating of the glasses is coming off, and customers think that the organization is cheating on them and sells low-quality glasses. As a challenge to the operation of the organization, the management needs to handle the issue and ensure that scratch-resistant coating is applied on all glasses. Effectiveness in the value chain Apart from the coating-off problem of some glasses, LensCrafters stands out as the foremost organization in the world that provides its customers with the best and high-quality optical services and products. The company uses its vision and mission statements as directions in its operations. Most employees at LensCrafters have the required knowledge and skills that ensure optimum work productivity value addition. All the optical laboratory technicians have the required certifications for the respective line of work, and the organization ensures that the rest of the employees go through training before as well as during the employment period. The training helps the employee to develop the required work skills and customer service skills. With such skills, these employees are able analysis customers’ needs and add value to those needs to ensure customers satisfactions. The management team usually motivates and recognizes employees for their excellent work. Such motivation encourages employees to offer unsurpassed services it customers. In regard to the line of service – eye care at LensCrafters, grooming is paramount because this service is sensitive. All employees are recommended to observe and ensure acute cleanliness measures from both within and outside the stores. In ensuring customers satisfaction, employees normally lead clients to the display area to pick the frames of their choice or liking. Moreover, customers are allowed to watch as the technician prepares the spectacles in the laboratory. The whole service takes a maximum of one hour to complete, and a guarantee of twelve months is given for glasses. Service Delivery System Design There are various aspects of operations that LensCrafters have adopted to ensure an effective service delivery system design. In regard to the types of performance measurements, LensCrafters can be measured using two types of such measurements – those related to outcomes and those focused on determinants of the outcomes (Neely, 2007). For instance, LensCrafters takes a maximum of one hour to provide its services to customers. Also, according to its expansion and growth in the market, it is evident the company makes huge profits. Also, the fact that the company can hire proficient optometry doctors shows that LensCrafters makes much profit from its optical business. Such expansion, growth and profit falls under performance measurements that relates to results. In view of performance measurements that are related to the determinant (inputs), LensCrafters has all its stores conveniently located highly populated areas such as shopping malls. Such locations ensure that the organization reaches its target market faster. Further, LensCrafters stores are large with well-furnished retail areas, carpeted floors, and well-lit rooms. Moreover, the shops have specialized display sections and fully equipped laboratory with state-of-the-art machinery. All these indoor aspects show that the organization recognizes the fact that its services are extremely sensitive and need a high level of hygiene. Additionally, the well-partitioned rooms ascertain that employees and customers can interact privately in the eye-exam rooms as well as fitting stations (Collier & Evans, 2010). The walls are decorated with degrees and certificates as evidence that the employees offering the service are very competent. Clienteles are received by the relevant employees when they entered the shop and led to the appropriate service area. Technologies used to strengthen the value chain The use of technology is paramount in an eye care service. With the help of technology, LensCrafters always develops ways to help its customers to see in a clearer view. In this regard, the company uses an anti-reflective coating machine when fitting and coating the glasses in the laboratory. The anti-reflective coating eliminates brightness or reflection and relieves from eyestrain caused due night driving or frequent computer use. Also, lenses with anti-reflective coating repel smudges and dusts (McCleary, 2009). Another technology used by LensCrafters is the use of lens-stimulator technology. This technology enables the lab technicians to help customers find the right lenses for their sight and solve their vision problems once and for all. The company also uses sales force automation systems (software) to track all sales process automatically. The functions of this software include sales lead tracking, contact management, order management and sales forecasting. The company also has low-tech quick-replace spectacles which contain the necessary information for replacement of a pair of eyeglasses. On the same note, Accu-Fit digital measuring system is used in the lab to facilitate precise measurement of the eyes. This system makes eye measurement five times more accurate than traditional methods. In brief, the technology helps customers to have the right lenses for their sight. Reference Collier, D. A., & Evans, J. R. (2012). OM3. Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning. Collier, D. A., & Evans, J. R. (2010). OM2. Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning. Print. McCleary, D. S. (2009). The optician training manual: Simple steps to becoming a great optician. Temecula, CA: Santa Rosa Pub. Neely, A. D. (2007). Business performance measurement: Unifying theories and integrating practice. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Read More