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Credit should be given where credit is due—that said, I’d like to turn the spotlight today on more than 40 Pearle Vision franchisees who received awards for their excellent sales performance and service to customers. The 2011 Pearle Vision Summit took place in San Antonio, TX and approximately 200 franchisees, staff members, and doctors joined representatives from the brand to celebrate the accomplishments of the franchise community and receive an overview of what’s to come in 2012.
Franchisees Randi Lovett and Emma Mutz (pictured above, Store 8564, Riverdale, NJ) took top honors as the winners of the Dr. Stanley Pearle Award for their outstanding results in 2010. (Awards are based on performance for the full fiscal year prior to the event).
The Dr. Stanley Pearle Award, established in 1992 in honor of Pearle Vision’s founder, is presented to the top franchisee in the Pearle system based on several criteria including: Sales improvements over the prior year, High standards of operation, Marketing excellence, Community involvement and involvement in other franchise initiatives and programs.
The award was especially significant this year as the franchise community commemorated the 50th anniversary of the brand.
“We are so honored to receive this award and carry on Dr. Pearle’s legacy,” said Randi and Emma.
Silver, Gold and Platinum Award Winners (names listed below) dressed for their decade
To celebrate the decades in Pearle Vision’s past, attendees dressed up in groovy 60s bellbottoms, disco outfits from the 70s, and hip-hop garb from the 80s. A surprise flash mob kicked off the evening as Pearle Vision’s leaders recognized the winners.
Vice President of Franchise and Corporate Operations, Tammy Reaves, led a special toast to Dr. Pearle and the brand’s 50th anniversary.
“Thank you for continuing to honor Dr. Pearle’s legacy of taking care of the people,” she said. “Your service to your customers, your local communities, and each other is proof that Dr. Pearle’s vision is alive in your hearts and minds.”
Congratulations to all Pearle Vision franchisees across the United States for their success! Below is a full list of the award winners honored:
AWARD WINNERS
SILVER SPECTACLE AWARDS
Honors stores that achieve a 10-15% sales increase over the prior year»
RORY K. ZIMNY, GLENDALE, WI
DAVID W. KOVAR, LINCOLN, NE
ANNA TITOWANO, CURACAO, NETHERLAND ANTILLES, NA
MARCO PORTIER, ARUBA, AW
GENE GEBHARD, NORTH CHARLESTON, SC
GENE GEBHARD, MT PLEASANT, SC
RICHARD PALMA, MIAMI, FL
KENNETH TILLES, O.D., TOWSON, MD
GOLD SPECTACLE AWARDS
Recognizes franchisees who have increased sales 16% or more year over year»
GENE DENNY, JR., BIRMINGHAM, AL
THEODORE BRINK, O.D., FLEMING ISLAND, FL
JOHN JANVIER, O.D., FAAO, POOLER, GA
FRANK PLUMB, MICHAEL PLUMB & DAVE THOMSON, O.D., LAKELAND, FL
RELM OPTICIANS & STAFF, RIVERDALE, NJ
ROSARIO DITTA, W CALDWELL, NJ
THERESA DITTA, NUTLEY, NJ
SUDHA Y. PATEL, FAIRFAX, VA
MICHAEL TWEED, O.D., GENEVA, IL
PLATINUM SPECTACLE AWARDS
Celebrates franchisees whose single store volume exceeded $1 million dollars while also exceeding their previous year’s sales by more than $50,000»
DR. MICHAEL HANS & STAFF, JERICHO, NY
WAYNE KELLY, MANHASSET, NY
LEONARD RISSMAN, YONKERS, NY
RUSSELL T. D’ARGENTO, NEWTON, MA
HAROLD F. CURTIN III, O.D., SUDBURY, MA
KEN & JANET HANLEY, ST PAUL, MN
HOWARD H. OIFER, O.D., ROSWELL, GA
MARC A.R. DIAB, O.D., HOUSTON, TX
JEFF BUTCHER, O.D., OKLAHOMA CITY, OK
WILLIAM JUARBE TORO, CAGUAS, PR
SPIRIT OF DIVERSITY AWARD
This award honors a franchisee who embraces diversity and inclusion in his or her business»
REBECCA ROBINSON, O.D., OMAHA, NE
ONESIGHT AWARDS
For contributions and participation in OneSight»
GARY TONSAGER, ELK RIVER, MN
DAVID W. KOVAR, LINCOLN, NE
LISA HAMILTON, O.D. AND BOBBY HAMILTON, CENTENNIAL, CO
NOMAN BLASÉ, O.D. AND SPENCER VIDULICH, CHICAGO, IL
AMBASSADOR AWARDS
Recognizes franchisees for support of the Pearle brand, and for promoting the benefits of being a Pearle franchisee»
