Postcard from Melbourne: Life with The Lens Men

You may remember Jeremiah Lim as the extremely knowledgeable, cheerful and helpful optometrist who took care of your eyes at The Eye Site last November through February. Although he's back at Melbourne University's Victorian College of Optometry working towards his B.Sc. -- and he is dearly missed! -- Jeremiah took time out to reflect upon his three months as part of The Lens Men and The Eye Site family.

March 10, 2008 — Young optometrists working in any practice face several challenges, such as gaining the trust of new patients, learning to collaborate closely with unfamiliar colleagues and not having a full range of specialised diagnostic equipment to work with or facing limited company policies of focusing on optical aid prescriptions only.

I'm happy to report that working with The Eye Site, I only had to worry about one thing: inspiring confidence in my patients as my colleagues and management ensured that everything I needed to provide the highest quality of eye care was in place. From the comprehensive optical equipment installed in-store to guidance from my co-workers, I was always comfortable in practising optometry and also gained new perspectives in applying this science in a retail setting.

Often in the industry, you hear of many optical stores that solely emphasise on the retail aspects, but at The Lens Men and The Eye Site, the "Not Just Eye Care - We Care" motto is lived and practised every minute by the opticians and optometrists. From complete binocular vision assessment tools and colour vision deficiency detection tools to hand-held tonometers, we were sufficiently well-equipped above and beyond what most stores carry in their diagnostic rooms. In addition, the opticians and optometrists are well-regarded by customers, patients and peers alike, enabling us to freely perform our duties and make the right diagnoses while developing and nurturing our practice at the highest professional level. This valuable experience ultimately benefits our patients and customers, as we continue to refine the quality of eye care that we provide.

The fact that The Lens Men is a family business in all senses of the term -- there is a very cohesive and unique bond that brings everyone together within each store and even across the branches and the head office -- also helps us bring our work to a higher level. Not only do we all work well together during the course of the day, we often find ourselves meeting and socialising outside of work as well. Like a real family, the welfare of The Lens Men and The Eye Site staff is always one of the company's highest priorities -- any team member can easily approach managing director Peter Koh with concerns or suggestions, and he is both a ready listener and one who displays genuine concern in communications with his staff.

I'd like to thank The Lens Men and The Eye Site for my wonderful and meaningful experience, and all the great customers I had the opportunity to diagnose and serve. Till our paths cross again!