Free eye check-up is the most proven and popular method to increase customer walk-in for your optical retail store. When you offer free eye check-up; you will be able to connect your business with more and more customers. With an increase in the number of customer walk-ins to your store; you will be able to generate more sales and thus improve profits in your optical retail store.
By offering free eye check-up service; you are also contributing to a social cause to make our world a better place with healthier eyes and clear vision.
There are no specific rules or methods to perform free eye check-ups; it completely depends on your skills, experience and budget. According to our understanding of optical retail business; it would be ideal to conduct a free eye check-up camp where you can expect a minimum of 70 to 100 patients who will undergo free eye check-up.
Most of the stores offer free eye check-ups at their store but that is not what we need. We are sharing the ideas which are outside your store and which will help you to bring more customers to your store. If you have more walk-in; you will obviously get more sales. We have listed some of the places in this blog where you can perform free eye check-up camps for your optical retail business.
Community centers
Identify and locate as many community centers you can find near your store. Any community center within 5 kilometers range from your store will help you to get more customer walk-ins. Most of the community centers have traffic or crowd on specific dates or days; identify them and plan your eye check-up camp accordingly. Some community centers will be privately owned and you may require to spend some money or take permissions before you can perform a free eye check-up camp in their premises.
School or colleges :
Any school or college which is close to your store can add more customer walk-in. By offering free eye check-ups in school and colleges; you are also attending early eye problems in young ones. When you target a young population; their parents and guardians are indirectly targeted as potential customers for your optical retail business. You can meet the principal or committee chairman of such an institute and make arrangements for your free eye check-up camp. Always try to arrange such a camp during working hours so that you can perform eye tests and collect data for more students.
Shopping malls
It will be a great opportunity to perform a free eye check-up at a nearby shopping mall. Apart from increasing walk-in; this will also help you to establish brand name for your business. Weekends or special festival days are the best to perform eye check-up camps in shopping malls. Most of the malls will charge to give space but if you perform this in any of the existing businesses which are running in their mall; then it can be done without any extra cost.
Apartments
For urban cities, apartments are a golden opportunity to perform a free eye check-up camp. It is easy to get permission from the apartment secretary or president. Moreover, if you know residents in the given apartment; your eye testing camp can be more successful. Usually apartments wont charge anything and that is why this is the best option to increase customer walk-in. Before you perform eye check-up camp; find out about the residents size (total number of residents), residents status (middle class, lower middle class, upper class etc), residents age groups (children’s, adults, senior citizens).
Residential layouts
If your store is located in Semi Urban or 2 tier city; you should target big residential layouts which consist of 50+ houses. Most of the residential layouts are owned and run by associations and it is easy to contact them and take their permission for free eye check-up camp. You should know about the ideal time or check with the association president to find out the right time to perform a free eye check-up camp in their layout.
Banks
You can conduct a free eye check-up camp for bank employees and their customers. Most of the bank customers will be staying in the nearby location because it makes it easy for them to operate their bank account. You can contact the respective bank manager to schedule a free eye check-up camp. Public sector banks and large private banks may not allow you to execute eye check-up camps in their premises or they will not be able to share their customer data with you. However, small co-operative banks, gramin banks or NBFC will be the ideal choice to increase walk-in for your optical retail business.
Public offices
Electricity office, Gas office, Water & savage, Revenue office, Panchayat office, Municipal office in your ward etc are called public offices and these places are visited by local residents regularly. These offices are great places to set up free eye check-up camps. However, you would require special permission if you want to do such activity in their premises.
Corporate offices
Large private owned companies are called corporate and these places employ 100 to 1000 people in their office. This place can be a potential opportunity to establish a free eye check-up camp. Before performing or planning for your eye check-up camp, consult their HR department to understand if more than 50% of their employees are residing within 5 kilometers from the office. If this percentage is very less; then drop the idea of free eye check-up in the respective office.
Factories & industries
If you have any factories, industries or large plants nearby your store; you can target them to set up a free eye check-up camp. You can contact the management or HR department to make necessary arrangements in their premises. Make sure all their employees and staff are informed well in advance about your eye check-up camp.
Things to remember?
- Eye check-up has to be performed by qualified and trained professionals only.
- Do not force anyone to undergo eye check-up; it should be at will.
- Set up your eye check-up camp in a neat and clean environment.
- Eye check-up should be at free of cost, never plan to charge for eye check-up.
- Use software to store customer data, print their prescription and send auto reminders.
- Plan for an attractive offer which should encourage more people for eye check-up.
- Distribute free coupons with eye check-up which will bring more customers to your store.