SHARI ALBEE, AMES, IA
KIM BURRAGE, ST LOUIS PARK, MN
JOHN CHAN, RICHMOND HILL, ON
PARAGON AWARDS
Recognizes franchisees for highest sales improvement, commitment to quality and operations, and community involvement»
RANDI LOVETT & EMMA MUTZ, RIVERDALE , NJ
FRANK PLUMB, BRANDON, FL
KEN HANLEY, ST PAUL, MN
I bought two pair of glasses and lenses in October 2011 from the Oklahoma City store. I OSU student who was driving back and forth from Stillwater helped me, and he did a wonderful job. It was amazing customer service, he explained everything to me and made my $500 plus purchase feel like a wise one. He made glasses and lenses a language that I felt fluent in.
Over the winter break I was rock climbing and broke my prescription sun glasses. I remembered him telling me about receiving 50% off of accidental damage for 6 months so I came back in to inquire about a repair. I wish the young man from OSU was still working there, because from the time I came in to explain what had happened I was given the worse customer service I have received in a very long time. There were two employees working in the front, and one was obviously still in training. His trainer was clearly tired of training him and/or him in general. Every single time he asked her a question she blatantly rolled her eyes and would take over whatever he was doing, and eventually just sent him to the back to retrieve some frames. She was so disrespectful to him that it made me feel uncomfortable. She ended up taking over assisting me, ordered another set of frames, told me they would arrive in a week or two, and that Pearle Vision would call me upon their arrival. I asked the woman how much the repair would be, and after using a calculator and the price I paid for the frame she determined it would be either about $25 or $100. She gave me two prices because she did not know if only the temple piece needed to be replaced or if the hinge also needed to be replaced. She was doing this while MAKING a personal phone call with me right in front of her.
Three weeks after that day I called the store to check on the order, and I did not receive a returned call…This happened seven times over the course of the following two and a half weeks. Finally, today when I called to check on the order someone answered the phone and told me that the frames were in. I was unaware because no one called to tell me like they said they were going to, nor did anybody ever return one of my seven phone calls. When I went in to have the repair done the hinge was not damaged. The same woman, Kevonia, helped me [I use the term help very loosely, because she was more rude to me than anything else], after having another sales associate look the price up on a computer she said it would $47. I told her I didn’t want it then and just to please take the new temple piece off. When she returned from the back of the store she wasn’t sure which frames belonged to me and which ones didn’t. She asked me which ones were mine, I did not have the slightest clue, so I asked her f she could use a devise to determine which prescription was mine. Then all of the sudden she was certain as to which set belong to me. I immediately asked her why she asked me if she knew, and asked her to double check for me. She did not though, she just told me that my lenses were scratched.
This experience is the opposite of customer service, I will never spend $5, $50, or $500 at Pearle Vision ever again, I’d rather spend $555 at a competitor. I get lots and lots of compliments on both sets of my frames and I use to have a wonderful story to tell along with my response to these compliments. It is too bad for your company that I no longer do.
Hi Melanie,
I’m Theo with Pearle Vision. I’m so sorry to hear your experience was disappointing. Please tell me which store in Oklahoma City, you visited. I’ll be happy to look into this and see if there is anything I can do to help.
Thank you,
Theo
icare@pearlevision.com