October ROC'n Top 16

Here's our ROC'n Top 16 for the month of October 2008. So as we continue on through the 4th Quarter, let's be sure and celebrate all of the great accomplishments of our top-notch associates.

Click on the image for full-size view:

It's No Mystery in 557!!!

Well, Region 16 is officially part of the MBE party! We have been mystery shopped in one of our first stores. And how did they do? Well...

The first shop was a full purchase shop and all they did was score a 96%. Jessenia Figueroa did an awesome job delivering a Mind-Blowing Customer Experience and delivered the first stellar score. And as if that wasn't good enough...

Ximara Vega delivered a FinalEyes Shop score of 100%!!! Unbelievable!

So, a big shout out to Jessie and Ximara - they are truly delivering a Mind Blowing Experience in store 557!!

"Style Speak" and How to Build Your "Style" Vocabulary

Now that Region 16 is fully engulfed in the Mind-Blowing Experience, I thought I'd share some thoughts and observations that everyone would find helpful and engaging.

One of the big pieces to the success of MBE is the ability to exit and re-engage using "style speak". This is easily one of our biggest opportunities in Region 16 and at the same time, one of the more fun and easy things to become skilled at. On recent visits to our Trumbull and Stamford stores, we had some fun creating a "Style Vocabulary". Basically, learning and finding new, descriptive and fun words to help us describe specific eyewear. Because this is new and not everyone is comfortable using some words, it is critical that everyone find words that they are comfortable and confident using within a normal conversation with a customer. This will help us become experts at exiting and re-engaging using "style-speak" as well as help us build credibility and consumer confidence through the use of specific, powerful words that help customers begin to create that "emotional connection" we want them to have with their eyewear.

The first exercise we have is a very simple one - throughout the day, as we are quiet or as we are re-merchandising the store after a rush (this can be at the end of the night, even) we can challenge each other by simply taking a frame that has distinct characteristics and bring it to a fellow associate and ask them - "Give me a word that describes this frame." It is their job to now come up with a word, other than the ones we already use to describe the Style Sections (ie Bold, Clean, Simple, etc.) that describes that particular frame. Once they have, the associates can now alternate. What this has done is now helped those associates create and store words for their "Style Vocabulary" that they can use during a conversation with a customer. To take this exercise one step further, James, the Retail Manager in our Stamford Store, suggested that we use this same exercise while we are unpacking our weekly frame shipments, challenging each other to came up with new and descriptive words.

Another way that we can build our vocabulary is through the use of the Heritage Books that we have in our stores that tell the stories of many of the brands we carry. They contain many great words and phrases that can help us build credibility and consumer confidence - and have some fun at the same time!

The other piece to this is that this ties in perfectly with Final Eyes as we look to create that individual experience for each customer. This again will give us the confidence to use descriptive and specific words that can create that connection between our customers and their new eyewear.

Do you have any great ideas that will help Region 16 become the best at delivering a Mind Blowing Experience to our customers? If so, please don't hesitate to share your ideas here in the comments section or email them to me at alinicus@sbcglobal.net.

Roc on Region 16 - you are the best!!

LenCrafters + David Letterman + Sarah Palin Look-alikes = FUNNY!!

Well, David Letterman is at it again. This time with help from some famous look-alikes.

On Oct. 29 the Late Night with David Letterman show made a surprise visit to our LensCrafters Optique at W. 70th/Broadway in Manhattan to shoot a skit titled, “How many Sarah Palins can you fit into a LensCrafters?”
The 6.5-minute segment aired on Letterman’s show Wednesday 10/29 and repeatedly featured the external façade of the store, including an appearance by LensCrafters Retail Manager Danny Rodriguez. Actors dressed as Sarah Palin continued to enter the store until they reached 16 total “Sarah Palins” plus other characters (including a dog, two aliens, a clown, a cowboy and other costumed characters).

How do you think conversion looked in this store on Wednesday?