Respectacle Company Training Day
Last month we enjoyed a fabulous team day out on the Grand Union Canal, hosted by our partners Seiko Vision. It was a team bonding day with a difference, which involved taking a day boat from the Union Wharf in Market Harborough, cruising along the river to Foxton Locks, approximately six miles away.
But it wasn’t a day for messing about on the river. We were there to take part in a training session, which was conducted by Simon from Think Consult. It gave us the chance to work together as a team, to work through some aspects of the customer service we offer our patients whilst enjoying a fun day on board a canal boat. It also gave us the opportunity to get together in a different environment, so we could get to know each other a bit better.
After we were shown the workings of our canal boat we set off from Union Wharf around 10 o’clock. We started the training session looking at how we can improve our customer service, and specifically what we can do to improve the customer’s journey, from the moment they book their eye test through to the collection of their new glasses and everything in between. As a team we explored how we could make the process as pleasurable as possible. The ideas were wide and varied as we visualised each visit from the customer’s perspective.
As we continued to make our way along the river to Foxton Locks, we tucked into some tasty nibbles (courtesy of Deepak from Seiko) and brainstormed ideas to increase our efficiency to ensure our time was spent where it was needed most – with our customers. And then, before we knew it, it was lunch time. Time flies when you’re having fun! So we took a break from the training session to enjoy a bite to eat at the G and Tea Leaf in Foxton Locks. It’s a lovely spot for lunch because the tea room overlooks the Grand Union Canal. Lunch provided us with another good opportunity to chat and to get to know more about each other.
After a delicious lunch it was time to head back to Market Harborough. Turning the boat around is a lot trickier than you might think. In fact it required a team effort. Once the boat was pointing in the right direction, we set off back towards home. During the journey back, it was Rob’s turn to do a spot of product training. We learnt a lot more about the history and the manufacturing of the brands and different frames that make up our eyewear collections in the shop. We understood that this was key information as this kind of knowledge is essential. It means we can relay the information to the customers so they know the history and positives of the frame and brand they have committed to.
Deepak from Seiko then took over from Rob to talk about the quality of the lenses that Seiko provide. Seiko means precision in Japanese, and we were shown a video giving an overview of the high quality lenses that are produced by Seiko Vision, reminding us exactly why we used them as our leading lens suppliers.
Our optometrist Tim took the helm and guided us safely along the Grand Union Canal and home, just as the rain started to descend. All in all, it was a very productive day out and a great team bonding experience. The training session was very informative and we couldn’t wait to put what we had learned on the day into practise.
