Top Show Christchurch and other Awards

Groovy Glasses Awards and Articles

Top Shop in Christchurch - Outstanding Customer Service

Groovy Glasses is once again a winner, scooping the Outstanding Customer Service Award for 2007 in the Christchurch TopShop Awards. This will make it 3 times in a row that Groovy Glasses has been judged outstanding by professional mystery shoppers from the New Zealand Retailer’s Association in a city that boasts 400,000 shoppers. An indication of the pleasant experience you will enjoy if you ever decide to come in for a visit !

Top Shop in Christchurch - Overall Winner

Groovy Glasses Ltd was selected as the Top Shop in Christchurch by the New Zealand Retailer’s Association in October 2005. This meant going through weeks of a robust review system consisting of mystery shopping, customer feedback, more mystery shopping, and then starting with a clean slate, the final judging - and Groovy Glasses came out on top! Imagine that, the best shop in the whole of Christchurch, as judged by the professionals!

Judges' Comments:

"Groovy Glasses makes shopping for eyewear an out of sight experience. The retro style fit out, fabulous and funky product range, refreshing and infectious enthusiasm by staff committed to finding the view right for you, creates a fantastic and focussed experience."

'Her Business' Magazine - 2001 Finalist Businesswomen of the Year

Trudy McLean: Director/Optometrist, Groovy Glasses Ltd, Christchurch
Business Activity: Optometry
Business Stucture: Limited Liability Company
Year Business Formed: Bought 1994
No. of Employees: 3 full, 5 part-time

When I first went into business the only inspiration I had was to prove that I could make a success of it, having recently been asked to leave a stable job by my employer, who wanted to take on a business partner.

Initially I knew nothing of management or strategies; I had no plan but to be as good an optometrist as I could. However I quickly learned about 'target markets' and put in place things that would attract any women who liked fashion, enjoyed a laugh, and were prepared to pay a little more to receive excellent service and a fabulous looking end result. Hence the handpicked staff who attract clients back to us on a regular basis just for a good chat, the enthusiastic advice when choosing eyewear, the overnight appro service, and the change to our product lines to include many boutique designers.

After I'd been in business for five years we relocated to an historic building we had bought and took the risk that our clients would cope with the more bohemian area, the 'retro' theme we'd used on the interior and the name change to "Groovy Glasses Ltd'. Groovy Glasses has become so busy that I've had to employ someone else to take on my role as an optometrist, two days a week, and I'm based at home on those days as the manager/marketer/entrepreneur. I also decided to spend as much time as possible with my son while he was still young. We have weekly staff meetings in which suggestions are encouraged and grievances can be aired. I always make the effort to inject something positive into the discussion and it's great for me to hear consistently that my staff are enjoying themselves.

'I'm determined, competitive; and perceptive (and a long with that I can be oversensitive). I don't regard myself as a natural leader. I just do the best I can with what I've got.'

Sourced from: Her Business Magazine,
Jan/Feb 2001

Conservation and Restoration Award

Some of the staff with their heritage awards are left: Karen Walton, Trudy McLean and Lynne Bruorton.

Sourced from: NZ Optics Magazine,
Dec 2000

Christchurch practice Groovy Glasses has recently been awarded two prizes in relation to the restoration of the building in which the practice is located. Practice owner Trudy McLean was awarded first place, receiving the Conservation and Restoration Award for a project that had been completed within the last 12 months.

The practice was also runner-up in the Christchurch Star Award for commercial businesses who had done something special to a character building. The award is intended to promote the retention of character buildings in the central Christchurch business area. These annual Christchurch awards were established to recognise the efforts of the community in initiating the preservation of the character and heritage of buildings. The practice also receives a brass plaque to be displayed on the exterior of the building.

Editorials from the "Women in Business"
I Can See Clearly So I Must Be Ok!
I have run into a few people lately who haven’t had their eyes examined for 5 years or more, and when I’ve recommended to them that it’s important to have their eyes checked out again, they’ve said, “but I’m seeing OK with these glasses, so I don’t need an eye test”. This is the biggest misunder- standing I come across; there are so many eye diseases that can be slowly damaging the eye and yet don’t give blurry vision until the disease reaches the final stages. The only way to detect eye disease early enough to control it is for an optometrist to take a good look around the inside of your eye regularly, so as to spot the problem before it gets a good foothold. For $55 every two years, this is a very cheap “warrant of fitness” for the eyes.

	You Get What You Pay For!
	It has been interesting to see over my five years in business how many people react to different products. I started my business career from a student background, and thought that most people would want to spend as little as possible on glasses. However as time has gone on I’ve been forced to realize that sometimes appearance is important enough to people to go out of their way financially to make themselves look good. The important thing is that when people come to us they can choose whether to spend a smaller amount for a more standard product or a larger amount on something special; we cater for all budgets and inform people fully before they reach a final decision on what is best for them.
Sourced from: Women in Business, a section of “The Christchurch Mail”, 1998 - 2000