For an optician, it is essential to have a clear view of the service you want to provide.
This is certainly the case at Tolley & Partners, a family-orientated business, which has been part of the Sheen scene for over 35 years.
The original Mr Tolley has now passed. However his legacy lives on through Jitendra Ravrani and the Tolleys staff, who helped him found the business and become established in the local area all those years ago.
“It was a very different high street in those days,” he recalls. “We had a fishmonger, a large post office, Cullens and many other shops, which have all gone now.”
One thing however, which remains unchanged is the ethos at Tolleys. Providing a high quality, family friendly service whilst delivering value for money is something that is engrained in Tolleys philosophy since its inception.
“Buying a pair of glasses is a very important decision,” says Jitendra. “Glasses are usually worn every day, so they must be right from the start. We don’t sell sub-standard products that fail. If customers are unhappy with their glasses or the service they have received, there is a ripple effect – which would be very damaging to us. The customer is at the very heart of our business, therefore we aim to continually provide value, whilst offering an extraordinary customer experience.”
The Tolleys approach centres on spending enough time with each customer to discover exactly what the glasses are needed for, based on the individual. By taking into account a customer’s profession, computer time and hobbies (to mention but a few factors), the glasses will be tailored to an individual’s needs.
Word of mouth is very important in this business and the ethos and community immersion of Tolleys has been crucial in providing a high quality, well-rounded service that customers are happy to talk about and recommend. Tolleys are more than happy to support local initiatives, schools and charities and believe that being a pillar of the community is very important for businesses today.
Jitendra is justly proud that many customers have remained loyal to Tolleys over the years and have ignored the ‘special deals’ and other blandishments offered by the national optician chains. “We believe our approach sets us apart. Our aim is to find out exactly what our customers need, rather than what we think they need. We have some customers who have been with us from the start. Not only have we looked after their children but now their grandchildren as well.
The store stocks more than 500 frames, including top brands such as Gucci, Armani, Silhouette and Hugo Boss – with prices from £28 upwards. Frames and contact lenses have seen huge changes in both design and materials, therefore staff at Tolleys make it a priority to keep abreast of all the technological changes that occur in the industry, to ensure they provide a high quality, specialist service which is key to their philosophy that is valued so highly.
Tolley & Partners
399 Upper Richmond Road West, Sheen, London SW14 7NX
Phone: 020 8878 6870
© East Sheen Village – Words by Mark Dowdney – Pictures by Bob Lisney – Project Coordination Richard Osborne