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An honest touch
By Denis Langlois
Olga Trentin says one of the keys to her optical boutique ’ s success is that she is always honest with her customers . The owner of Eyewear by Olga in Port Credit , part of Mississauga , Ont ., said she only upsells if the client really needs the product and always gives her honest opinion when they ’ re trying on frames .
“ I ' ll tell them off the bat if something doesn ' t look good and they laugh most of the time because I ' m brutally honest but that ' s what makes them like me ,” she says . “ I also never try to close the sale if I sense that they are unsure because then they may have regrets with the purchase and not come back in the future . I always tell them to sleep on it and come back . Most people do and are happy they did . The ones that don ' t simply did not really want the frames and I feel no loss as I want them to love what they choose .”
Eyewear by Olga is run by Trentin , a licenced optician , and her sister Nina Ljutic . It opened in 2011 and has four staff . Recently , Trentin took some time to discuss her business with Optical Prism .
Q . What kind of clientele does your store service ? A . We service a high-end clientele ; people who want the best-made products and exceptional customer service . We go above and beyond for our clients ( we open early and stay late , we also come in on our days off for personal one-on-one private consultations ).
Q . Tell us about the brands available at your boutique ? A . The primary brands we feature are Dita , Thierry Lasry , Claire Goldsmith and Theo .
Q . What kind of marketing tools do you use ? A . Primarily , Instagram , Twitter and Facebook , but we also put advertisements in our local newspaper and have pop-up trunk shows with Canadian fashion designers in our boutique . We have a huge turnout and referrals as well .
Q . What are some of the benefits of operating an independent outlet ? A . The most rewarding benefit for us is being able to hand-pick what we sell . I do believe that when you have a passion for something , it ' s best shown when you have the luxury of being able to give your client exactly what they want . I find the best option for their needs and at times , if we don ' t have it , I outsource it .
Q . Are there any changes or plans for the future for the store ? A . We are very happy with how things are . We are looking for an optometrist to come on board and service our amazing clients . That ' s what we would love the most . We , like many others , only want to share our passion for eyewear by making many more new clients as happy as our existing ones .
26 EYE FOCUS | February 2017