Showing patience and understanding to create a great customer experience

It’s just all in a day’s work for Apprentice Optical Assistant Chloe, who received some fantastic feedback via social media from a customer after a tricky visit to Specsavers for her son’s first ever eye test.  She tells us why it’s important to approach additional needs with patience and understanding.  

A busy day in-store 

“I was working on pre-screens/diagnostics when a customer came in with her 9-year-old son and toddler in a pushchair. It was her son’s first ever eye test, so he didn’t know what to expect. It was a really busy day too, so there was a bit of a wait for customers. During his pre-screen, he was a bit fidgety, and his Mum was concerned that, if he couldn’t sit for the pre-screen, he wouldn’t be able to have his eyes tested. I reassured her that he was doing well, and anything I couldn’t do would be done by the Optometrist.  

After I had carried out the pre-screen, the customer and her children went back to the waiting area to see the Optometrist. The boy has ADHD and finds it hard to sit still, so he was extremely fidgety, and his Mum was becoming a bit flustered. I made a light-hearted comment to the boy about not climbing or swinging on the fixtures, and apologised to them for the wait, keeping them updated with their position in the queue the best I could.  

Sorry for the wait 

A bit later, I was with another patient when I heard the boy screaming in the waiting area. He was getting so bored and restless, and his Mum was uncomfortable and slightly overwhelmed as other patients in the waiting area were looking at her as if to say ‘calm him down’. This was very difficult to do, not only due to his ADHD, but also for the fact she was trying to keep her 2-year-old entertained as well. I came over to them to assure the boy that they wouldn’t be waiting too much longer, and asked if there was anything I could do to keep him occupied in the meantime. I went and found some pencils and paper and took him to a desk where he could draw and colour, so he was focusing on that rather than waiting and being bored.  

He sat down and got stuck-in to some drawing, until he was called through to see the Optometrist for his test. The Optometrist said he sat through it really well, and his test was over and done with in no time. At the end of the appointment, the boy didn’t want to leave! He was also disappointed that his eye test determined he didn’t need glasses, as he was looking forward to picking out some frames. I could tell his Mum really appreciated me stepping in to help. For me, it was nothing but to her it was everything. If her son had a negative experience for his very first eye test, then he will always dread future eye tests. I couldn’t let that happen so I did what I could to make sure he had the best experience possible.

Different customers have different needs

I deal with various people with diverse needs most days in-store. Neurodiversity can be more apparent in some people, and less so in others, so it can be tricky to know how to meet the needs of every individual. I’m a naturally sensitive person, but it’s so important to show patience and understanding when dealing with people to make sure they have a great customer experience. Specsavers have some excellent e-learning modules on patient care and how to handle different needs within a professional environment which is crucial to our roles in-store.;

When I saw the post on social media, it truly made my week. I was just doing my job! I didn’t know what impact I had on the customer. In her post, she stated: “This may not seem a big deal to some people, but a simple act of kindness like that really did make my day and saved me a lot of hassle. She didn’t have to do that, but she chose to, and I’m very grateful”. I’m proud to have made a difference and hope this reflects positively on the service we provide to our customers across all our stores.”