ZEISS ‘YOU AND EYE’ AWARDS: Keeping The Optical Industry United
The purpose of an awards show is not just to win accolades and appreciation, but also to win customers, earn goodwill and use your marketing skills to leverage the visibility of your store. Opticians have been using the ZEISS ‘YOU&EYE’ AWARDS for the last 5 years and we are proud to give them the platform once again in 20-21
The biggest reward that any optician could get is the continued patronage and loyalty of his customers. A twinkle in the customer's eye, a smile, a look of satisfaction and the knowledge that you have helped someone see the world better can bring immense joy. Every optician strives for this when a customer walks into the door.
And this is not easy. A good deal of patience, planning and efforts goes into this, which often went unnoticed or unacknowledged in the past.
But it all changed since the ZEISS ‘YOU&EYE’ AWARDS came into being. The awards was the first of its kind initiative to recognise the efforts and acknowledge the achievements of the opticians — however big or small they may have been.
ZEISS ‘YOU&EYE’ AWARDS has since its inception grown to be the most sought after awards in the eyewear retail sector. It has also set new benchmarks for the industry to follow, raising the standards of eyewear retailing year after year.
Every year, opticians from across the country have participated and engaged their customers to vote for them. This helps in a two-fold manner.
First, it directly allowed opticians to highlight to their customers that they are being serviced by an optician that is committed to excellence. It clearly indicated that their optician strived to be the best. This was an important aspect that couldn’t be expressed easily otherwise.
By simply participating in a nationwide awards programme, the optician would highlight to their patrons that, “Look here. We have enough confidence in our products and services, that we are willing to compete at a national level”. This itself is enough to validate the trust of the customer and instill in them a sense of pride for their right selection.
Secondly, when an optician gets a customer to vote, it is on a subconscious level a certification of appreciation by the customer. Can you imagine how many such ‘certificates of appreciation’ an optician can get just by getting their customers to vote! Once engaged in this manner by voting for the optician, the customer is almost bound to the
optician for life.
During this time of the pandemic, the Awards event plays a third, pivotal role. It brings to fore the overall eyewear retail sector, reminding the customer that eyewear is a shopping category too.
Success Stories
In the last four editions, ZEISS ‘YOU&EYE’ AWARDS has had over 400 opticians participate in various categories. With a specified demarcation of Metro and Non-Metro as well as Retail Chains and Independent or Boutique stores, the Awards has provided a winning chance for all opticians.
The previous years have put the spotlight on the best boutique opticians across India as well as nationally acclaimed retail chains.
Each of these winners in the past ended up setting new, higher standards every year for the industry to follow.
Also, as an acknowledgement of individuals who have helped the industry reach where it is, the ZEISS ‘YOU&EYE’ AWARDS has felicitated industry and retail stalwarts like Darshanlal Madan, B.K.Gupta, Pradip Singh Thukral, Anup Kumar the late Rajanikant Turakhia, Vipin Buckshey, Dayal Das Kalra and Ronnie Talati. Their efforts set the foundation upon which the industry continues to flourish.
Awards Categories
Like every year, the ZEISS ‘YOU&EYE’ AWARDS 20/21 has the following entry categories:
- Best Eyewear Retailer
- Best Store Display and Design
- Excellence in Customer Service
- Best Marketing Initiative Excellence in Clinical Support
- Best CSR Initiative
All categories of ZEISS ‘YOU&EYE’ AWARDS (except Best CSR Initiative) will be given out in three different segments:
- Metro Boutique Stores
- Non-Metro Boutique Stores
- All India Retail Chains
