LensCrafters offers free eye exams and other services

Free professional eye exams, eyewear fashion consulting services and 30-day money-back guarantees - all of these are services consumers can enjoy at LensCrafters optical chains.

The world's largest premium optical retailer, owned by the Italy-based Luxottica Group, has been striving to make LensCrafters "a Chinese brand with an international name", to provide locally tailored products and services to Chinese consumers, according to George Minakakis, CEO of Luxottica Retail Greater China.

"It's our responsibility to satisfy our customers," he added.

LensCrafters launched free professional eye exams last to consumers last year.

The service is an upgrade of the traditional optometry examination and can not only measure refractive errors for sight, but can also help detect early eye health issues, which may result in glaucoma, cataracts, and macular function changes or other larger health issues.

According to an online poll jointly conducted by LensCrafters and Men's Health magazine, 70 percent of the participants said they have eye problems and 50 percent required correction, while less than 50 percent of those surveyed went for regular eye exams on an annual basis.

"We are educating the consumers to take care of their eyes," said Minakakis, adding that the free service offers a convenient way for customers to get regular eye checks.

The optical retailer currently runs over 300 outlets in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Hong Kong.

LensCrafters is the first glasses retailer to launch a 30-day money-back guarantee on the Chinese mainland.

Consumers who are dissatisfied with their purchase at LensCrafters for any reason will be entitled to a full refund or exchange for any complete set of optical eyewear purchased at LensCrafters stores. Consumers will be required to present the original receipt and packaging of their purchase.

In addition to tailored services, LensCrafters' products portfolio in China is different from that in the North American market; in fact, there are even differences among the outlets in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou, in line with the tastes and customs of local consumers, the company said.

(China Daily 03/16/2009 page10)